Join Non-EEA Employment Permit Holder
If your partner who is a non-EEA citizen holds an Irish Employment Permit, you might be able to join them in Ireland. Find out more about the requirements and the application process.
Call us today on +1 844 290 6312 for assistance with your application.
Page Contents:
- What types of Irish employment permits are there?
- What is the Critical Skills Employment Permit to Ireland?
- Can I join my non-EEA partner who holds an Irish Employment Permit?
- What is the ‘Category A’ Family Reunification?
- What is the ‘Category B’ Family Reunification?
- What are the requirements to join a non-EEA employment permit holder in Ireland?
- How to apply for a Long Stay ‘D’ Join Family Visa
- What documents are required for a Long Stay ‘D’ Join Family Visa?
- How can IAS help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What types of Irish employment permits are there?
Citizens of non-EEA countries who want to come to Ireland to work have to obtain an Employment Permit. Depending on their qualifications and the type of work they want to do in Ireland, they can choose from the following general employment permits:
- Critical Skills Employment Permit
- General Skills Employment Permit
- Contract for Services Employment Permit
- Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
- Reactivation Employment Permit
- Internship Employment Permit
- Sport & Cultural Employment Permit
- Dependent/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit
- Exchange Agreement Employment Permit.
Before non-EEA citizens can apply for an Irish Work Visa, they have to obtain their employment permit.
Critical Skills Employment Permits are the most sought-after employment permit in Ireland. It not only allows holders to bring their family members to Ireland through immediate family reunification but those who have it can quickly get permanent residency in Ireland.
The Critical Skills Employment Permit is intended for highly-skilled non-EEA workers who come to Ireland to work in occupations that are in shortage of labor or skills in Ireland according to a Labour Market Needs Test.
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What is the Critical Skills Employment Permit to Ireland?
The Critical Skills Employment Permit is intended for highly skilled non-EEA citizens who plan to come to Ireland to work in a position that has been included on the Critically Skilled Occupations List. Holders of the Critical Skills Employment Permit can live and work for 2 years initially. After that, they can apply for Stamp 4, allowing them to stay in Ireland for up to 5 years. Eventually, after spending a certain amount of time in Ireland, they can apply for permanent residency.
Professionals eligible for this permit include chemists, engineers, nurses, midwives, architects, and medical practitioners. Nevertheless, there are a number of other occupations that qualify so you should talk to our lawyers to find out whether you can apply.
A big advantage of having the Critical Skills Employment Permit is also the fact that its holders can apply for immediate family reunifications and easily bring their family member (de facto partner, spouse, or minor dependent child) with them to Ireland. Family members of the Critical Skills Employment Permit holders can study and work in Ireland.
Can I join my non-EEA partner who holds an Irish Employment Permit?
Joining your non-EEA partner who is in Ireland on a valid employment permit can be a complicated process as not all employment permits allow for immediate family reunification. Sometimes, your partner can only sponsor you to come to join them in Ireland after they have lived and worked there for a certain period of time.
Non-EEA citizens who are in Ireland on an employment permit are divided into Category A and Category B. Each of the categories comes with different eligibility criteria regarding bringing family members to Ireland.
If you are not sure whether your partner’s employment permit allows for immediate family reunification, get in touch with our lawyers. They can assess both your and your partner’s situation and explain to you in detail how you can come to join them in Ireland.
What is the ‘Category A’ Family Reunification?
Category A refers to non-EEA citizens who can sponsor their partner to join them in Ireland immediately. Their loved ones can even come to Ireland at the same time as them.
Individuals who qualify for Category A permission include:
- Non-EEA nationals who hold the Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP)
- Investors and Entrepreneurs
- Those who hold Business Permissions
- Researchers on a Hosting Agreement
- Students who study at an INIS Approved Scholarship program
- Non-EEA professionals who came to Ireland through an Intra Corporate Transfer
- Full-time non-locum doctors working at an Irish hospital.
Sometimes Ph.D. students might also be eligible to immediately sponsor their spouse or partner.
Those who come to Ireland through immediate family reunification usually do not automatically get the right to work. To be able to seek employment in Ireland, they need to obtain an employment permit.
This is not the case if your partner in Ireland is a Critical Skills Employment Permit holder or a Researcher on a Hosting Agreement. If they sponsor you to come to Ireland, you will be able to work without having to get an employment permit of your own.
What is the ‘Category B’ Family Reunification?
Category B refers to non-EEA nationals who can sponsor their spouse or partner to join them in Ireland after spending 12 months living and working there on a specific employment permit.
Individuals who fall under Category B permission are:
- Holders of an employment permit that is not the Critical Skills Employment Permit
- Those who received Stamp 4 in their passport
- Ministers of Religion
While immediate family reunification is a relatively quick and straightforward process, non-EEA who belong to Category B have to wait longer to be reunited with their loved ones.
There is also Category C which includes non-EEA nationals living in Ireland with any other type of immigration permission. Unfortunately, those who fall under Category C are not able to sponsor their spouse or partner to join them in Ireland.
What are the requirements to join a non-EEA employment permit holder in Ireland?
For your non-EEA partner holding a general employment permit in Ireland to be able to sponsor you to join them, they have to be at least 18 years old at the time of applying for family reunification.
There is no minimum duration of marriage required for married couples but, if you are in a de facto partnership, you have to have been living together for at least 2 years prior to the family reunification application. Besides, you and your partner have to intend to stay and live together after you arrive in Ireland.
Finally, provided that you and your partner do not have children, sponsors who fall under Category B have to earn a gross income of €30,000 or more. Those who have children have to earn the following minimum income per week:
- €511 for one child
- €612 for two children
- €714 for three children
- €834 for four children
- €960 for five children.
Talk to our lawyers and they can determine whether you and your partner meet the eligibility requirements for the family reunification visa.
How to apply for a Long Stay 'D' Join Family Visa
If you are a non-EEA family member who would like to apply for a Long Stay ‘D’ Join Family visa, you will need to apply for your Irish visa online through the AVATS system. Once you have completed your visa application, you will then need to submit a variety of documents to a designated visa office as well as pay the appropriate visa fees.
Irish immigration authorities will then review your visa application and notify you of their decision.
What documents are required for a Long Stay 'D' Join Family Visa?
The necessary documents which will need to be submitted will depend on the personal circumstances of each visa applicant. Some of the general documents which will need to be included are as follows:
- Signed and dated application summary sheet
- Receipt of visa fees
- A valid passport or travel document (valid for at least 6 months)
- Photocopies of previous passports
- A written statement explaining the reasons for travel to Ireland and details of the family member’s relationship with the non-EEA employment permit holder
- Copies of the employment permit’s passport and employment permit or research hosting agreement
- Any evidence which proves a relationship with the non-EEA employment permit holder
- Any financial evidence that the applicant and their sponsor have the finances to support their stay
- Medical or travel insurance
- Any information regarding previous visa refusals
All documents will need to be submitted in either English or Irish. If a document is written in a language other than these two languages, then it will need to be submitted with certified translations.
How can IAS help?
The process of joining your non-EEA partner who lives in Ireland on an employment permit can be complicated. There are many requirements you and your partner have to meet to qualify, especially if your loved one in Ireland falls under Category B.
Our professional immigration lawyers can explain to you what criteria you have to meet and what documents to prepare to prove your eligibility for family reunification. Thanks to their help, you can be sure that your case is as strong as possible and that you are submitting all the evidence that might be required. This way, you can maximize the chances of your employment permit application being approved.
If you hire one of our highly qualified lawyers, they will be around to answer all your questions, making the whole process stress-free.
Call our team today on +1 844 290 6312 to find out more about how our lawyers can help.
Legal Disclaimer
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the law may change, and the information may not reflect the most current legal developments. No warranty is given regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information, and we do not accept liability in such cases. We recommend consulting with a qualified lawyer at Immigration Advice Service before making any decisions based on the content provided.
Last modified on August 16th, 2024 at 9:30 am
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Frequently Asked Questions
The waiting time for an employment permit in Ireland varies depending on the complexity of your case and the amount of work the visa office is dealing with at the time of you submitting your application. Generally, however, you should receive the decision within 8 weeks from the date of the immigration officer receiving your application.
If you are a non-EEA citizen and you want to come to Ireland to work, you have to obtain an employment permit and an Irish Work Visa. To be able to do so, you need to have received a job offer in Ireland. Unfortunately, it is not possible for non-EEA citizens to obtain an Irish Work Visa if they do not have a job offer or valid employment contract.
Citizens of EU/EEA countries, on the other hand, do not need a work visa to work in Ireland. They can arrive in Ireland first and look for employment once they are in the country. That means that they do not have to have a job offer or meet any requirements to be able to work in Ireland.
Initially, citizens of EU/EEA countries can stay in Ireland visa-free for up to 3 months. However, if after this period they can prove that they are working in Ireland, they can stay longer.
If you have been allowed permission to enter Ireland, non-EEA family members will then need to register their immigration status with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). To do this, foreign nationals will need to visit the local immigration registration office as soon as they arrive in Ireland.
The registration officers will then collect biometric information in the form of fingerprints, a signature, and a photo. In return, the foreign national will then be issued a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP).