Ireland: Improvements to Work and Residence Permissions for Medical Doctors and their Partners/Spouses
March 8, 2022
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At a Glance
The Irish government has implemented the below relaxed rules for some non-European Economic Area (EEA) doctors:
- Non-EEA doctors who have already been working in Ireland for more than two years will be eligible to apply for a Stamp 4 permit and spousal work rights. Stamp 4 offers the right to work without preconditions. This application process is expected to open in mid-March and will close at the end of April.
- Non-EEA doctors, including those recently granted a multi-site two-year General Employment Permit, will be granted a new Stamp 1H immigration permission by the Department of Justice.
- Non-EEA doctors now only need to renew their immigration status once per year, rather than every six months.
The situation
The Irish government has relaxed rules for some non-European Economic Area (EEA) doctors in order to reduce the burden on hospitals and medical professionals and increase the competitiveness of the Irish employment market for medical professionals.
A closer look
| Change | Impact |
Stamp 4 permit access. Non-EEA doctors already working in Ireland for more than two years will be eligible to apply for a Stamp 4 permit and their spouses will be able to apply for work authorization.
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Stamp 1H access. Non-EEA doctors, including those recently granted a multi-site two-year General Employment Permit, can be granted a new Stamp 1H immigration permission by the Department of Justice.
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Spouses/partners of doctors who hold General Employment Permits can now obtain Stamp 1G status from the Department of Justice. Previously, spouses/partners of doctors holding General Employment Permit were granted Stamp 3 immigration permission, which does not allow the holder to work. |
| Fewer renewals. Non-EEA doctors now only need to renew their immigration status once per year, rather than every six months. | Doctors and their employers will face fewer administrative hurdles when seeking to renew their work permits. |
Background
In 2021, the Irish government sought to reduce the burden on hospitals and doctors caused by the effects of the pandemic by introducing the two-year multi-site General Employment Permits. This change is aimed at continuing this trend and is expected to make Ireland a more attractive destination for non-EEA doctors.
These changes follow the introduction of employment permit eligibility for care assistants last year and the extension of Stamp 1G working rights to the spouses/partners of CSEP holders in 2019.
These changes are a welcome development as long visa processing times have created a backlog of visa applications.
Looking ahead
These changes are expected to increase the competitiveness of Ireland as a destination and can be seen as a recognition of the contribution of non-EEA doctors during the pandemic.
Other immigration-related improvements in Ireland expected in the near future include the roll-out of a new residence card booking system for Dublin and the consideration of new employment permit legislation this year. 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].
