The General Employment Permit (GEP) is the workhorse of the Irish permit system. Unlike the Critical Skills route, it is not limited to a fixed occupations list: any role qualifies as long as it is not on the Ineligible Occupations List and the salary meets the minimum, currently 36,605 euro a year for most roles. It is the natural route for healthcare assistants, chefs, mechanics, construction trades, transport, hospitality management and dozens of other occupations, and the list keeps widening. December 2025 opened quotas for 1,000 meat processor operatives and 850 dairy farm assistants, and May 2026 added nine newly eligible roles plus new quotas for fish filleters and seafood operatives.
The price of that breadth is process. Most GEP applications need a Labour Market Needs Test, meaning the job must first be advertised for at least 28 days to show no suitable Irish or EEA candidate was available, and the advertising rules are exact. A defective advert is one of the most common and most avoidable reasons applications fail. We work with both the employee and the sponsoring employer to get the salary, the adverts, the contract and the supporting documents lined up before anything is submitted.
Made for people like you
Workers outside the Critical Skills list
You have a genuine job offer from an Irish employer in a role that is not on the Critical Skills list but is not ineligible either.
Care, food, transport and trades
Healthcare assistants, home support workers, meat and dairy operatives, chefs, mechanics, HGV drivers and construction trades all come through this permit.
Candidates below the CSEP salary bar
The offer is under the 40,904 euro Critical Skills floor but clears 36,605 euro, or a reduced rate that applies to your role.
Employers sponsoring an overseas hire
You have advertised, found nobody suitable in Ireland or the EEA, and need the labour market test and application done right first time.
Do you qualify?
The logic runs in reverse compared to Critical Skills: instead of proving your role is on a list, you prove it is not on the Ineligible Occupations List, that the salary clears the minimum, and in most cases that the job was genuinely offered to the local market first.
You will need
- A genuine job offer from a company registered with Revenue and the CRO and trading in Ireland, employing you directly
- A salary of at least €36,605, or €32,691 for the quota sub-threshold roles (horticulture workers, meat processor operatives, healthcare assistants and home support workers), or €34,009 if you graduated from an Irish third-level institution at Level 8 or above in the last 12 months
- A role that is not on the Ineligible Occupations List
- A completed Labour Market Needs Test: 28 consecutive days on jobsireland.ie/EURES plus a second online platform, with the application filed within 90 days of first publication, unless a waiver applies
- An employer where at least half the staff are EEA nationals (the 50:50 rule), with waivers for genuine startups and where you would be the only employee
This route is not for you if
- The role is on the Ineligible Occupations List, which still covers most admin, retail and waiting staff, childminders, taxi drivers and domestic workers
- The salary is below €36,605 and no reduced rate applies to your role
- You want to work as a self-employed contractor; every employment permit requires a direct employer-employee relationship
- Your role is on the Critical Skills list with a salary of €40,904 or more, in which case the CSEP gives you far better conditions
General vs Critical Skills, at a glance
General Employment Permit
Broadest permit- Occupations
- Any role not on the Ineligible List
- Salary floor
- €36,605 (reduced rates for some roles)
- Labour market test
- Required, 28 days, unless waived
- Stamp 4 after
- 57 months
- Family
- After 12 months + income test, spouse then works on Stamp 1G
Critical Skills Employment Permit
- Occupations
- Critical Skills list, or €68,911+ roles
- Salary floor
- €40,904 (listed role + degree)
- Labour market test
- Not required
- Stamp 4 after
- 21 months
- Family
- Immediate, spouse works on Stamp 1G
How the journey works
- 01
Confirm the occupation, salary and any quota
Day 1We check the role against the Ineligible Occupations List, confirm which salary floor applies (€36,605, €32,691 or €34,009), and where the role is quota-based, check whether places remain before anyone spends money on adverts.
- 02
Run the Labour Market Needs Test
Weeks 1-5The job is advertised on jobsireland.ie (which feeds EURES) and on one other online platform, each for at least 28 consecutive days, unamended for the full run. The advert must state the job description, employer name, minimum annual remuneration, location and hours. We draft it so nothing is missing.
- 03
Gather documents on both sides
While the adverts run, you collect your passport and qualification evidence; the employer prepares the signed contract, job description, salary breakdown and company registration details. We cross-check everything against the DETE checklist.
- 04
Submit through Employment Permits Online
Week 5-6The application is lodged on the EPOS portal with the fee, €1,000 for a permit over 6 months, within 90 days of the first advert going live. DETE asks for applications at least 12 weeks before the start date, and draft applications are deleted if not submitted within 28 days of starting them.
- 05
DETE processing and any follow-up
New GEP applications are currently taking around 6 weeks, processed strictly in date order. If DETE requests further information you have 28 days to respond; we help you answer quickly and completely.
- 06
Visa, travel and registration
Visa-required nationals apply for an entry visa once the permit issues. After arrival you register with immigration, receive your IRP card with Stamp 1 and can start work. You then stay with your first employer for 9 months.
- 07
Renew, then count down to Stamp 4
Month 57The renewal window opens 4 months before expiry, and the renewal permit can run up to 3 further years. Once you complete 57 months of employment on the permit you apply directly to Immigration Service Delivery for Stamp 4 and no longer need a permit at all.
What to gather
Start collecting these early. Weak or missing documents are the most common avoidable cause of delays and refusals.
Passport bio page
Valid for the full permit period
Employment contract signed by both parties
Start date and period of employment stated
Detailed job description
Consistent with the advert and the contract
Labour Market Needs Test evidence
Both adverts, showing 28 unbroken days and all required content
Qualifications and experience evidence
Certificates, transcripts or references relevant to the role
Employer company details
CRO number and Revenue registration, validated on the EPOS portal
Full salary breakdown
Annual salary, hourly and weekly rates, weekly hours, any deductions including health insurance
Workforce composition figures
Number of non-EEA nationals employed, for the 50:50 rule
Redundancy declaration
Confirming any redundancies in the same role in the past 6 months
Current IRP details
If you are already in Ireland
Every case is different. We confirm your exact list at consultation.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New permit, up to 6 months | €500 | For short job offers of 6 months or less. |
| New permit, 6 to 24 months | €1,000 | The standard fee for a full 2-year permit. |
| Renewal, up to 6 months | €750 | Short renewals only. |
| Renewal, 6 months to 3 years | €1,500 | Covers the full 3-year renewal. |
| Refund if refused or withdrawn | 90% back | Refunded to the applicant, even if the employer paid. |
| Our consultation | Fixed fee | Agreed up front at booking, no surprises. |
Either the employer or the employee may apply and pay, but under the Employment Permits Act 2024 an employer may never deduct or recover the cost from you. After 5 years of consecutive permits with the same employer, a renewal of unlimited duration is issued free of charge. Government fees are set by DETE and can change; we confirm the current figures with you before anything is paid.
How long it takes
Guide figures from current official processing information. Individual cases vary.
Labour market test
28 days minimum
Both adverts must run their full course before you can apply, and the application must be filed within 90 days of first publication.
DETE decision, new permit
~6 weeks
In July 2026 DETE is deciding new GEP applications received at the end of May. File at least 12 weeks before the start date.
Renewals
~14 weeks
The current renewal queue. The window opens 4 months before expiry, so file the day it opens.
Review, if refused
6+ months
DETE is currently deciding reviews received at the end of December 2025, which is exactly why getting it right first time matters.
Why applications get refused
Most refusals are preventable. These are the patterns we see and design out of every application.
A defective Labour Market Needs Test
Adverts that ran short of 28 days, were amended mid-run, omitted the salary or hours, or went stale because the application was filed more than 90 days after first publication all sink the application.
Avoid it: Draft the advert against the DETE checklist before it goes live and diary the 90-day deadline. We do both as standard.
Salary below the threshold or mis-computed
The hourly equivalent is worked out over 2,028 hours a year (39 hours over 52 weeks). Anyone working fewer than 39 hours needs a higher hourly rate to still clear the annual minimum, and only basic pay plus qualifying health insurance counts, not bonuses or shift allowances.
Avoid it: Offer a salary with a buffer above €36,605 and let us check the hourly maths for the actual contracted hours.
Role on the Ineligible Occupations List
DETE assesses the real duties, not the job title. A 'kitchen manager' whose described duties read like general waiting staff will be refused, because that occupation remains ineligible.
Avoid it: Match the job description to the genuine role and check the current list; nine occupations only became eligible in May 2026.
Employer fails the 50:50 rule
Permits are refused where more than half of the workforce is non-EEA at the time of application, unless a startup waiver or the sole-employee waiver applies.
Avoid it: Check the workforce mix early. Enterprise Ireland or IDA client startups within 2 years of Revenue registration can seek a waiver.
Quota already exhausted
Quota roles such as meat processor operatives and dairy farm assistants are capped. Once the places announced in December 2025 or May 2026 are used up, further applications for that role are refused.
Avoid it: Check remaining quota before advertising and move quickly; applications are processed strictly in date order.
Inconsistencies across documents
Different salaries, titles or hours on the advert, the contract and the application form are the classic avoidable refusal, and an unvalidated employer portal account blocks submission entirely.
Avoid it: Have one person cross-check every figure on every document. This is part of our standard review.
Common questions
How is this different from the Critical Skills permit?+
The GEP covers a far wider range of occupations and has a lower salary floor, €36,605 against €40,904. In exchange it usually needs a 28-day labour market test, reaches Stamp 4 at 57 months rather than 21, and family reunification comes after 12 months with an income test rather than immediately. If your role is on the Critical Skills list at the right salary, take the CSEP.
What is the Labour Market Needs Test, and can it be skipped?+
The job must be advertised on jobsireland.ie/EURES and one other online platform, each for at least 28 consecutive days, before the application is filed. Print adverts have not been required since September 2024. It is waived where the role is on the Critical Skills list, pays at least €68,911, comes with an Enterprise Ireland or IDA recommendation, is for a carer of a person with exceptional medical needs, or where a redundant permit holder reapplies within 6 months.
Can my family join me?+
Yes, after you have held an eligible permission for 12 months. Under the family reunification policy in force since 26 November 2025 you apply as a Category C sponsor, which means showing gross income above €30,000 in the previous year from your own earnings, no reliance on State supports for the 2 years before applying, and higher thresholds where children are involved. Once here, your spouse or partner registers on Stamp 1G and can work without their own permit, a rule in place since May 2024.
Can I change employer?+
You must stay with your first employer for 9 months, unless you are made redundant or the job fundamentally changes. After that, the change of employer process under the Employment Permits Act 2024 lets you move to a new employer in the same role as on your original permit without a new application or a new labour market test. Your permit needs at least 2 months left when you apply, you can use the process a maximum of 3 times, and the new job must start within a month of the reissued permit.
What happens if I am made redundant?+
Notify DETE within 4 weeks of the dismissal date. You then have up to 6 months to find a new qualifying job, and a fresh application made within that window is exempt from the labour market test. We help redundant permit holders plan the fastest route back onto a permit.
How long does the whole process take?+
Budget roughly 3 months end to end for a role needing the labour market test: 28 days or more of advertising, then around 6 weeks of DETE processing at current speeds, plus visa and registration time if you are outside Ireland. DETE itself asks for applications at least 12 weeks before the start date. Renewals are slower, around 14 weeks, so file as soon as the window opens.
What happens after 5 years?+
Two good things. Once you complete 57 months of employment on the permit you can apply to Immigration Service Delivery for Stamp 4, which lets you work for any employer without a permit. And if you have 5 years of consecutive permits with the same employer, you qualify for a renewal of unlimited duration with no fee. Time on the permit also counts as reckonable residence towards citizenship, which generally needs 5 years.
Which roles have quotas, and are places still open?+
Some sub-threshold roles are capped. December 2025 opened 1,000 places for meat processor operatives and 850 for dairy farm assistants with immediate effect, and May 2026 added new quotas for fish filleters and seafood operatives alongside 15 renewed quotas covering roles like hotel and catering managers, mechanics, butchers, home support workers and horticulture operatives. Quotas run down over time, so we check the live position for your role before you commit to advertising.
Grounded in official sources
Ready to talk through your next step?
Book a consultation with our team and leave with a clear, personal plan grounded in the official rules.
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