Employment Permits
Nationals from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) require one of three different types of permission or employment permit to work in Ireland depending on their circumstances. These are a Green Card, Work Permit or Intra-Company Transfer, designated under the Employment Permits Act 2006 which came into effect on 1st February 2007.
The Work Permit section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) is responsible for the processing of all applications for Green Cards, Work Permits, and Intra-Company Transfers. See full details of application procedures in its comprehensive Guide.
Green Card
A Green Card Permit is an employment permit issued to an employee allowing his/her employment in the State by a named employer in the occupation specified on the permit. It is issued for an initial period of two years and is normally renewed indefinitely thereafter. This permit allows an employee to apply for immediate family re-unification and usually facilitates a pathway to permanent residency after two years. No labour market needs test, i.e. newspaper and FÁS/EURES advertising, is required prior to making an application.
Work Permit
A Work Permit is an employment permit issued to an employee, which permits his/her employment in the State by an employer in the occupation specified on the permit. It is issued for an initial period of two years; can be renewed for a further three years; and after five years, can be renewed indefinitely.
The DETE will only consider Work Permit applications if they fall within occupational disciplines currently deemed eligible for work permit application purposes. A vacancy, in respect of which an application for a work permit is being made, must be advertised on the FÁS/EURES employment network for eight weeks and additionally, in local and national for six days. This ensures that, firstly, a national of the EEA or Switzerland, or secondly, a national of Bulgaria or Romania, cannot be found to fill the vacancy. Evidence that this has been done must be included with the application.
Intra-Company Transfer
This scheme is designed to facilitate the transfer of senior management, key personnel or trainees who are foreign nationals from an overseas branch of a multinational corporation to its Irish branch. The duration of an Intra-Company Transfer Permit would be for a defined period depending on the reason for transfer. Applications may be granted for a maximum period of up to two years in the first instance and may be extended upon application to a maximum stay of five years.
