Department to examine work permit thresholds

THE Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) is to conduct a study on the pay package thresholds for permits issued to workers from outside the European Economic Area.

All workers from outside the EEA require an employment permit to work in Ireland unless they have an exemption. Permits are issued to applicants who have received a job offer from a company based in Ireland.

The department is to review the work permits as it looks to identify factors which could trigger an adjustment to the thresholds in future.

Critical skills work permits’ minimum remuneration limits are set to increase in January. For occupations on the critical skills list which require a degree qualification, the threshold will increase from €30,000 to €32,000, while the minimum for jobs that don’t need a degree will go from €60,000 to €64,000.

A 2018 review of economic migration policy said the development of skills in the local labour pool in Ireland may be discouraged if it seemed more attractive for employers to hire non-EEA nationals at salary levels below the average.

Figures from the DBEI show a total of 11,169 work permits have been issued in the year to August, up from 8,041 in the same period last year.