The Critical Skills Employment Permit replaces the Green Card type employment permit. The Critical Skills Employment Permit is designed to attract highly skilled people into the labour market with the aim of encouraging them to take up permanent residence in the State.
Eligible occupations under this type of permit are deemed to be critically important to growing Ireland’s economy, are highly demanded and highly skilled, and in significant shortage of supply in our labour market.
The Critical Skills Employment Permit is attractive for a number of reasons:
Because the skills are identified as being in short supply, a Labour Market Needs Test is not required.
Permit holders can apply for immediate family reunification from the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service of the Department of Justice and Equality and once their dependants/partners/spouses are resident in the State they are eligible to seek any employment and apply to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation for a Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit which is currently issued free of charge.
Permit holders may apply to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service for permission to reside and work without the requirement for an employment permit upon completion of the Critical Skills Employment Permit's duration.
Stamp 4
Subject to their having complied with their previous immigration and employment permit conditions and being of good character, they will be issued with an immigration permission which allows them to reside and work in the State without the need for a further employment permit. The Immigration permission granted by the Garda National Immigration Bureau will be for two years, which is then renewable subject to the persons concerned meeting all relevant criteria as stated on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service. On achieving 60 months residency permission, Critical Skills Employment Permit or Green Card Employment Permit holders will then be permitted to make an application for long term residence(5 year stamp 4), details of which are available on www.inis.gov.ie.
If you do not satisfy the qualifying criteria you will be issued with a Stamp 1 by the Garda National Immigration Bureau and you will still be required to hold an employment permit in order to work in the State.
