Changes to Irish employment permit rules, salary thresholds, and occupation lists that affect job seekers.
Minimum salary for General Employment Permits increased to €36,605 (from €34,000). Critical Skills CSOL threshold now €40,904. Critical Skills high-salary threshold now €68,911. Recent graduate thresholds also adjusted.
View source (DETE) →Several roles added to the CSOL including additional healthcare positions and construction project management roles. Some ICT roles reclassified with updated SOC codes.
View source (DETE) →Critical Skills permits now processed in 3–5 weeks (down from 6–8 weeks). General Employment Permits at 8–10 weeks. Trusted Partner employers seeing 1–2 week turnaround for Critical Skills.
New reduced salary thresholds introduced for specific sectors: horticulture workers, meat processor operatives, healthcare assistants, and home support workers can now apply at €32,691.
The reduced salary threshold for recent Irish graduates now also applies to Critical Skills permits (€36,848 for CSOL roles). Previously only General Employment Permits had a graduate discount.
The Employment Permits Online System (EPOS) received a major upgrade with improved tracking, document upload, and employer account management. Applications can now be tracked in real-time.
Annual review of the Ineligible Occupations List completed. No significant changes — most hospitality, retail, and elementary occupation restrictions remain in place.
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Updates compiled from official DETE publications. This page is maintained manually and may not include every minor change. Check DETE news directly.