Ireland Updates List of Ineligible Occupations for Employment Permit Applications

The Irish government has announced changes to the ineligible occupations list for Employment Permit applicants from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK and Switzerland. Changes include certain jobs previously on the ineligible occupations list becoming eligible for General Employment Permits and changes to quotas for in-demand skills shortage occupations. The aim of these changes is to address the skills shortage in Ireland following the impact of Covid-19 and to enable employers to fill positions from outside the EEA.

Following recent review of the ineligible and critical occupation lists, and key feedback from stakeholders on the current local labor market and skills shortages, the announcement by the Irish Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, proposes the following changes:

• Certain construction jobs such as electricians, roofers, masons, plumbers, and carpenters will now be eligible for a General Employment Permit
• Removal of the quota on employment permits for heavy good vehicle drivers
• Removal of Hospitality managers from the ineligible occupations list and quota of 350 General Employment Permits introduced
• Social workers are now eligible for Critical Skills Employment permits
• Additional quotas have also been created for eligible roles in horticulture, meat, and dairy industries.

The changes to the ineligibility occupations lists and quotas in place are expected to open up the labor market for Irish employers, enabling them to fill skills shortage roles with candidates from outside of the EEA.

For further information on immigration in Ireland, please contact the Sterling Lexicon immigration team.