Green Card permits

Information

If you are a national from a country which is not in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland*, in general you will need an employment permit to work in Ireland. From 1 February 2007 under the Employment Permits Acts 2003 (pdf) and the Employment Permits Act 2006 (pdf) there are 4 types of employment permit: Green Card permit, work permit, spousal/dependant permit and intra-company transfer permit (see below). 

*The European Economic Area comprises the European Union member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. People coming from Switzerland to work in Ireland do not need an employment permit. Nationals of Bulgaria and Romania may still need employment permits. You can find a guide to Green Cards for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals (pdf) on the website of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.

Green Card permits - main features  

The Green Card permit is an employment permit for most occupations with annual salaries of over €60,000 or certain occupations where there are skill shortages. In April 2009 this list of occupations was revised. The Green Card permit replaces the working visa and work authorisation which have been discontinued.

The main features of the Green Card scheme are:

• The Green Card permit is available for occupations with annual salaries of €60,000 or more - see 'Eligible occupations' below
• It is also available for a restricted list of occupations with annual salaries of €30,000 to €59,999 in the following sectors of employment: information and communications technology, healthcare, industry, financial services and research - In April 2009 a number of occupations were removed from the healthcare and financial services sectors of the list - see list of occupations below. 
• There is no requirement for a labour market needs test - see below
• The Green Card permit is issued for 2 years and a renewal permit is not required as it is intended to lead to the granting of long-term residence - see 'Expiry of Green Card permit' below.
• Holders of a Green Card permit can have their spouses and families join them immediately.

• Either the employer or the employee can apply for the employment permit, based on an offer of employment
• The permit is granted to the employee and includes a statement of the employee's rights and entitlements
• A copy of the permit is sent to the employer
• The employer is prohibited from deducting recruitment expenses from the employee's pay or retaining the employee's personal documents

Employees working on employment permits are protected by employment legislation in exactly the same way as other employees.

Rules

Job offer

You must have a job offer from a company or employer who is registered with the Revenue Commissioners, trading in Ireland and registered with the Companies Registration Office. You must be directly employed and paid by your employer in Ireland. Job offers from recruitment agencies and other intermediaries are not acceptable under the scheme. The job offer must be for 2 years or more.

Labour market needs test

A labour market needs test is not required, that is the employer does not need to advertise the job with FÁS/EURES or in newspapers. However, an employment permit will not be granted to companies if the granting of the permit would mean that more than 50% of the employees would be non-EEA nationals.

Qualifications

You must have the relevant qualifications, skills and experience required for the job.

Eligible occupations

There are 2 categories of eligible occupations as follows:
(1) For jobs with annual salaries of €60,000 or more the Green Card permit is available for all occupations (other than  certain ineligible job categories and those which are contrary to the public interest)

(2) For jobs with annual salaries of €30,000 – €59,999 Green Card applications may be made for the following occupations listed here:

Eligible occupations (annual salary between €30,000 – €59,999)

Registration and permission to remain

If you are not an EEA or Swiss national you must register with your local immigration officer in the area where you intend to live when you arrive in the State. In the Dublin area, the registration is done at the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). If you are living outside Dublin, you should register at your local Garda District Headquarters. This is in order to obtain permission to remain and to ensure you have the correct immigration status, that is, as an employee. You will be given a Certificate of Registration which is also known as a GNIB card.

Undocumented workers: If your Green Card permit is no longer valid through no fault of your own, because of your employer's action or inaction, and if you no longer have permission to remain, there is a new scheme for certain undocumented non-EEA workers. You must apply by 31 December 2009 and if you are successful you will be given a temporary residence permission of 4 months. You can find the application form and further details of the undocumented workers scheme on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS).

Expiry of Green Card permit

The Green Card permit is issued for 2 years and you are not required to renew it. Under the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2010 (pdf) it is proposed that you should apply for long-term residence. Until this legislation is implemented there are temporary arrangements for Green Card permit holders whose permit and GNIB card will expire after 2 years. Within 2 weeks of the expiry of your Green Card permit you should apply to renew your permission to remain by registering with your local immigration officer - see above. You must have the following documents with you: 

• Passport
• Certificate of Registration (GNIB card)
• Your Green Card permit
• Your most recent pay slip 

Provided that you are still working in the same occupation, for the same employer and for at least the same salary as stated on your Green Card permit you will be given a Stamp 4 permission for one year. This allows you to work in Ireland without a permit. This is an interim arrangement. When the above legislation is implemented you will still need to apply for long-term residence. If the immigration officer is not satisfied that you meet the qualifying criteria you will be given a Stamp 1 permission for 3 months and referred to the Employment Permits Section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation - see 'How to apply' below.

You can find a list of frequently asked questions about the renewal arrangements for Green Card permit holders on the INIS website.

Visas

If you have a passport from a country whose passport holders require a visa to enter Ireland you should apply for an entry visa from the Irish embassy or consulate in the country where you live.

Dependants

You may apply to have your spouse and/or minor dependent children join you once you have obtained your Green Card permit. There is information about family reunification on the INIS website. Spouses and dependants of employees on employment permits may be able to obtain spousal/dependant work permits (pdf) provided they are legally resident here.  

Changing job

If this is your first employment permit in Ireland then you are expected to remain with your employer for 12 months (unless there are exceptional circumstances). After that you may change employer provided that a new application for a Green Card permit is made.

Losing your job

If you lose your job through redundancy you should notify the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. From 28 August 2009 the Department will allow you a period of 6 months (was 3 months) to find another job. When you find another job you have to apply for a new Green Card permit.

You should contact your local immigration officer to confirm your immigration status  - see 'Registration' above. If you have more than 6 months before your GNIB immigration permission expires, you can reside in Ireland under your stamp 1 permission for a further 6 months. If you have less than 6 months' immigration permission you can have your immigration permission extended to 6 months which means you will have to pay €150 for a new GNIB card. If you have not found a new job after 6 months you will be expected to leave Ireland. If you then get an offer of employment in Ireland you may apply for a new employment permit. Further details about the new provisions for non-EEA nationals who are made redundant are on the INIS website. These provisions also apply to non-EEA nationals on work authorisations or working visas.

Work permit holders

If you are a non-EEA national already working in Ireland on a valid work permit you may apply for a Green Card permit provided you meet the criteria. You must return your work permit with your new application for a Green Card permit. If you are not eligible for a Green Card permit you may apply to renew your work permit when it expires. (If you are renewing your work permit the new arrangements apply as regards fees and duration of work permit. The list of ineligible categories applies only to new applications for work permits.)

Intra-company transfer scheme

Since 1 February 2007 a new intra-company transfer scheme (pdf) has been introduced. This scheme allows senior management, key personnel and trainees who are foreign nationals working in an overseas branch of a multi-national company to transfer to the Irish branch. The employee must be earning at least €40,000 a year and have been working for the company for a minimum of 12 months. An intra-company transfer permit may be granted for a maximum of 2 years initially and may be extended to a maximum of 5 years.

Graduate scheme

Since 10 April 2007 non-EEA students who have graduated on or after 1 January 2007 with a primary, master's or doctorate degree may be permitted to remain in Ireland for 6 months. The Third Level Graduate Scheme will allow them to find employment and apply for a work permit or Green Card permit. During this 6-month period they may work full time. They must be legally resident in Ireland and should apply for this extension of their student permission (stamp 2) to their local immigration registration office - see 'Registration and permission to remain' above.

Rates

The fee for a Green Card permit must be paid by the applicant.

The fees for an intra-company transfer permit are as follows:

The fee for the GNIB Certificate of Registration is €150.

How to apply

Applications for a Green Card permit should be made to the Employment Permits Section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. Note: Irish embassies do not process applications for Green Card permits.

Either the employer or the employee can apply using the new employment permit application form (pdf).

When applying for a Green Card permit you should supply:

• A completed application form for a Green Card
• A job offer for 2 or more years on company headed paper, dated within the previous 60 days, including a description of the employment, the starting date, annual salary and information on the employee’s qualifications, skills or experience required for the job
• Documentary evidence of the employee’s qualifications
• The application fee of €1,000
• Copy of the employee’s passport - the employee’s passport must be in date and valid for 3 months after the proposed expiry date of the Green Card.
• Where applicable, copies of all visas, residency stamps and copy of the employee’s GNIB Registration card
• If the employee is a medical professional, a copy of the registration with the appropriate medical body or a validation of qualifications from the Department of Health and Children. There is a list of registration and validation bodies for medical professionals in the Guide to Green Card Permits - see below. There are new arrangements for employment permit applications for doctors and nurses.

There is further information in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation's Guide to Green Card Permits (pdf).

Expiry of Green Card permit: If your Green Card permit is due to expire and you do not meet the qualifying criteria to be given a Stamp 4 permission, the immigration office will give you a Stamp 1 permission for 3 months and refer you the Employment Permits section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. You should send a completed referral form (pdf) to the Employment Permits Sections together with copies of documents such as your P60 and your last 3 pay slips.

Intra-company transfer permit: applications for an intra-company transfer permit should be made by the host organisation in Ireland using the application form for an intra-company transfer permit (pdf).

You should allow 2 to 3 months for a new application to be processed.

Where to apply