Do you have candidates interested in working in the healthcare industry in Ireland? Here’s all you need to know about visas

Posted on February 3, 2023 | Last Updated on September 1, 2023

As demand for healthcare workers in Ireland soars, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has announced a relocation grant of up to €4,000 to help candidates make the move to Ireland.

With this in mind, if you are an HR professional within the healthcare industry, now is an ideal time to focus your efforts on attracting talent from overseas to your organization.

In this guide, we will take a closer look at the options open to employers who are looking to attract non-EEA nationals to work in the Irish healthcare system.

What options are available to overseas healthcare workers who would like to move to Ireland?

With staff shortages in roles spanning across a number of healthcare professions and unprecedented levels of demand, there are vacancies to suit various healthcare jobs.

If you have candidates that would like to work in Ireland to continue their career in the healthcare sector there are various career opportunities in healthcare in Ireland.

Non-EEA nationals will require a General Employment Permit or a Critical Skills Employment Permit in order to work in Ireland.

Fortunately, from January 2023, 1,000 General Employment Permits will be made available for home care workers. These permits are for full-time positions with a minimum salary of €27,000 per year.

There is also a requirement that continuous shift lengths must be a minimum of four hours per working day. This helps to ensure that home care workers that relocate to work in Ireland will have a good quality of employment.

What is the Critical Skills Employment Permit?

The Critical Skills Employment Permit enables non-EEA nationals to move to work in Ireland. The purpose of the permit is to attract highly skilled workers interested in moving to Ireland.

Occupations eligible under this type of permit are deemed to be critically important for the growth of the Irish economy. These occupations are highly skilled and highly demanded, and there is a shortage of supply in the Irish labour market.

To be eligible to apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit the profession must be listed on the Irish Critical Skills Occupations List.

Healthcare roles included on the Critical Skills Occupations List

• Health and Social Services Managers and Directors
• Health Professionals
• Nursing and Midwifery Professionals
• Health Associate Professionals

Benefits of the Critical Skills Employment Permit

• The Critical Skills Employment Permit is issued for two years, after this period, the individual can request a Stamp 4 to continue to live and work in Ireland
• Permit holders can apply for immediate family reunification where their spouse/de facto partner and dependent children can also come to Ireland
• Employers are not required to complete a Labour Market Needs Test as the skills are identified as being short in supply

Eligibility for the Critical Skills Employment Permit depends on the job offer and the applicant’s skills, qualifications, and experience. You can also check your candidates eligibility by emailing us!

For further information, please see our detailed blog post: ‘Critical Skills Employment Permit Ireland – All You Need To Know’.

General requirements to obtain a Critical Skills Employment Permit

• The employer must be registered in Ireland and at least 50% of the company employees need to be EEA nationals. However, this requirement may be waived if the company is a start-up and supported by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland
• The contract must be permanent or for at least two years in case of fixed-term contracts
• The proposed position can’t be on the Ineligible Categories of Employment list
• If the proposed position is on the Critical Skills Occupations List and the applicant has a relevant qualification at least at a degree level, the base salary (not including bonuses and allowances) must be at least €32,000
• Where the base salary is €64,000 or more, the occupation does not need to be on the Critical Skills Occupations List and there is no requirement for a relevant degree

How does the General Work Permit for Ireland differ from the Critical Skills Employment Permit?

The Irish General Employment Permit is a permit that allows a non-EEA citizen to work legally in Ireland for an employer in a particular occupation. The General Employment Permit differs from the Critical Skills Employment Permit as it assumes all occupations are eligible unless otherwise specified on the Ineligible List of Occupations. It is initially granted for up to two years and can be extended after that.

General requirements for this type of permit include:

• The employer must be registered in Ireland and at least 50% of the company employees must be EEA nationals. There is an exception to this if the company is a start-up that is supported by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland.
• The position offered must not be on the Ineligible Categories of Employment list
• The base salary must be at least €30,000, excluding bonuses and allowances. However, it can be lower for certain categories of employment

It is recommended that individuals apply for a permit no later than three months before they plan to start working in Ireland.

What is the HSE Relocation Grant?

In a bid to attract healthcare workers from international markets, the HSE has introduced a relocation grant for candidates of up to €4,000. The exact grant depends on where the candidate is relocating from and the speciality of the post.

The grant is offered to healthcare workers. It includes up to €3,910 in an accommodation allowance for their first month in Ireland, and up to €250 to cover the cost of flights if travelling within the EU. For candidates travelling from outside the EU, the flight allowance may be up to €800.

Who can help can help with the visa process?

If you are an HR professional in the healthcare industry with candidates that are interested in working overseas in Ireland, our global visa specialists at Visa First can help with the permit application process.

We will provide the individuals with everything they need to know and help them in their efforts to get a visa to work in Ireland.

With 20 years of experience, our visa experts will ensure that the process is smooth for candidates by guiding them throughout the whole process so they can focus on getting ready to make the move to Ireland.