Understand The Differences Between Critical And General Skills Work Permit 

Ireland's economy is constantly growing, offering job opportunities in the most diverse sectors, such as technology companies to sectors such as pharmaceuticals, business, services, and commerce. The demand for qualified labor is great and therefore anyone who wants to get a job in the country and have an international career has a good chance of doing so. We will explain below the differences between the demands for professionals in the country, which are divided by the government into two categories: Critical Skill work permit and General Skills.

Critical Skills in Ireland:-

If you are not a citizen of the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom and Switzerland, you need permission to work in Ireland. Through the “Critical Skills Employment Permit,” it is possible to obtain this permission.

Therefore, if you have a skill that is currently in short supply in Ireland, and you are qualified to work in this area, this could guarantee you a work permit. The Critical Skills Occupation List is constantly updated! You can consult the list of occupations here.

Some professions on the list are:

• Business sales executives

• International marketing experts

• IT specialist managers

• IT business analysts, architects, and systems designers

• Programmers and software development professionals

• Civil Engineers

• Mechanical Engineers

• Electrical Engineers

• Architect

• Art Director in 2D or 3D animation

• Medical laboratory scientists

• Medical practitioners

• Industrial Pharmacists

• Nursing and Midwifery Professionals

• Respiratory Physiologist

• Orthoptists

What are the requirements to obtain a Critical Skills work visa?

• The company must offer a salary of more than 30 thousand Euros per year.

• Some of the professions on the list must have an annual salary of more than 60 thousand Euros.

• The hiring company must offer the job vacancy directly, as human resources corporations are not allowed to participate in the selection processes.

• The duration of the employment contract must be at least two years.

• If the candidate is already in the country doing an exchange and has a valid IRP with Stamp 2, he can request authorization if he meets the criteria. Another advantage of a work permit with critical skill is being able to apply for stamp 4 after 2 years on the visa. Now let's explain the other list, General Skills.

General Skills in Ireland:-

General Employment Permits (General Skills) are the main way used by the Government to attract third-country nationals into occupations that are experiencing labor or skills shortages.

Unlike Critical Skills, where the government specifies eligible occupations, General Skills assumes that all occupations are eligible unless otherwise specified. Therefore, all occupations are eligible unless excluded from the list of occupations ineligible for work permits.

The main attraction of this list is that it allows for a wider range of occupations than the other work permit classes and can be obtained about a 12-month employment contract. All occupations under the Critical Skills Occupations List are considered eligible.

What are the requirements to obtain a Critical Skills work visa?

• The company must offer a salary of at least 27k/year for 39 hours per week (€13.31 p/h).

• You will need a job offer letter and a contract from your employer lasting 1 or 2 years.

• Obtaining a relevant QQI Level 5 qualification after two years of employment in the country.

• A general work permit can be issued for an initial period of 2 years and can be renewed for up to a further three years. After 5 years, the applicant can apply to the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) for long-term residence, Stamp 4.

Final considerations:-

Now that you know the difference between the list of Critical Skills and General Skills, it becomes much easier to understand your profile and create a plan to achieve your goal. If you don't already have a higher qualification, taking an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Ireland could be the golden key you need to secure your place in the Irish job market.

In addition to certification in the field, Irish universities tend to retain global talent and serve as channels for qualified labor. This increases the chances of employment for students. Also, before appearing for the interview, Career Ireland offers Mock Interview for the students. Want to know more? Speak to our team of experts and start planning your future in Ireland right now.

Author’s bio:

The author of this article is the owner of this website.  In his spare time, he likes to try different recipes at home.