In most countries around the world, there is a high demand for skilled immigrants in a wide range of fields and industries in Ireland. At the same time, many people want to move to Ireland because it is close to Europe and is part of the European Union.
The Irish government made the Critical Skills Employment Permit to help people with skills in demand move to Ireland for a long time or good. This article will tell you everything you want to understand about the Irish Critical Skills Employment Permit.
What’s the Irish Critical Skills Employment Permit?
The Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP), which replaces the Green Card work permit, is meant to make it easier for migrant workers to move to Ireland to work. Compared to a regular work visa, it also benefits employers in Ireland. The program is only for people with the skills needed to work in certain jobs. The Critical Skills Employment Permit gives both permit holders and employers several clear benefits, such as:
- No need for employers to do a labor market test. This shortens the time required to hire someone and cuts down the paperwork and cost of hiring from abroad.
- The family reunification scheme allows family members to join those with a CSEP.
- Family members who come to Ireland through the unification scheme can work for any company and then apply for a dependant, partner, or spouse employment permit (which is issued at no cost)
- When their permit runs out, CSEP holders can ask permission to live and work without needing an employment permit.
Most of the time, the CSEP is given for two years. People with a job offer for less than two years must fill out an application for a general employment permit. A person with a CSEP may be able to change jobs during the two years they have the permit, but only if they are fired or if something unexpected changes the nature of their job.
What kinds of jobs are on the Critical Skilled Occupations list?
You can find a full list of all the skilled jobs on the Irish Government website. On the list are, but not only, the following:
- Managers of production and directors
- Professionals in the natural and social sciences
- People who work in engineering
- ICT professionals include information systems and telecommunications directors, IT specialized managers, project and program managers, and IT business analysts. Architects and system design designers, programmers and software development professionals, and Web design and development professionals.
- Health professionals, such as doctors, radiographers, radioactivity therapists, vascular technologists/physiologists, gastrointestinal technologists/physiologists,
- Managers and heads of social and health services
- People who work in nursing and midwifery
- People who work in teaching and education
The Expert Group decides which jobs should be on the Irish skills shortage list on Future Skills Needs. This list is used to figure out what jobs Ireland will need in the next few years. So, the list changes based on where there are real shortages and where people think the economy will grow in the future.
What are the requirements to be eligible for a CSEP?
To successfully apply for a CESP, you will need to meet several criteria, such as the ones below:
- You must have a real job offer from an employer based in Ireland and doing business there. The employer should be registered with the Irish Revenue Commissioners and, if necessary, the Companies Registration Office/Register of Friendly Societies.
- The job must appear on the list of jobs that need critical skills.
- The employee must possess the right education, skills, and work experience. For some jobs, you may need at least a bachelor’s degree. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland requires nurses and midwives to have a degree or diploma from the third level. A person who is not from the EEA and does not have a bachelor’s degree or higher must have the right amount of experience.
- For the CSEP, there are 2 minimum pay levels: €32k or €64k. Only a small number of “strategically important” jobs can use the lower threshold.
How do I utilize a Critical Skills Employment Permit in Ireland?
The Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment ) suggests you apply no later than three months before you start working in Ireland. This will give your application enough time to be processed and your work permit issued.
Before you begin filling out your application form, DETE suggests you look over their checklist to ensure you have all the necessary information. You will have to pay a €1,000 fee as part of the application process. If DETE turns down your application, you will get €900 back. After you send in your application, it will go into a queue and be processed in the order received.
When you reach the second stage, “processing,” your application will be looked at. If a DETE case office asks for more information, you will have 28 days to give it to them. At this point, your request will either be accepted or turned down. If your request is turned down, you will have another 28 days to ask that the decision be reviewed formally. If your application is accepted, you can ask the Irish consulate near you for a visa to travel to Ireland.
Conclusion
The process of applying for and getting a Critical Skilled Employment Permit in Ireland is pretty easy, as long as you have an offer for a job that qualifies, you have the qualifications and skills to do the job, you meet the salary requirement for the job, and there is nothing in your migration history that could cause you to be denied.
As with any part of immigration, it pays to keep the time to ensure your application is correct. An immigration lawyer can review your application and any supporting documents before sending them in. This will grow your opportunity of getting a positive answer and keep you from waiting.
