Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit 2024 (Visa Process)

The Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit is designed to attract skilled workers in the fields where there is a shortage of qualified people in the country. If you want to take up a permanent residence in Ireland then a Critical Skills Employment Permit allows workers to take up permanent residence in the State. Another benefit of this permit is there is No requirement for a Labour Market Need Test. It means Irish employers don’t need to advertise the position first to Irish or EEA citizens.

Occupations that are listed and eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit are very important for the Irish economy and highly demanded. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) has a Critical Skills Occupation List. Applicants with these skills may apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit. After two years on a Critical Skills Employment Permit, you can apply for Stamp 4 permission. This grants PR status, allowing you to live and work in Ireland without needing an employment permit. Further information about the requirements and the application process is given below.

Benefits of Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is attractive for several reasons:

• Faster processing compared to other employment permits.
• No requirement for a Labour Market Needs Test, which means employers don’t need to advertise the position first to Irish or EEA citizens.Because these skills are high in demand, and in short supply.
• Easier family reunification process. It means that your spouse as well as dependent children, can join you in Ireland. Once they are in Ireland, they can apply for an Employment Permit for free.
• Can take up Permanent Residence in Ireland

List of Occupations

And these are the Popular Irish Job sites. Find the Jobs that are in demand and can fit in the critical skills occupation list.

• IrishJobs.ie
• Jobs.ie
• EURES Ireland

Who can Apply for the Critical Skills Employment Permit?

• A Job offer from a registered Irish employer. This means the company must be registered with Revenue, trading in Ireland, and be registered with the Companies Registration Office.
• The job offer must be full-time and for a minimum duration of 2 years.
• The Job must be offered in the field that is on the Critical Skills Occupation List
• Salary Requirements:
  • You must be offered a minimum annual remuneration of €38,000 (as of 18th March 2024) if the Job title is on the Critical Skills Occupation List
  • €64,000 per year: This applies if the job title is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List, but it’s also not on the ineligible occupations list published by DETE.
• Applicant should have relevant qualifications, skills, and experience that are required for the employment.

Note: Jobs offered through recruitment agencies are not accepted under the Critical Skills Employment Permit.

Application Process for the Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit

After securing a Job offer the application involves the following steps:

1. Apply for the Permit: The first step is to make an application online for the Critical Skills Employment Permit. This can be done by your employer as well. The employer of an employee can make an online application on the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS). There is a User Guide (PDF document)
2. Apply for the Visa: Once the decision is made on your application and it is approved the next step is to apply for the Visa (depending on your nationality). You have to apply for the long stay type D visa. An online visa application form may be found at inis.gov.ie. We have written a detailed article on Ireland’s work visa process and the types of employment permits.
3. Get a Residence Permit: To get a residence permit, you have to register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) upon arrival to Ireland.

Processing Fee

The processing fee for a Critical Skills Employment Permit is €1,000. If an application is unsuccessful then 90% of the fee will be refunded.

The highest number of work permits are secured by India. You can check the Employment permit statistics based on Nationality, and work sector.

Applying for a Stamp 4 after two years 

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is issued for 2 years. After this, you can apply for a Stamp 4. It allows you to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit.

This was a detailed overview of the Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit. To learn more please visit the official link.