Ireland: Employment Permit Ineligible Occupations List Amended
October 28, 2021
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At a Glance
- The Irish government has removed several occupations from the ineligible occupations list for Employment Permits and has added more quota spots for in-demand occupations.
- Most notably, many construction sector jobs are now eligible for a General Employment Permit; hospitality managers were removed from the ineligible occupations list, and social workers are now eligible for Critical Skills Employment Permit, among other key changes.
- These changes open the door for companies to hire more workers from outside the European Economic Area to counteract the skills and supply shortage issues in the country following COVID-19 economic impacts.
The situation
The Irish Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail announced changes to the ineligible occupations list for Employment Permits for workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom and Switzerland following a comprehensive review by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
A closer look
The main changes include:
- Most construction sector jobs are now eligible for a General Employment Permit, including electricians, roofers, masons, plumbers, carpenters, among others;
- The quota for heavy goods vehicle drivers’ employment permits has been removed;
- Hospitality managers were removed from the ineligible occupations list for General Employment Permits and granted 350 quota spots;
- Social workers are now eligible for Critical Skills Employment Permit;
- Dispensing opticians are now eligible for General Employment Permit; and
- Additional quotas were added for existing eligible roles in horticulture, and the meat and dairy industries.
Background
Ireland regularly reviews ineligible and critical occupation lists, seeking stakeholder feedback, to ensure that these lists continue to accurately represent local labour market conditions and contextual factors such as skills shortages and other impacts. The purpose of the system is to maximise the benefits of economic migration while minimising the risk of disrupting the Irish labour market.
Impact
The removal of occupations from the ineligible occupations lists and increase in quota spots for certain professions will open the door for companies to hire more foreign workers in Ireland to counteract the skills and supply shortage issues in the country.
Looking ahead
The Irish government will continue its regular bi-annual reviews of these lists, which has become particularly important in the context of its response to the economic impacts of COVID-19. We will report on related developments.
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].
