Employment Permits Online Goes Live: 28 April 2025

The new Employment Permits Online (EPOS) system goes live on 28 April 2025. Our Employment & Benefits team reviews the changes brought in by the new system and provides preparation tips for employers.

What you need to know

• New online system: The Employment Permits Online (EPOS) system will go live on Monday 28 April 2025.
• Portal accounts: Employers, employees, and agents can create separate portal accounts with multi-factor authentication. Employers must submit additional documentation for registration purposes.
• Preparation is key: Employers should register early, familiarise themselves with the new system, update internal policies accordingly, provide training for users, and seek legal advice.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will launch a new, cloud-based Employment Permits Online (EPOS) system on Monday 28 April 2025. The new system, which replaces the old employment permit service, is expected to significantly change the way employment permits are submitted, processed, and issued.

Key changes

1. Online portal

The new system will introduce an online platform through which employment permits can be applied for. Individual users, like employers, employees, or agents, will have to register for their own accounts to access the portal. Portal accounts will provide a record of current and historic applications as well as up-to-date information on the status of their applications.

2. Registration

To access the portal, a user must register for a portal account. This will involve confirming an email address and password and setting up multi-factor authentication.

For employers, registration will also require the provision of some key additional documents, including Revenue and CRO details. Access to the portal will be provided once the Employment Permits Unit completes validation of these documents. The initial email address used to register a portal account will be set as the ‘Administrator’ for the account. More than one administrator can be assigned to an account. Once the account is verified, the administrator for any employer or agent account will be able to add or remove additional contact points listed under the account. There is no upper limit to the number of contact points that can be added, and all contact points may prepare and submit employment permit applications.

3. Interaction

Requests from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will be issued via email from the EPOS system, sent directly to the verified email addresses associated with the relevant application. Recipients can reply to these emails, and responses will be automatically recorded on the corresponding application record within the EPOS system. The portal can be used to submit requests relating to a particular application, for example: change of employer, appeals, withdrawals, cancellations.

4. Trusted Partner initiative

The Trusted Partner initiative will no longer operate under the EPOS system. All employers will now operate from portal accounts.

Preparation tips for employers

• Early registration: Employers should register for their portal account early to avoid delays in the processing of applications.
• Familiarise with EPOS: Interact with the new system’s features and functionalities to ensure familiarity with the new system.
• Policy updates: Update internal procedures to align with the new EPOS system.
• Train staff: Provide training to key staff members on how to navigate and perform critical tasks via the platform.
• Seek legal advice: Seek legal advice for more information about EPOS, its requirements, and updates to its functionality.

Conclusion

The introduction of the EPOS system represents a meaningful change to the way in which employment permits will be applied for and processed.

For more information, please contact our Employment & Benefits team.

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.