Oh! You have been granted residence in Ireland by the Minister for Justice, or maybe you are just lucky enough to join a family member. In either case, you may not require an employment permit to work in Ireland. However, if you do not fall in either category like most non-EEA (European Economic Area) individuals, then an employment permit is a sine qua non.
The organization which processes these employment permits is known as the “Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE)”. It may be noted that there are nine different types of employment permit, and a special Hosting Agreement for academic researchers. However, the most common are General Employment Permit & Critical Skills Employment Permits.
And this blog is dedicated to understanding the difference between the General Employment Permit & Critical Skills Employment Permit.
Regarded as the key component applied by the State of Ireland to entice nationals from third world nations to work with labour shortages. This permit assumes all works to be eligible unless it is specified otherwise. One of the major significance of a “General Employment Permit” for any potential candidate is that it covers a wider range of occupations than any other type of employment permit, and may be obtained in respect of a 12 month contract of employment.
It may be noted that the said permit can be issued for an initial 2 years’ timeperiod, and can subsequently be renewed for a further 3 years. And after 5 years, the applicant may safely apply to the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) for a long-term residency.
If you have been proposed a job in one of the three categories, then you may apply for a General Employment Permit. These include:
A job with an annual pay of € 30,000 with few exceptions
Any job not included in the list of ineligible occupations
A business with more than 50% of the workers from outside the EEA. Also known as the 50:50 rule
The company or the organisation must be trading in Ireland and registered with the Companies Register Office.
There are certain key points worth understanding, including:
Family members of the individual with a “General Employment Permit” can join them in Ireland after the latter’s first year of employment.
Individuals working as doctors for the HSE, or HSE funded services, and have a Stamp 1H, and their spouse/partner can apply for a Stamp 1G. This, however, allows them to work without an employment permit.
Said to replace the “Green Card” employment permit, the Critical Skills Employment permit is made to lure highly skilled people into labour market with the key motive of encouraging them to seek PR in Ireland.
There are certain key components attached to the said permit which make it highly attractive, namely:
If you have been proposed a job in one of the three categories, then you may apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit. These include:
It is important to understand that the said permit can only be issued for a job proposal in 2 years’ time. Permit holders are expected to stay with their first employer for a period not less than 12 months. This is important because under section 12(1) (e) of the Employment Permits Act, 2006 as amended, unless a period of 12 months has lapsed since the permit holder first started employment in the State in accordance with the employment permit, a new employment permit for a different employer cannot be examined.
Certain key components with respect to the said type of visa include:
Sr.No. | General Employment permit | Critical Skills Employment permit |
1. | To entice nationals from third world nations for occupations with labor shortage | To attract high skilled individuals into labor market with the key motive to encourage them of seeking a permanent residence in Ireland |
2. | Individual with a job paying annually € 30k can apply for this permit. | Individual with a job paying annually € 32k can apply for this permit. |
3. | Family members of the individual with a “General Employment Permit” can join them in Ireland after latter’s first year of employment | Family member of the individual permit holder can join them immediately. |
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