Ireland: 21-Month Eligibility Period Rules Relaxed for Stamp 4 Applications
April 3, 2024
Country / Territory
Related content
Share
At a Glance
- Effective April 3, 2024, Ireland is once again allowing individuals who have completed 21 months of employment on the basis of a Critical Skills Employment Permit, to apply for a Stamp 4 permission, regardless of the date that they registered their Stamp 1 permission with the Department of Justice.
- Further, individuals residing in Ireland on the basis of a Hosting Agreement as a Researcher or holding a Multi-site General Employment Permit as a Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor can also now apply for a Stamp 4 permission upon completion of 21 months of employment.
- Additionally, General Employment Permit holders can now apply for a Stamp 4 permission after completing 57 months of employment.
- The relaxation of this requirement reduces the likelihood that prospective Stamp 4 applicants will need a second permit or hosting agreement in order to satisfy the 21-month eligibility period.
The situation
Effective April 3, 2024, Ireland is once again allowing certain individuals to apply for a Stamp 4 permission upon completion of their employment, regardless of the date that they registered their Stamp 1 or 1H permission with the Department of Justice.
A closer look
- Critical Skills Employment Permit holders. These individuals can now apply for a Stamp 4 permission upon completion of 21 months of employment.
- Individuals Resident on the basis of Hosting Agreement as a Researcher or a Multi-site General Employment Permit as a Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor. These individuals can also now apply for a Stamp 4 permission upon completion of 21 months of employment.
- General Employment Permit holders. These individuals can now apply for a Stamp 4 permission after completing 57 months of employment.
Impact
The relaxation of this requirement reduces the likelihood that prospective Stamp 4 applicants will require a second employment permit or hosting agreement in order to satisfy the 21-month eligibility period, reducing the potential cost risks and administrative challenges of applying for a Stamp 4 permission.
Background
In November 2023, as part of a broader overhaul of the Stamp 4 permission application process, Irish authorities introduced stricter eligibility criteria stating that the 21-month eligibility period would commence from the date the applicant had registered their Stamp 1 or 1H permission with the Department of Justice, as opposed to the actual employment commencement date (which may have been earlier than the Stamp 1 or 1H registration date). This most recent policy change reverts to the approach in place prior to the November 2023 reform.
Looking ahead
This relaxation of application criteria continues a broader trend of Irish authorities reducing application barriers for foreign workers, especially for highly skilled talent, amid labor shortages in the context of a low unemployment rate among the local population. This includes its recent expansion of the employment permits system, its expansion of eligibility for civil service roles, and its relaxation of requirements for healthcare assistants seeking to renew their General Employment Permits.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
