At a Glance

  • The Irish authorities are inviting comment submissions on the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits.
  • Employers interested in submitting comments can do so via email by March 2, 2020. Fragomen can assist with comment drafting and submission.
  • Following the review period, the government may add occupations to the Critical Skills Employment Permit and General Employment Categories, which would expand hiring options for employers and prospective employees.

The situation

In its first review of the Occupations Lists for 2020, the Irish authorities are inviting comment submissions on the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits.

A closer look

Employers interested in making submissions can do so via a form available on the Irish government website. The completed form should be emailed to empu@dbei.gov.ie by March 2, 2020. Fragomen can assist with comment drafting and submission.

Background

The Critical Skills Occupations List determines which occupations are eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit, an immigration route for local hires that exempts employers from labor market testing, among other advantages.

The Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits determines for which occupations foreign nationals from non-EU/European Economic Area/Swiss nationals cannot qualify when applying for a sponsorship-based Employment Permit.

Previous calls for submissions resulted in changes to the lists in July 2019 and December 2019.

Looking ahead

Following the review period, the government may add occupations to the Critical Skills Employment Permit and General Employment Categories (both local-hire permits), which would expand hiring options for employers and prospective employees in the following months. However, this update may be delayed due to the general elections occurring in February.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.