Ireland: 21-Month Eligibility Period Rules Relaxed for Stamp 4 Applications

• 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.

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.

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.

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.