DETE — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)

Scope

• Issues Critical Skills Employment Permits, General Employment Permits, Intra-Company Transfer Permits, Contract for Services Permits, Dependant/Partner/Spouse Permits, and Reactivation Permits.
• Maintains the Critical Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and Ineligible Occupation List, both reviewed biannually.
• Operates the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS) for digital applications.
• Publishes monthly statistics by permit type, nationality, and sector.

Procedural quirks

• Employment permits are a work authorisation, not a visa. Visa-required nationals separately need a D-visa (preclearance); all non-EEA arrivals need an IRP after arrival.
• Salary thresholds were raised on 17 January 2024 and DETE has signalled further phased uplifts through 2025–2026.
• The CSEP leads to a "Stamp 4" permission route after 2 years, removing the need to renew the employment permit — but Stamp 4 is a separate ISD process.

Primary service channels

• DETE Employment Permits

  https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/

• Permit types and eligibility

  https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/permit-types/

• Employment Permits Online System (EPOS)

  https://epos.djei.ie/

Routes administered

DETE decides the following Ireland visa routes covered on Global Visa Routes:

• Critical Skills Employment Permit

  Fast-track employment permit for high-skill roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List.

• General Employment Permit

  Sponsored employment permit for roles not on the Critical Skills list but above the general salary threshold.

• Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)

  Residence programme for founders establishing a High Potential Start-Up in Ireland.

• Stamp 4 permission

  Long-term residence permission allowing unrestricted work in Ireland.

• Irish Student visa (Stamp 2)

  Study permission for international students enrolled at eligible Irish institutions on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes.

• Join Family (Irish national or EEA national)

  Family reunification permission for spouses, civil partners, and dependants of Irish or EEA nationals resident in Ireland.

• Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP — closed)

  Historic golden-visa equivalent; closed to new applications from 15 February 2023.

Related

• Ireland routes hub

  All visa routes into Ireland.

• Ireland processing times

  Every processing window this authority publishes.