Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit

Route one: an occupation on the Critical Skills Occupations List, such as ICT professionals, engineers and technologists, paying at least €40,904 a year, with a relevant degree or higher (nurses and midwives qualify with a qualification accepted by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland). Route two: any occupation not on the Ineligible List paying at least €68,911; without a degree you must have the relevant experience.

In both cases the offer must last at least 2 years, the employer must be a genuine Irish employer registered with Revenue, and at least half of its staff must be EEA nationals unless it is an eligible start-up supported by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland. Public-sector roles covered by a pay agreement use that agreement’s pay scale.

Only basic salary, which must at least equal the national minimum wage, and health insurance paid to a registered Irish insurer count towards the threshold; bonuses do not. The thresholds rose on 1 March 2026 from €38,000 to €40,904 under DETE’s roadmap, with phased increases planned to 2030.

The employer or the employee applies to the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) on Employment Permits Online at least 12 weeks before the start date. Once the permit is issued, visa-required nationals apply on AVATS for a long stay D employment visa. A permit alone is not enough: DETE does not interview applicants or check qualifications, so the visa officer weighs your documents and the genuineness of the job.

Plan for both timelines: DETE processes in date order and publishes the dates it has reached, and the visa takes around 8 weeks after lodging.

An employment permit is not a residence permission. Register within 90 days at the Registration Office in Burgh Quay, Dublin, pay €300 and receive the IRP card with Stamp 1. Renew online up to 12 weeks before expiry; if you applied in time, you keep the conditions of your previous permission for up to 12 weeks after expiry while the renewal is pending.

Notify DETE of redundancy within 4 weeks: you then have 6 months to find a new job. A permit must be returned to DETE within 4 weeks if the employment ends.

CSEP holders do not renew the permit with DETE. After 21 months of employment on the permit you apply to Immigration Service Delivery for Stamp 4, which lets you work for any employer without a permit; DETE support letters have not been needed since 30 November 2023. If you do not meet the criteria, you stay on Stamp 1 and still need a permit.

Because CSEP holders are Category B sponsors, the spouse, civil partner, de facto partner and minor children can apply for join family visas straight away, without the income tests that apply to General Employment Permit holders. Spouses and partners are registered on Stamp 1G, which allows employment without a separate permit; children move to Stamp 1G at 16.

A refused employment permit can be reviewed by a more senior DETE official if you file the Submission of a Decision for Review form within 28 days; 90% of the permit fee is refunded when an application fails. A refused long stay employment visa can be appealed free of charge within 2 months of the refusal letter.