Eligibility criterion for a student visa:

• Meet the required score in a certified English language proficiency exam such as IELTS OR TOEFL, like PTE.
• Need for a residence permit to stay in Ireland for a period ranging more than 3 months, if you are from a Non-EU or Non-EEA country.
• Need to apply for a residence permit at the Local Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), which is basically a unit of Ireland’s police force. A registration fee of 300 Euros have to be paid.

Second step: Need for internship experiences during studies. Ireland allows international students to work for a period of 20 hours per week during your academic courses, and 40 hours per week during vacation period.

Third step: Need to get a post study work permit. And you will be eligible for the same after finishing your educational course. Ireland has two types of work permits, namely:

1. Irish general work permit: allows non EU citizens to work in Ireland for two years after the candidate has a valid job offer in hand.
2. Critical skills employment permit: awarded to working professionals which finds its inclusion in the Highly Skilled Occupations List. This permit is highly recommended as it makes PR a cakewalk for non-EU citizen.

Fee structure for the aforesaid work permits:

• For a work permit which is of 6 months or less: 500 Euros
• For a work permit or more than 6 months to two year: 1000 Euros

However it is important to note that only people with a job paying at least 30,000 Euros per year.

Fourth Step: You need to extend your general work permit and the critical skills employment permit, as they have a small time validity. And these can be extended up to a period of 3 years.

Final Step: if you have stayed in Ireland for a compulsory period of 5 years than application for a PR is possible. For a person holding the critical skills employment permit, application for a PR can be made after a period of 2 years.