Which permit type should I apply for?

That comes down to your occupation, your salary, and how your employer is set up. Critical Skills is the fastest route to permanent residency, but your role has to appear on the Critical Skills Occupations List. We map your profile against the list in the first consultation.

Do I need a job offer before applying?

Yes. Employment Permits are employer-sponsored, and the application needs a signed offer. We can help you structure your CV and target Irish employers before that point, but the permit itself cannot move without the offer.

Can my family join me?

Critical Skills permit holders can bring dependants straight away, and those dependants can work without securing permits of their own. General Employment Permit holders wait considerably longer.

When can I apply for permanent residency?

Critical Skills permit holders can apply for Stamp 4 after two years instead of the standard five, then naturalise once they meet the residency requirement.

What if my job offer is below the salary threshold?

The permit will not issue. We give you the threshold for your occupation before you file, so you and the employer can revisit the terms while there is still time.

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Ireland

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Ireland Employment Permit

Ireland runs several distinct employment permits for non-EEA nationals, and picking the wrong one costs months. We screen your occupation and salary against each category, tell you which one you actually qualify for, and handle the EPOS submission from there.

Check your eligibility Talk to a consultant

Content last reviewed 15 April 2026

Overview

Who this visa is for

Employment Permits come from Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment through the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS). Each permit type sets its own rules on eligible occupations, salary floors, and whether the employer must test the labour market first. Choosing between them is the most consequential decision in the whole process, and it happens before you file anything.

Getting the permit is only half of it. Most non-EEA nationals then need an entry visa from INIS before they can travel. We run the permit and the visa as one workflow, so the second application is already drafted by the time the first one clears.

Subtypes

Choose the right route

Critical Skills Employment Permit

The fast-track route for occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List, with a shortened path to Stamp 4 and permanent residency.

General Employment Permit

The standard route for eligible occupations. A Labour Market Needs Test is required in most cases.

Intra-Company Transfer Permit

For senior, key, or trainee staff moving from a foreign branch to an Irish branch of the same multinational.

Dependant / Partner / Spouse Permit

Lets dependants of Critical Skills permit holders work without securing their own job offer first.

Sport & Cultural Employment Permit

For cultural, scientific, sporting, or religious professionals whose role advances the relevant Irish sector.

Reactivation Employment Permit

For workers who lost permit status through no fault of their own and need to regularise their position.

Requirements

What you'll need to bring

Essential documents

Signed job-offer contract from an Irish employer
Valid Pakistani passport
Academic transcripts and professional qualification certificates
CV with a verifiable employment history
Proof the salary meets the minimum threshold for your chosen permit type
Labour Market Needs Test evidence, for the General Employment Permit only
Employer documentation covering registration, payroll, and sectoral evidence
Recent passport-sized photographs meeting INIS specifications

Eligibility criteria

A concrete job offer from an Irish employer
An occupation eligible under your chosen permit type, meaning on the Critical Skills Occupations List for a CSEP, or absent from the Ineligible List for a GEP
Salary at or above the threshold for that permit type
A passed Labour Market Needs Test, where the General Employment Permit requires one
An employer meeting the 50:50 ratio of EEA to non-EEA staff, where that applies
No prior immigration breaches

Process

The application step by step

1
Job offer and permit selection
Variable
With a written offer in hand, we screen which permit type fits the occupation, the salary, and the employer's profile.
2
Labour Market Needs Test
2–4 weeks
For the General Employment Permit, the employer advertises the role on the EURES portal and through Irish national channels.
3
EPOS submission
1 day
We file the employment permit application through the Employment Permits Online System with the full employer and employee documentation.
4
Permit decision
4–13 weeks
Turnaround depends on the permit type and the current EPOS queue. The department publishes updated estimates regularly.
5
Entry visa application
4–8 weeks
Once the permit issues, we apply for the matching entry visa through AVATS, which Pakistani passport holders need.
6
Arrival & GNIB registration
First 90 days
Register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau within 90 days of landing and collect your Irish Residence Permit.

Processing time

Permit turnaround depends on the type you file and how backed up EPOS is at the time. It commonly lands between 4 and 13 weeks. The entry visa afterwards usually adds another 4 to 8 weeks. We check the published figures the week you file rather than working from this page.

Fees

The Irish government sets both the Employment Permit fee and the entry visa fee, and you pay those directly. What we charge depends on which permit type you file under and how much employer coordination the case needs. You get that figure at the eligibility assessment.

FAQ

Questions specific to this route

Talk to a consultant

Interested in the Ireland Employment Permit?

Send us a quick note and we'll reply on WhatsApp within one business day. Prefer to self-screen first? Run the eligibility calculator. Six minutes, no account required.