Immigration & work-permit terms, explained

The rule that at least half an employer's staff must be EEA/UK/Swiss nationals when applying for an employment permit. Enterprise Ireland-registered start-ups can seek an exemption in their first two years.

The compliance ratings on a UK sponsor licence. New licences start A-rated; a breach can lead to a B-rating, which pauses new sponsorship until an action plan restores the A-rating.

A virtual record a licensed UK sponsor assigns to a worker, holding the job, SOC code and salary. The worker uses its reference number to apply for a Skilled Worker visa.

Ireland's fast-track permit for in-demand occupations. No Labour Market Needs Test, immediate family reunification, and a path to Stamp 4 after two years.

The list of occupations eligible for a Critical Skills Employment Permit — heavily weighted to ICT, engineering, science and healthcare roles.

A CoS for a worker applying from outside the UK. It's requested per case through the sponsor management system and needs Home Office approval before it can be assigned.

Permission for a worker's partner and children to join them. In Ireland, Critical Skills holders can bring dependants immediately; in the UK, Skilled Worker holders can usually bring partners and children.

Ireland's online portal for making and managing employment permit applications, run by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.

Ireland's broadest work-permit route, for skilled roles not on the Critical Skills list and not on the Ineligible List. Usually requires a Labour Market Needs Test.

The occupation-specific salary benchmark (by SOC code) a UK Skilled Worker role must meet. The salary must satisfy both the general threshold and the going rate, whichever is higher.

A per-year charge, usually paid by the worker, that gives visa holders access to the NHS for the duration of their visa.

A list of roles that qualify for a reduced salary threshold on the Skilled Worker route. It replaced the former Shortage Occupation List.

A fee the sponsor pays for each Skilled Worker, for every year of sponsorship. It's the employer's cost and can't be passed to the worker; some roles are exempt.

UK settlement — the right to live and work without time limit, generally available after five years on qualifying routes such as Skilled Worker.

Occupations that cannot be granted an Irish employment permit regardless of salary. Checking a role against this list is the first eligibility step.

The card proving a non-EEA national's permission to remain in Ireland. It must be registered after arrival, usually within 90 days.

The requirement to advertise a role through set channels for a set period before applying for most General Employment Permits, showing an EEA candidate wasn't available.

The skill-level scale used for UK visas. Since July 2025 the Skilled Worker route generally requires RQF 6 (graduate level), with limited exceptions via shortage lists.

The legally required check that a worker is permitted to do the job, completed and documented before employment begins. A core sponsor/employer compliance duty.

The main UK route for sponsored overseas workers. Requires a licensed sponsor, a Certificate of Sponsorship, a qualifying role and salary, and the required English level.

Home Office permission that lets a UK employer sponsor overseas workers. Required before issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship, valid for four years, with ongoing compliance duties.

An Irish immigration stamp allowing certain people — including spouses of Critical Skills permit holders — to work without a separate employment permit.

Irish permission to live and work without an employment permit, a step toward long-term residence. Critical Skills permit holders can typically apply after two years.

The official code that classifies a job. It determines the going rate and whether a role is eligible, so assigning the correct SOC code is critical to a UK sponsorship case.

A time-limited list allowing sponsorship of some below-degree roles on the Skilled Worker route after the July 2025 changes. Subject to review and expected to be phased out.

An employer registration with DETE that verifies company details once rather than per application, cutting duplicated paperwork on repeat employment permit filings.

A CoS for a worker already in the UK who is switching or extending. It's drawn from a sponsor's annual allocation and assigned directly, without per-case Home Office approval.