How Ireland Now Sets Work Permit Rules: The Occupations Lists Review and Indexation
Behind the salary changes sits a quieter shift in how Ireland decides who can get a permit, from indexed thresholds to a rolling review of the occupations lists. Here is what to watch.
Most people focus on the headline salary figures, but the more important story for anyone planning a career move to Ireland is how those rules are now set. Two mechanisms shape almost every employment permit decision: the occupations lists and the indexation of salary thresholds. Understanding both helps you read where the system is heading, not just where it is today.
The two lists that decide eligibility
Every permit application is measured against two lists maintained by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE):
- The Critical Skills Occupations List identifies high-demand roles, often in ICT, engineering, healthcare and finance, that qualify for the fast-tracked Critical Skills Employment Permit and its more generous conditions.
- The Ineligible List of Occupations names roles that generally cannot be filled through a General Employment Permit because there is no recognised shortage.
If a role is on neither list, it is usually eligible for a General Employment Permit, subject to salary and, in many cases, a Labour Market Needs Test. This is why the very first question we ask about any role is: which list, if any, does it sit on?
A rolling, evidence-based review
These lists are not fixed. DETE runs periodic reviews, informed by public consultation and labour-market evidence, to add roles where shortages have emerged and remove roles where the domestic labour supply has caught up. The most recent review drew more than 150 submissions, which tells you how seriously employers and representative bodies engage with the process.
For applicants, the takeaway is that eligibility can change between one application and the next. A role that is ineligible today may open up after a review, and, less happily, a role can move the other way. We keep a close eye on consultation announcements so clients are not caught out.
