Ireland's Employment Permits Act 2024: Understanding the Changes

Ireland is set to experience a significant transformation in its Employment Permits System with the introduction of the new Employment Permits Act 2024, which came into effect on September 2, 2024. Ireland’s fraught relationship with work permits and its inflexibility has long been criticised, but recent changes, beginning in the process this week, have made moves towards a brighter future of employment across the country.    

The Employment Permits Act 2024 applies to non-EEA (European Economic Area) nationals who wish to take up eligible employment and residence in the State. This new legislation, hailed by Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Peter Burke, along with Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Emer Higgins, promises to deliver a modern, adaptable, and flexible framework that will benefit both employers and permit holders. 

 Related Blog: Backlog of 10,500 work permit applications in Ireland. 

 

The Employment Permits Act 2024 represents one of the most substantial reforms in employment permits legislation in over a decade. It aims to provide a system that can swiftly respond to the evolving needs of the labour market and business environment. Four main changes will come into effect. 

 

The new Act will make the Employment Permits System more adaptable, allowing it to respond quickly to fluctuations in the labour market and business needs.  

For example, if a worker is progressing within a role, this process is now simplified. An employee will no longer need to undergo a new employment permit application process where they remain with the current employer but have been granted a promotion or uplift. This will make the process simpler for company, employee, and employer, and reduce the chance of non-compliance. 

 

These changes will enable subcontractors registered in Ireland to access the employee permit system, which is a significant acknowledgment of modern labour practices and value chains and allows subcontractors to manage labour more efficiently. 

 

A new Seasonal Employment Permit will be introduced, offering a flexible solution to sectors with seasonal labour needs, such as horticulture. This permit, underpinned by strong labour rights, will be piloted in the horticulture sector in 2025, and has been welcomed. The introduction of a Seasonal Employment Permit, based on strong labour rights, will support the seasonal needs of certain sectors.  

Arrangements for accommodation and health insurance will be included in the scheme. This scheme will run as a pilot before being introduced fully in 2025. 

 

Permit holders will now be able to transfer their employment permits to a new employer after a designated period of 9 months. The ability to change an employment permit to a new employer after nine months to allow for better opportunities for workers. 

The change of employer applies to the General Employment Permit (GEP) and the Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP).  

If a worker holds a General Employment Permit, they will be granted the opportunity to change their employer within the same type of employment – for example, a different production facility in the same field.  

If an employee holds a Critical Skills Employment permit, they can change to an employer across a broader category of employment, for example, different engineering roles. 

 

Minister Burke emphasised the importance of these reforms, stating, 

"This new law represents the biggest reform of employment permits legislation in over a decade and will result in many positive changes to Ireland’s economic migration policy. The improvements in the new Act will allow for a more modern, flexible employment permits system and ensure employee rights are maintained. It will greatly benefit employers and permit holders alike.” 

Minister Higgins also shared her enthusiasm for the new law, particularly highlighting Ireland's strong economic position and the need to attract international talent to maintain competitiveness. She noted, 

“This new law, along with recent measures like the granting of work rights to eligible spouses and partners of certain employment permit holders and the rollout of a single permission to both work and live in Ireland, will massively help to achieve this goal.” 

 

With this Act requiring additional conditions such as training and accommodation support for employment permit holders, which will make Ireland a more attractive destination for workers, which will reduce pain-points across various industries.  
 
It will also allow for non-consultant hospital doctors to have a permit which will allow them to work at multiple sites, which will help to further streamline the system and reduce pressure on the health service.  

 

The Act simplifies the Labour Market Needs Test by requiring only online job advertisements, instead of in print media, reflecting contemporary recruitment Labour Market Needs Test. This has been regarded as a timely embrace of our digital world of work. Online platforms are easily accessible and can include newspaper websites or dedicated employment websites, and must still be published with Jobs Ireland and the EURES website. 

 

New quotas will be introduced, including 500 permits for the home care sector and 250 permits for line workers in the ESB Networks’ overhead line framework, supporting critical government priorities like the Climate Action Plan 2023 and Housing for All. 

 

The changes brought about by the Employment Permits Act 2024 are set to ensure that Ireland’s employment permit system remains fair, accessible, and flexible in meeting labour demands now and in the future. As Minister Higgins concluded, "These new measures will continue to make Ireland the destination of choice for skilled workers.” 

For more detailed information on the Employment Permits Act 2024, including the main provisions and guidance for system users, visit the Department’s website at Employment Permits Act 2024 information note. 

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