The Irish Government recently announced significant changes to the employment permit system and amendments to Stamp 4 applications. These changes cross many employment sectors and will be of great benefit to Irish businesses and society. Our Business Immigration team reviews the main changes and their impact on employers.
Significant changes have been announced by the Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) regarding the employment permits system. They include some 43 changes to the jobs eligible for an employment permit as well as a roadmap for increasing the salary thresholds for employment permits.
Threshold changes
Employment permit type |
Current thresholds |
Jan '24 |
Jan '25 Indicative rates* |
July '25 |
General |
€30,000 |
€34,000 |
€39,000 |
|
Meat Processing / Horticulture |
€22,916 |
€30,000 |
€32,000 |
€34,000 |
Healthcare Assistant / Home Carer |
€27,000 |
€30,000 |
€34,000 |
€34,000 |
Graduate Positions; Language Skills Specialist |
€27,000 |
€34,000 |
€39,000 |
|
Butcher / Boner |
€27,500 |
€34,000 |
€39,000 |
|
Critical Skills with a degree |
€32,000 |
€38,000 |
€44,000 |
|
Critical Skills without a degree |
€64,000 |
no change |
no change |
|
Intra-Company Transfer (Trainee) |
€30,000 |
€34,000 |
€39,000 |
|
Intra-Company Transfer |
€40,000 |
€46,000 |
€53,000 |
|
Contract for Services |
€40,000 |
€46,000 |
€53,000 |
In addition to these significant changes, in November 2023, the Irish Government introduced significant changes to the Stamp 4 process. As a result, applicants for Stamp 4 permissions, on the basis of holding a Critical Skills Employment Permit, Researcher on a Hosting Agreement or NCHD Multi-Site General Employment, are no longer required to obtain a letter of support from the DETE.
Instead, once they have been registered with the Department of Justice for a Stamp 1, in accordance with their Critical Skills Employment Permit, Researcher on a Hosting Agreement or NCHD Multi-Site General Employment, they will be eligible to apply for a Stamp 4 IRP card for 21 months.
Conclusion
The Government has introduced significant changes to the employment permits system over the last number of months and employers and employees need to be aware of the impacts.
Employers will need to ensure that, from 17 January 2024, the new salary thresholds are met for the relevant employment permit type being applied for and ensure the role remains eligible for an employment permit.
Employers should make their employees aware of the Stamp 4 changes to ensure they retain the right to work.
For more information and expert advice, contact a member of our Business Immigration team.
The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.
