After five years the applicant can apply for Irish citizenship and if successful, gain the right to live and work in the EU or the UK without restriction.

This advantage of being able to live freely within the United Kingdom follows from the UK and Ireland being part of the Common Trade Area, established almost 100 years ago. By comparison to the now-abolished UK Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa, this route offers an attractive alternative.

Spouses and dependent children up to the age of 23 can be admitted as well. Spouses should be able to work in Ireland without the need for an employment permit.

 9 types of Employment Permits in Ireland

• Critical Skills Employment Permit
  This permit is aimed to attract highly qualified employees. Eligible employees under this type of permit are deemed to be critically important to growing Ireland’s economy and in shortage in our labour market.
• Intra-Company Transfer Permit
  This permit is designed to facilitate the transfer of employees from an overseas branch, to its Irish branch.
• General Employment Permit
  This permit is for employees who have been offered a job and are qualified for the occupation. The labour market needs testing will apply.
• Contract For Services Employment Permit
  This permit is for foreign companies who have been offered a contract to provide services to an Irish company.
• Dependant/Spouse/Partner Employment Permit
  This permit is for partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit/Green Card Permit holders.
• Internship Employment Permit
  This permit is for students to gain work experience overseas. The student needs to be in full-time third-level education outside the state.
• Reactivation Employment Permit
  This permit is for employees who have previously held a valid employment permit but have fallen out of the system through no fault of their own.
• Exchange Agreement Employment Permit
  This permit is for foreign applicants who wish to gain employment in Ireland under a government-approved foreign exchange programme.
• Sports and Cultural Employment Permit
  This permit is for applicants who have skills in sports and culture.
• A non-EEA national may be exempt from requiring an employment permit under these circumstances:
  • Van der Elst Case
    In the situation where a non-EEA national was legally working in any member state of the EEA and was temporarily sent on a contract to another Member State, the employer does not need to apply for employment permits in respect of the non-national for the period of the contract.
• A non-EEA national who has been granted permission to remain in the state on one of the following grounds:
  • Spouse or a dependant of an Irish/EEA national
  • Parent of an Irish citizen
  • Under Humanitarian grounds (Having been in the Asylum process)
  • Explicit permission from the Department of Justice and Equality
  • Registered student(Permitted to work 20 hours during the term and 40 hours during holidays)
  • Under the terms of the Diplomatic Relations Act 1967
  • Swiss Nationals

Employment Permits for non-EEA nationals who have held permits for 5 years or more

If a non-EEA national has held an employment permit for 5 years or more they may no longer require a permit to work in Ireland. The Department of Justice and Equality can establish whether the permit holder qualifies for temporary Stamp 4 immigration status.

For more information on setting up your company in Ireland and applying for a visa to live and work in Ireland, please don’t hesitate to contact us at e-lhr.