Students & Graduates Guide
If you are studying in Ireland on a non-EEA student visa, your path into the workforce looks different from someone applying for an employment permit from abroad. This guide covers the two stages: your rights while you study, and what happens after you graduate.
1. While You Study: Stamp 2
Non-EEA students enrolled full-time on a course on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) are registered on Stamp 2. It is a study permission, not an employment permit, and it comes with a standard work hour limit:
- Up to 20 hours per week during term time
- Up to 40 hours per week during official college holiday periods (summer and Christmas/New Year)
Stamp 2 work rights are attached to being a registered student, not to a specific job or employer, so you don't need an employment permit to take up part-time or holiday work within those hour limits. See the IRP Stamps guide for how Stamp 2 compares to the other stamps.
2. After You Graduate: The Third Level Graduate Scheme
What it is
A bridge permission that lets you stay in Ireland after finishing a qualifying degree to look for work, without having to leave the country and apply for an employment permit from abroad first.
Graduates who complete a Level 8 (honours bachelor) or higher qualification at an eligible Irish institution can apply for Stamp 1G under the Third Level Graduate Scheme. This gives permission to remain and work in Ireland, and to search for a role, for up to 24 months after graduation, depending on the level of qualification.
The point of the scheme is conversion: once you have a job offer that meets the requirements for an employment permit (typically a Critical Skills or General Employment Permit), you can apply for that permit while still in Ireland on Stamp 1G, instead of having to leave and restart the process from your home country.
Stamp 2 vs. Stamp 1G, What Changes
| Stamp 2 (Student) | Stamp 1G (Graduate Scheme) | |
|---|---|---|
| Work hours | 20/week term time, 40/week holidays | No hour limit |
| Tied to | Active enrolment on an ILEP course | Completed Level 8+ qualification |
| Counts toward citizenship | Generally no | See the citizenship guide |
| Next step | Graduate, apply for Stamp 1G | Get a job offer, apply for an employment permit |