There is no separate 'graduate' permit. What exists is better: for the 12 months after a relevant Level 8 or higher award, the Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) drops its salary floor from €40,904 to €36,848 for you. Everything else about the fast-track permit stays the same, no advertising requirement, your spouse or partner working from day one, and permit-free Stamp 4 residence in just 21 months.
The reduced rate accepts a relevant qualification from any recognised third-level institution, not only Irish ones, so a recent masters from abroad can qualify. The catch is timing: the graduate rate only applies where the award sits within the 12 months before the application date, so we file before that window closes. Once the permit issues it behaves exactly like any other CSEP, right through to Stamp 4 and citizenship.
Made for people like you
Recent graduates on Stamp 1G
You finished a relevant Level 8 or higher course and are using the stay-back window to land a listed, sponsoring role.
Graduates of non-Irish universities
The €36,848 graduate rate accepts a relevant Level 8+ award from any recognised third-level institution, so a recent overseas masters can qualify.
New hires in listed occupations
Your role sits on the Critical Skills Occupations List, from software and data to healthcare and engineering, with a 2-year offer at or above the graduate floor.
Graduates moving with family
You want your spouse or partner beside you from day one, with the right to work as soon as they register.
Do you qualify?
One condition unlocks the reduced rate: a relevant qualification at Level 8 or above, obtained within the 12 months before you apply. On top of that, the normal Critical Skills conditions apply, a listed role and a 2-year offer.
You will need
- A qualification at NFQ Level 8 or above that is relevant to the job on offer, from any recognised third-level institution
- The award within the 12 months before the application date, this is what unlocks the €36,848 graduate rate
- A job offer of at least 2 years from a company registered with Revenue and the CRO and trading in Ireland
- A role on the Critical Skills Occupations List paying at least the €36,848 graduate rate, counting basic pay plus qualifying health insurance only
- Professional registration where the role is regulated, for example NMBI for nurses or the Medical Council for doctors
- An employer where at least half the staff are EEA nationals (the 50:50 rule)
This route is not for you if
- Your award is below Level 8, or is more than 12 months old at application, in which case the standard €40,904 threshold applies
- The role is not on the Critical Skills Occupations List and pays under €68,911, look at the Graduate General route instead
- The job offer is shorter than 24 months
- You want to work as a self-employed contractor rather than an employee
The two graduate routes, side by side
Graduate Critical Skills route
Fast track- Graduate salary rate
- €36,848
- Institution
- Any recognised third-level institution
- Award
- Level 8+, within 12 months of the application
- Labour market test
- Not required
- Job offer
- Minimum 2 years, role on the Critical Skills list
- Stamp 4 after
- 21 months
- Family
- Immediate, partner works on Stamp 1G
Graduate General route
- Graduate salary rate
- €34,009
- Institution
- Irish third-level institutions only
- Award
- Level 8+, awarded within the previous 12 months
- Labour market test
- Required, 28 days, unless waived
- Job offer
- Most roles off the Ineligible List
- Stamp 4 after
- 57 months
- Family
- After 12 months, plus an income test
How the journey works
- 01
Map your two clocks
Day 1We pin down the exact date of your award, which starts the 12-month graduate rate window, and the expiry of your Stamp 1G. Level 8 graduates get 12 months of 1G; Level 9 and above get 12 months with a further 12 on renewal if they can show genuine job seeking. Everything is planned backwards from whichever clock runs out first.
- 02
Confirm the role and graduate rate
Week 1We map your job title to the Critical Skills Occupations List, check the duties actually match, and confirm the salary clears the €36,848 graduate floor. We also confirm your qualification is relevant to the role, because that relevance is what the reduced rate rests on.
- 03
Gather documents on both sides
Week 1You collect your passport, degree, transcripts and any registration documents; the employer confirms company registration, the contract and the job description. Critical Skills applications skip the labour market test entirely, so there is no advertising step here.
- 04
Submit through Employment Permits Online
The application is lodged on the EPOS portal with the €1,000 fee, ideally at least 12 weeks before the proposed start date and always inside your 12-month rate window. Draft applications are deleted after 28 days, so we file complete or not at all.
- 05
DETE decision and any follow-up
In July 2026 new Critical Skills applications were being decided in roughly 2 to 3 weeks. If DETE raises a query you have 28 days to respond, and we help you answer quickly and completely.
- 06
Register Stamp 1 and count down to Stamp 4
Month 21Once the permit issues you register with immigration for €300 and move from Stamp 1G to Stamp 1. Normal permit rules then apply: 9 months with your first employer before a change is possible, then Stamp 4 after 21 months, evidenced by your Revenue Employment Detail Summary.
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 at least 6 months when the permit application goes in
Degree certificate and final transcripts
Relevant to the role, final results, provisional results will not do
Award notification letter
Fixes the date your 12-month graduate rate window opened
Signed employment contract
At least 24 months, salary at or above €36,848 stated clearly
Detailed job description
Duties matched to the listed Critical Skills occupation
Professional registration
Where the role is regulated, e.g. NMBI, Medical Council
Current IRP card
Your Stamp 1G or Stamp 2 registration, if you are already in Ireland
Employer company details
CRO number, Revenue registration and a validated EPOS account
Salary breakdown
Only basic pay plus health insurance with an HIA-registered insurer counts towards the threshold
Passport-standard photo
Recent, plain background
Every case is different. We confirm your exact list at consultation.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Employment permit application | €1,000 | Covers a permit of up to 24 months. Paid on application, by employer or employee. |
| Refund if refused or withdrawn | 90% back | €900 is refunded to the applicant; the refund request form issues with the decision letter. |
| Entry visa (visa-required nationals) | €60-€100 | Single entry €60, multi entry €100. |
| IRP registration | €300 | Per registration or renewal, including your Stamp 1G and the new Stamp 1. |
| Our consultation | Fixed fee | Agreed up front at booking, no surprises. |
Government fees are set by DETE and ISD and can change. Employers who pay the permit fee can never recover it from you; that is written into the Employment Permits Act 2024.
How long it takes
Guide figures from current official processing information. Individual cases vary.
Stamp 1G grant, if you still need it
6-8 weeks
Apply within 6 months of being notified of your award. Your Stamp 2 work conditions continue while you wait.
DETE decision
2-3 weeks
As of July 2026: current queue for new Critical Skills applications, per DETE's published processing dates. File at least 12 weeks before the start date.
Entry visa, if required
Around 8 weeks
Applies to visa-required nationals after the permit issues; times vary by visa office.
Review, if refused
6+ months
In July 2026 DETE was still deciding reviews received in late December 2025, which is exactly why the first filing has to land inside your 12-month window.
Why applications get refused
Most refusals are preventable. These are the patterns we see and design out of every application.
Graduate rate claimed after the window closed
The €36,848 rate only applies where the award sits within the 12 months before the application. File on month 13 at €36,848 and the salary is simply below the standard €40,904 threshold.
Avoid it: Diarise your award date on day one and file well inside the anniversary, not the week of it.
Degree not relevant to the role
The graduate rate requires a qualification relevant to the job. A marketing graduate applying for a software role on the graduate rate invites refusal.
Avoid it: Have the match between transcript and job description assessed honestly before filing, not after.
Duties do not match the listed occupation
DETE assesses the actual duties, not the job title. A 'software engineer' whose described work reads like IT support will be refused.
Avoid it: Write the job description around the real duties of the listed occupation and keep it consistent with the contract.
Salary counted wrongly
Only basic pay plus health insurance paid to an HIA-registered insurer counts. Bonuses and shift allowances do not, and part-time hours need a higher hourly rate because the threshold divides by 2,028 hours a year.
Avoid it: Get the contract to state a basic salary that clears €36,848 on its own, with room to spare.
Contract shorter than 24 months
The Critical Skills route requires a job offer of at least two years. Fixed-term contracts of 12 or 18 months do not qualify.
Avoid it: Ask the employer for a 24-month or permanent contract before filing.
Employer fails the 50:50 rule
Permits are refused where more than half the workforce is non-EEA, or where the employer's EPOS account and Revenue and CRO details were never validated.
Avoid it: Check the 50:50 mix and portal registration in week one, before you spend your window on anything else.
Common questions
Is the Graduate Critical Skills Employment Permit a separate permit?+
No. It is the ordinary Critical Skills Employment Permit at a reduced graduate salary rate of €36,848 instead of €40,904, available where you obtained a relevant Level 8 or higher award within the 12 months before applying. Once issued it behaves exactly like any other CSEP.
My degree is from outside Ireland. Can I still use the graduate rate?+
Yes. The €36,848 graduate rate on the Critical Skills route accepts a relevant Level 8+ qualification from any recognised third-level institution, so a recent masters from abroad can qualify. This is the key difference from the Graduate General route, which is limited to Irish institutions.
When does the 12-month clock start and stop?+
It runs from the award of your qualification to the date the permit application is made. DETE phrases it as within the 12-month period prior to the date of application. Filing inside the window is what matters; the decision can land after it.
What happens if I miss the window?+
The Critical Skills permit is still open to you, just at the standard €40,904 threshold for a listed role with a relevant degree, current from 1 March 2026. Nothing else about the application changes, so a missed window is a pay-threshold problem, not a ban.
Do I need a labour market test?+
No. The Critical Skills route has no advertising requirement, so there is no 28-day labour market test to run. That is one of the reasons it is the faster, cleaner door for graduates whose role is on the Critical Skills Occupations List.
Can my spouse or partner work straight away?+
Yes. Spouses, civil partners and recognised de facto partners of CSEP holders register with immigration and receive Stamp 1G, which lets them take up employment without an employment permit of their own.
What happens after the permit issues?+
You register Stamp 1 for €300 and normal permit rules take over: you stay 9 months with your first employer before a change is possible, then apply to Immigration Service Delivery for Stamp 4 after 21 months. Since November 2023 there is no separate support letter step from DETE.
Does time on this permit count towards citizenship?+
Yes. Residence on Stamp 1 as a permit holder and on Stamp 4 is reckonable for naturalisation, which generally requires 5 years of reckonable residence within the last 9. Your graduate Stamp 1G time counts too.
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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