For employers operating across both markets — and for groups deciding where to base roles — Ireland and the UK have drifted apart sharply on immigration since 2024. The UK has moved to restrict: a higher salary floor, a degree-level skill requirement, and whole occupations shut out. Ireland has moved to formalise and widen: modernised legislation, phased threshold increases, and trades and operative roles that remain firmly on the eligible lists.
Here is the 2026 picture, side by side.
| Factor (2026) | Ireland | UK |
|---|---|---|
| General salary floor | €36,605 (GEP) / €40,904 (Critical Skills), from 1 Mar 2026 | £41,700 for most Skilled Worker visas (or the occupation going rate if higher) |
| Skill level required | Governed by occupation lists — many trades and operative roles eligible | Degree-level (RQF6) for most new applications since July 2025; limited RQF3-5 roles only via a Temporary Shortage List |
| Employer prerequisite | No licence — any compliant employer can apply; Trusted Partner optional | Sponsor licence required before any hire, plus per-hire sponsorship duties |
| Per-hire levies | Permit fee €1,000 (90% refunded on refusal) | CoS fee + Immigration Skills Charge + worker’s health surcharge — thousands per hire over a visa term |
| Care sector | Healthcare assistants and home carers eligible at a reduced €32,691 threshold | Care worker route closed to new overseas applicants since July 2025 |
| Settlement horizon | Critical Skills path towards Stamp 4 after 2 years | Typically 5 years to ILR |
Where Ireland is now clearly easier
- Sub-degree roles. The UK’s move to RQF6 shut most trades, drivers, care and operative roles out of the mainstream route, leaving only a temporary shortage list with a hard expiry and no dependants. In Ireland the same roles are hired every week on the GEP.
- No sponsor licence. Irish employers do not need a licence to hire internationally. In the UK the sponsor licence is a project in its own right, with ongoing compliance duties and per-pay-period salary rules from April 2026 that make sponsor compliance genuinely operational.
- Speed to settlement. A two-year Critical Skills path to Stamp 4 is a stronger candidate pitch than a five-year ILR runway — senior candidates notice.
Where the comparison is closer
For degree-level professional roles at strong salaries, both systems work: the UK’s going-rate system and Ireland’s Critical Skills route both process quickly for well-paid, well-documented applications. Currency also matters — £41,700 and €40,904 are closer in practice than they look on paper. And the UK retains scale advantages in some talent pools that Ireland cannot match.
If you sponsor in the UK, the moving parts — the £41,700 floor, going rates and the April 2026 pay-period compliance change — are covered in our UK Skilled Worker salary guide. For groups active in both jurisdictions, the practical answer in 2026 is often to base sub-degree and care roles in Ireland and reserve UK sponsorship for degree-level positions that clear the thresholds comfortably.
Let Recruitroo handle recruitment and immigration
Recruitroo manages international hiring in both jurisdictions — employment permits in Ireland and Skilled Worker sponsorship in the UK — from one platform. If you are deciding where a role should sit, we will model both routes for you with real costs and timelines.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to hire an international worker in Ireland or the UK?
For most roles, Ireland — a €1,000 permit fee versus a UK stack of sponsorship, skills charge and health surcharge costs, before licence overheads. For senior degree-level roles the gap narrows.
Can UK-style care workers still be hired internationally?
Not through the UK’s mainstream route — it closed to new overseas care worker applicants in July 2025. Ireland continues to permit healthcare assistants and home carers at a reduced €32,691 threshold.
Do Irish employers need the equivalent of a sponsor licence?
No. Any compliant Irish employer can apply for employment permits; the optional Trusted Partner registration simply speeds processing. The UK requires a sponsor licence before any sponsored hire.
This guide reflects Irish employment permit rules and UK Skilled Worker route requirements as of August 2026. Salary thresholds, occupation lists and processing times change regularly — check current DETE guidance or ask Recruitroo before committing to a hire.