IRELAND – Changes to the Employment Permit System (Critical Skills Permit Changes Included)

Dec 19, 2019 | Global

Effective January 1, 2020, changes will take place in the Irish Employment Permit System to address immediate labor shortages in key sectors such as hospitality, construction, health and road haulage.

What Are the Changes?

  • All chef grades are now eligible for an employment permit, and the occupation will no longer be subject to quotas.
  • All nurses can now qualify for a Critical Skills Employment Permit – which brings immediate family reunification, broad access to the Irish labor market for family members, and a fast track to long term residency after two years.
  • Most professional occupations in the construction sector can now qualify for a Critical Skills Employment Permit. Technician and construction support occupations – such as Foreman, Architectural Technician and Construction Safety Officer – can qualify for General Employment Permits.
  • Other changes include an increase of the quota for HGV drivers by 200.

Also effective 1 January, the following previously-announced changes will affect Critical Skills Employment Permits and the Labour Market Needs Test:

  • The minimum salary threshold for Critical Skills Employment Permits will increase from €30,000 to €32,000 where the position is on the Critical Skills Occupations List and where the candidate has a relevant degree or higher.
  • The minimum salary threshold for Critical Skills Employment Permits will increase from €60,000 to €64,000 for all other positions (other than those on the Ineligible Categories of Employment for Employment Permits).
  • The time period for advertising a vacancy with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (as part of the Labour Market Needs Test) will increase from 14 days to 28 days.
  • The Department of Business, Enterprise & Innovation have confirmed that applications submitted up to and including 31 December 2019 will be considered with the existing remuneration thresholds, even if they are processed after 1 January.

Our Advice

Employers who may be effected are encouraged to contact a Wolfsdorf Rosenthal immigration attorney or email the WR Global Immigration team at Global@wolfsdorf.com for case specific advice.

Related Posts:

UNITED KINGDOM: Covid-19 Update

There is still a lack of clarity in terms of visa applications being submitted around the world and in the United Kingdom (UK). Attorneys are urging UKVI and the Home Office to update its guidance of February 27, 2020, to provide greater clarity. In the meantime, below are updates. Visa Application Centers Around the World Many application centers are still open for those individuals who wish to submit visa applications. As expected, however, there are a number of closures and interruptions to the usual service standards. These include: Asia Pacific: Due to closure of the Manila regional visa hub, there are currently no priority services for applicants applying in, for example, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. USA: All non-premium biometric application service centers ASCs operated by USCIS in the United States are closed. The Premium Application Centers (PACs) all remain open for the time being, except for the PACs in Seattle and San Francisco, which are currently closed. Europe: All TLS contact centers are closed for UK visa applicants. UK: Sopra Steria application centers in the UK remain open for the time being. There have been reports of closures at some locations for certain application types […]

Read More

TURKEY: Limitations on Renewals of Touristic Residence Permits

As of 2020, The Migration Directorate (MD) had announced on its website that it would not consider renewals of Touristic Residence Permits (RP) that had been issued for one year. According to reports, there may be possible discretionary actions to limit applicability of this significant restriction. Multiple MD sources said they anticipate an internal communique to lift the ban on renewals for nationals of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), but this has not yet been confirmed officially.

Read More