Meat and Horticultural
Operatives

Ireland's agri-food sector uses the General Employment Permit to recruit meat processing operatives and horticulture workers, such as mushroom, fruit and vegetable workers, from outside the EEA. These roles have a reduced minimum salary of €32,691 a year, with a minimum hourly rate of €16.12, from 1 March 2026. The reduced threshold is being phased out by 2030. What makes these permits different is the quota system. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment sets a limited number of permits for these occupations, and once a quota fills, new applications aren't accepted. A quota of 1,000 permits for meat processing operatives announced in December 2025 was almost full by August 2026. Employers therefore need to plan recruitment, advertising and applications early. Seasonal fruit and vegetable picking is handled separately, through the Seasonal Employment Permit pilot.

Applications still in the queue when a quota fills may be rejected. That's why we check the quota position before submitting.

Yes. The Seasonal Employment Permit is a pilot scheme for the horticulture sector, with a second phase expected for the 2027 growing season. See our Seasonal Employment Permit service.

After 9 months with the first employer, they can apply to change employer within the same occupation.

A spouse or partner can usually join after the worker has been employed legally in Ireland for 12 months and earned over €30,000 a year, and gets Stamp 1G, which allows work. Bringing children needs a higher income.