Work Permit
Assessment

A work permit assessment is a check of whether a job offer qualifies for an Irish employment permit before any application is made. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) refuses applications that miss its rules, and the application fee is only partly refunded. An assessment tests the offer against those rules in advance. It looks at four things. The occupation: is it on the Critical Skills Occupations List, eligible for a General Employment Permit, on the Ineligible List, or only allowed within a quota? The salary: does it meet the minimum annual remuneration that applies from 1 March 2026? The employer: is it registered and trading in Ireland, and does at least half of its workforce come from the EEA? And the candidate: do their qualifications and experience match the role? The result tells you which permit fits and what, if anything, needs to change first.

The Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) and the General Employment Permit (GEP) are Ireland's two most common work permits. Both are issued by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, both need a job offer from an employer in Ireland, and both lead to Stamp 1 registration. The differences are in which jobs qualify, how much they must pay and how quickly the holder and their family gain extra rights. • Eligible jobs: CSEP covers occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List, or any eligible occupation paying €68,911 or more. GEP covers any occupation not on the Ineligible List, some only within quotas. • Minimum salary from 1 March 2026: CSEP €40,904 with a relevant degree (€36,848 for recent graduates). GEP €36,605 (€34,009 for recent Irish graduates; €32,691 for some care and agri-food roles). • Labour Market Needs Test: not required for CSEP; usually required for GEP. • Permit length: CSEP up to 2 years, then Stamp 4 instead of a renewal. GEP up to 2 years, renewable for up to 3 more. • Government fee: CSEP €1,000. GEP €1,000 (€500 for 6 months or less). • Spouse or partner: with a CSEP they can join immediately, with Stamp 1G to work. With a GEP they can usually join after 12 months, with Stamp 1G to work. • Change of employer: after 9 months for both, within the same 3-digit occupation code for CSEP and the same 4-digit code for GEP. • Stamp 4: after 21 months on a CSEP, or 57 months on a GEP. • Processing time (October 2026): about 1 week for CSEP, about 5 weeks for GEP. If a job qualifies for both, the Critical Skills route is usually the better choice: there's no advertising, decisions are faster, families can join straight away and the path to Stamp 4 is more than 3 years shorter. The General Employment Permit is the route for the many jobs that aren't on the Critical Skills list or don't meet its salary levels.

It isn't compulsory, but it's the cheapest way to avoid a refusal. Common problems, such as a salary below the threshold, a non-compliant job advert or the 50:50 rule, can often be fixed before you apply.

Either. Most employment permits can be applied for by the employer or the employee, and we assess the case from both sides.

We'll explain why and whether another route could work, such as a different permit type, an adjusted salary, or the Atypical Working Scheme for short assignments.

Yes. We can check whether a renewal will meet the current salary threshold, or whether a change of employer stays within the same occupation code.