Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit 2026: salaries, eligible jobs and the path to Stamp 4

Eligibility depends on the occupation and the pay ¹. The thresholds rose on 1 March 2026, from 38,000 to 40,904 euros for the main Critical Skills figure, under a roadmap the Department published in December 2025 ³.

Route	Minimum annual remuneration	Qualification
Occupation on the Critical Skills Occupations List	40,904 euros 1	Relevant degree or higher 1
Same, qualification obtained in the 12 months before applying	36,848 euros 1	Relevant degree or higher 1
Any occupation outside the Ineligible List	Over 68,911 euros 1	Degree, or the necessary level of experience 1
Public sector role under a pay agreement	The rate of that agreement 1	As for the role 1

Remuneration means basic salary, which must reach at least the National Minimum Wage, plus health insurance payments to a registered insurer; bonuses do not count ¹. Nurses and midwives need a degree or diploma that the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland accepts for registration ¹.

The employer must be based and trading in Ireland and registered with the Revenue Commissioners, and at least 50% of its staff must be EEA nationals; the 50:50 rule can be waived only for start-ups under 2 years old supported by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland ¹.

The list sets out the occupations that qualify at the 40,904 euro threshold ¹. It covers groups such as ICT professionals, engineers, natural and social scientists, medical practitioners, pharmacists, radiographers, physiotherapists, and registered nurses and midwives ². Some entries carry conditions; academics, for example, need a level 10 qualification and a post in an Irish third level institution ².

The list is reviewed regularly. On 28 May 2026 the government confirmed 32 changes to jobs eligible for employment permits, including six roles added to the Critical Skills list: agronomist, construction planner or scheduler, community eye care, intellectual property professionals, geospatial surveyor and riggers in the games industry ⁴. Some articles describe this as "new permit types". The announcement changed occupation lists and quotas; the permit types remain the nine set out under the Employment Permits Act 2024 ^{4 5}.

You or your employer can apply, on Employment Permits Online, at least 12 weeks before the job starts ¹. No Labour Market Needs Test is needed ¹. The fee is 1,000 euros, with 90% refunded if the application is refused ¹.

Applications are processed strictly in date order, in separate queues for Trusted Partner and Standard employers ¹. A decision maker may ask for more information, which you should return within 28 days, and you can ask for a review of a refusal within 28 days ¹.

The permit is a work authorisation, and you still need immigration permission. If your nationality needs a visa, you apply for an entry visa at the Irish embassy or consulate once the permit is granted ¹. After arrival you must register with immigration; registering late can affect later applications for long term residence or citizenship ¹. Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) expects you to register within 90 days, at Burgh Quay in Dublin for a first registration, and you register on Stamp 1 with your passport, your permit and proof of the job ^{7 8}. The fee for the Irish Residence Permit card is 300 euros, set by S.I. No. 421/2025 ⁸.

You are expected to stay with the first employer for at least 9 months; a permit for a new employer cannot be considered before then, except in cases such as redundancy ¹. If you are made redundant, you notify the Department within 4 weeks and have up to 6 months to find a new job ¹.

Critical Skills holders can apply for immediate family reunification ¹. A spouse or de facto partner of a Critical Skills holder may be given Stamp 1G, which allows them to work in Ireland without an employment permit and to study, but not to run a business or be self-employed ⁷. Stamp 1G is renewed every year, and after 5 years on it your partner may apply for Stamp 4; the time counts as reckonable residence for citizenship ⁷.

When your Critical Skills permit and residence card are due to expire, you do not renew the permit. You apply directly to the Department of Justice for Stamp 4 ¹. Since 30 November 2023 you no longer need a support letter from the Department of Enterprise ¹. The immigration service lists a valid Critical Skills Employment Permit for 2 years as one way to get Stamp 4 ⁷, and its registration page says you may be eligible after 21 months from the start of your employment in Ireland on the permit ⁸.

Stamp 4 lets you work without an employment permit, work in a profession subject to its rules, and set up a business ⁷. It is granted for 2 years and renewable, and after 60 months of residence permission you can apply for long term residence ¹. In August 2026, while the immigration service cleared a backlog, holders who had applied for Stamp 4 before their permit expired were allowed to keep working on their existing permission up to 31 August 2026 ⁶.