The technology talent shortage in Ireland is increasing but companies are not worried at all because they think they have found a solution. The majority of them are recruiting professionals from non-EEA countries but there is a catch. Is it difficult for these workers to get visas to Ireland?
Ireland at the moment has massive operations. There is Facebook’s Irish operation, the construction of Dublin Salesforce tower and last but not least, the science industry of Ireland in general.
The capital city, Dublin, besides locals it is home to international talents. Of course, citizens of Ireland come first when there is an open job position. Second, come the people from the EEA and of course in third place are the people from Switzerland due to the country’s participation in EFTA.
Unfortunately, good talent cannot always be found. What happens when all the locals are employed? Dublin then requires a workforce that comes from non-EEA countries. Can they get the job? Yes, they can get the job but only if proper steps are walked.
What kind of Visa is required?
An employment permit is required from any non-EEA person that has a wish to live and work in Ireland. There are different types of employment permits of course and they are given according to different circumstances.
The Critical Skills Employment Visa is the most popular thus the most applicable to non-EEA workers. This Visa, in fact, stands for “highly skilled” workers that are required from the Irish government itself. The Irish government wants to fulfill the positions that make all the shortages present on the market. Also, the Government has a specific list of required occupations for this visa. On the list you can find, engineers, developers, professionals in biomanufacturing, chemical engineering and medicine. This type of Visa does not require Labour Markets Needs Test and its holders can apply for immediate family reunification.
General Employment Visa, on the other hand, applies to every single occupation that cannot be spotted in either the Critical Skills or the ineligible occupations. For those who are wondering, the ineligible occupations are the professions for which the Government thinks is abundant. When it comes to families, the families must wait for six months to join the visa holder.
The Dependent Visa or Partner/ Spouse Employment Permit is the visa that is given to the spouses of Critical Skills visa holders.
Before applying, all the visa applicants should present banking documentation. This is happening everywhere not only in Ireland. This documentation guarantees the Irish authorities that the visa holder possesses a sufficient amount of money to settle in Ireland. Also, every single document should be in English and also notarized. IELTS is something that the Irish require because they need proof that one can read and write in English.
To answer your question: No, the process is not hard at all. It is quite clear and straightforward.
