Post Study Work Permit in Ireland – Work permit schemes for International students

Post study work permit in Ireland – Despite its small size, Ireland is fast becoming a popular destination for international students to pursue their higher education. It offers globally recognized degrees and a high-quality of classroom instruction. Along with academic opportunities, Ireland is also an important economic hub in the region. It is the European base of operations for companies like Google, HP, Apple, IBM, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. Apart from established organizations, Ireland is also becoming an important figure in the start-up landscape with companies like Aid:Tech, Artomatix, Cerebreon and CloudKPI on the rise. Irish degrees are very aligned to the industry needs making Irish graduates very employable. The IT, telecommunication, pharmaceutical, applied sciences and finance sectors are very strong and they provide excellent career opportunities for international students. 

This article seeks to help international students who wish to work in Ireland after the completion of their degrees by providing them information on post-study work permits, eligibility and other details. 

Post Study Work Permit in Ireland National Framework of Qualifications and Third Level Graduate Scheme

Students can stay in Ireland for a maximum of 7 to 8 years to complete their degrees. The Irish degrees are separated into 10 levels according to the NFQ or the National Framework of Qualifications that is based on nationally agreed standards of knowledge, skill and competence. The NFQ levels for higher education start at level 6 which refer to higher certificate programs preceding a Bachelor’s degree. These are usually short-term courses  and do not offer access to the Third Level Graduate Scheme. 

The following table breaks down the NFQ system of classification of degrees to make it easier to understand: 

NFQ LevelÂ	Degree Awarded	DurationÂ
Level 7	Ordinary Bachelors Degree	3 years
Level 8	Honors Bachelor’s Degree	3-4 years
Level 9	Postgraduate Diploma Masters Degree	1 year 1-2 yearsÂ
Level 10Â	Doctoral DegreeÂ	4+ yearsÂ

Under Irelands Third Level Graduate Scheme, international students completing advanced degrees at Level 9 or Level 10 may stay in Ireland to seek employment for specific time periods, work for up to 40 hours per week, and/or apply for a further work permit or green card. Previously, students who had completed their advanced degrees from Ireland were allowed to stay back in the country for 12 months after graduation to gain work experience, but recent changes have increased the time period to 24 months. 

The list below breaks down the stay-back options available for different levels of degrees:

• Level 7 Eligible for a 6-month stay back. 
• Level 8 Eligible for a 12-month stay back.
• Level 9 and higher Eligible for a 24-month stay back.

Want to enroll in top Irish Universities and know how you can? Read study in ireland article

Post Study Work Permit in Ireland Third Level Graduate Scheme

The Third Level Graduate Scheme was introduced by the Irish government to allow international students who have completed their degrees from a recognized Irish higher education institution to remain in Ireland after their studies. Students can use this time to seek employment, gain work experience and eventually apply for:

• A General Employment Permit
• A Critical Skills Employment Permit
• A Research Hosting Agreement (for students in research fields)

The following are the main eligibility criteria to qualify for Third Level Graduate Program for international students:

1. Must be notified in writing by their institution that they have achieved the degree they enrolled for. 
2. Must hold a current stamp 2 student visa and an up-to-date immigration registration card. They must also apply for the Third Level Graduate Program within six months of being notified that they have completed their degree. 
3. Must not have exceeded the 7-year limit on their permission as an international student studying in Ireland. 
4. Can re-apply for the Third Level Graduate Program if they gain a degree above their previous level, if the overall limit of 8 years is not exceeded. 
5. Can not apply for the program more than twice. 
6. Must comply with the laws of the state and possess a good character and must not have come to the adverse attention of the authorities in any way. 
7. Must hold a degree stating they have completed their course from a recognized Irish body i.e.-

• • The seven Irish universities: Trinity College, UCD, DCU, Maynooth University, UCC, NUIG and the University of Limerick 
  • Dublin Institute of Technology
  • Royal College of Surgeons Ireland 
  • Institutes of Technology 
  • Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)

Post Study Work Permit in Ireland General Employment Permit 

The Irish General Employment Permit is a job offer based work permit that allows international students to work in Ireland for a period of 2 years. The General Employment Permit can be renewed for a further 3 years. The permit costs EUR 500 for a duration of 6 months and EUR 1000 for 2 years. 

However, there are certain criteria and a procedure that needs to be followed before you are allowed to apply for a General Employment Permit:

1. The candidate must have an existing job offer in Ireland before they begin the application process. 
2. The candidate must have all the appropriate skills, experience and qualifications for the role.
3. The jobs offered through a General Employment Permit are subject to a Labor Market Needs test, which means that they must be advertised to workers from within the European Economic area before they can be offered to an immigrant. 
4. The employer must advertise the vacancy for a minimum of 4 weeks on the Irish Department of Social Protection Employment Services/EURES employment network, for at least 3 days in a national newspaper, and at least 3 days in a local newspaper or an independent jobs website. 
5. A General Employment Permit is not issued to companies where the granting of the permit would mean that more than 50% of the employees would be non-European Economic Area nationals. 

General Employment Permits are issued by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. Applicants for General Employment Permits must have a minimum salary of EUR 30,000 per year. There are a few exceptions to this rule where an annual pay of EUR 27,000 will be considered in the following cases:

• • For international students who have graduated in the last 12 months from an Irish third-level institution i.e. achieved a degree at NFQ  level 7 or higher and have been offered a position from the Highly Skilled Eligible Occupations List. 
  • If the applicant is fluent in a non-European Economic Area language, and is providing specialist language, technical or sales support to companies supported by Irelands State enterprise development agencies. 

The Labor Market Needs Test rule also provides some exceptions in certain cases as well:

• • If the vacancy is for a job on Irelands Highly Skilled Occupations List.
  • If the applicant has a recommendation by Enterprise Ireland.
  • If the vacancy is for a job that pays EUR 60,000 per year or more. 

A General Employment Permit may be renewed for a further 3 years after the initial period of 2 years. If you have been legally living and working in Ireland for 5 years on a work permit, you can apply for long-term residence to the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS). If your application is successful, you will be allowed to extend your residence permission for a further 5 years and you will not need a work permit to work in Ireland. 

Post Study Work Permit in Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit 

The Irish Critical Skills Employment Permit is a job offer based work permit that allows international students to work in Ireland for a period of 2 years. The Critical Skills Employment permit is non-renewable and has an application fee of EUR 1000. After the end of their employment permit, candidates can apply for a Stamp 4 visa which will allow them to live and work in Ireland on a permanent basis without an employment permit. 

The criteria for a Critical Skills Employment Permit are:

• Candidates must have an existing job offer before they apply for this permit. 
• Candidates must have all the appropriate skills, experience and qualifications for this role. 
• The employment contract must state that the permit holder will be permanently employed for a minimum period of 2 years. 

There are two types of professions that are eligible for a Critical Skills Employment Permit in Ireland:

• Jobs offering an annual salary of EUR 62,000 per year
• Jobs offering an annual salary of EUR 32,000 per year

Either the worker or the employer can apply for this visa. If the employer applies then they must be directly employing workers and paying their wages. Also, while the job offer must be of 2 years duration, the employee is expected to stay with the initial employer for a minimum period of 12 months.  

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is attractive to applicants for a number of reasons, as mentioned below:

1. The skills required for a Critical Skills Employment Permit are identified as being in short supply and a Labor Market Needs Test is not required. 
2. Permit holders can apply for an immediate family reunification from the Irish Naturalization & Immigration Service and bring their dependents over to Ireland. 
3. Permit holders may apply for permission to reside and work without the need for an employment permit after their Critical Skill Permit has reached the end of its duration. 

Note: Researchers from non E.U. countries are eligible to apply for the Research Holding Agreement which will allow them to stay in Ireland for a period of 3 months to 5 years to carry out a research project with an accredited research institution. More information can be found on  the official government website here.

Post Study Work Permit in Ireland – FAQs 

Q. Can I stay in Ireland after my degree to look for employment? 

Yes, the Irish government has launched the Third Level Degree Scheme to help international students who wish to gain work experience after the duration of their courses. Students above the National Framework of Qualification or NFQ Level 9 can stay back for 24 months.

Q. What are the rules for undergraduate and language course students to seek employment after their degrees? 

Ordinary Bachelor degree students can stay back for 6 months and students holding degrees higher than that can stay back for 12 months. Language course students arent allowed to stay behind unless their courses are at a high enough NFQ level. 

Q. Can I work while I am a part of the Third Level Degree Scheme in Ireland? 

Yes. International students who have completed advanced degrees at NFQ Level 9 or 10 can work full-time for 40 hours per week during the course of 24 months when they are allowed to stay back under the Third Level Degree Scheme in Ireland.

Q. What is the maximum limit I can stay in Ireland on a student visa? 

For student visas at the NFQ level 8 or higher, you are allowed to stay in the country for a maximum of 7 years to complete your degree. You can only avail the Third Level Degree Scheme if the total duration of your stay does not exceed 8 years.

Q. What does the Labor Market Needs Test mean? 

A. The Labor Market Needs Test means that all jobs need to be advertised to EU and EEA nationals before they are offered to international candidates. For candidates applying for a General Work Permit, the Labor Market Needs Test is an important factor that dictates whether they get the job or not. 

Q. What are the benefits of a Critical Skills Employment Permit? 

A. The Critical Skills Employment Permit is exempt from the Labor Market Needs Test as all skills required by the applicants for this permit are deemed to be in short supply. Permit holders can also bring over their spouse/dependents by contacting the immigration services directly.