Updated · NextMigrate Team
Ireland for Software Engineers: Critical Skills or General Employment Permit, and Why the Difference Compounds
Imagine you are a software engineer in São Paulo. You are tired of checking the street before you open the car door. Your partner is tired of it too. Then a Dublin company sends you an offer. It is real money, in euro, in a city where you could walk home at night.
You are so relieved that you nearly sign the same day. But hidden in that offer letter is one line that will shape the next five years of your family's life: the basic salary.
The short answer: Your base salary decides which Irish permit you get. As published by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, the Critical Skills Employment Permit has run a minimum basic salary in the high €30,000s for listed occupations held with a relevant degree, and a higher tier in the mid €60,000s for eligible jobs not on the list. The General Employment Permit minimum has sat in the low to mid €30,000s. Critical Skills means no job advertising test, immediate family reunification with your spouse generally able to work without their own permit, and Stamp 4 after two years. General usually means advertising first, a twelve-month family wait, and around five years to the same freedom.
Most software offers in Dublin, Cork and Galway clear the Critical Skills floor. The real question is whether the basic gross salary in your offer, excluding bonus and equity, clears it on paper. Thresholds are usually revised with effect from January, so read the current figure on the Department's salary and eligibility page before you negotiate.
Two engineers, one small gap
Picture two engineers who land in Dublin in the same month. They do similar work and pay the same rent.
Three years later, one holds Stamp 4. They can change employer freely, and their spouse has worked since arrival. The other is still tied to a permit, still needs the Department's consent to move jobs, and started the family clock a year late.
The gap between them was often a few thousand euro of base salary, in an offer neither of them negotiated.
Think of the two permits like two lanes at an airport. Both reach the gate. One has no queue. The ticket for the fast lane is a number on your contract.
Every euro figure here is a dated planning range. Reconfirm on the official pages, and have an Irish solicitor or the employer's immigration counsel check your case. This is general information, not immigration advice.
Two permits, two authorities
Irish work migration is split between two government bodies. Mixing them up causes most of the confusion.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment issues the employment permit: a named employer may employ you in a named role at a named salary. Salary thresholds, occupation lists and the labour market needs test live here.
The Department of Justice, through Immigration Service Delivery and the registration office, issues your immigration permission: the stamp on your record, the Irish Residence Permit card, and later Stamp 4 or long-term residence. Naturalisation sits here too.
A permit alone does not let you live in Ireland. You still need permission to enter and reside, and visa-required nationals apply for an entry visa after the permit issues. That is why forum answers contradict each other.
Who each route is for
Critical Skills is for you if you are a software, backend, frontend, data, DevOps, platform, security or machine learning engineer with an Irish offer at or above the Critical Skills threshold, in a listed occupation, on a contract of at least two years. Most product, cloud and data roles at Irish multinationals, banks and funded scale-ups fit easily. Never accept the General permit if Critical Skills is within reach.
The General Employment Permit is for you if your occupation is not on the Critical Skills list but also not on the Ineligible List of Occupations, or your salary sits between the two minimums. Thousands use it. It is just slower and harder on families.
Neither is for you if your occupation is on the Ineligible List. That list rules out whole categories of work regardless of salary, and it is reviewed periodically. Check your job title and real duties against the current list.
Two related cases. Graduates of Irish universities may hold third level graduate permission, which allows work without a permit for a set period and often bridges into Critical Skills. Intra-company transfers use a separate permit with its own rules and a weaker onward path.
What separates the two permits
| Factor | Critical Skills Employment Permit | General Employment Permit | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary threshold | Higher tier, tied to the Critical Skills Occupations List; a further, much higher tier applies to eligible occupations not on that list | Lower general minimum, raised in recent years with staged increases announced in advance | Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, salary and eligibility pages |
| Occupation test | On the Critical Skills Occupations List, or above the higher salary tier and not ineligible | Not on the Ineligible List of Occupations | Department of Enterprise, current occupation lists |
| Labour market needs test | Not required | Normally required: the job must be advertised through the State employment service and in national and local media for a set period first, with limited exemptions | Department of Enterprise, labour market needs test guidance |
| Minimum contract length | Two years | Shorter contracts possible, with fees banded by duration | Department of Enterprise, permit types |
| Family reunification | Immediate; spouse or de facto partner can generally get permission to work without a separate employment permit | Generally not in the first twelve months, and family members usually need their own employment permits to work | Immigration Service Delivery, non-EEA family reunification policy |
| Route to Stamp 4 | Application to Immigration Service Delivery after two years of permit-based employment | Typically after five years of permit-based employment, via long-term residence | Immigration Service Delivery, Stamp 4 and long-term residence pages |
| Changing employer | Restricted for an initial period, then a change of employer permit; the Employment Permits Act 2024 modernised these rules | Restricted for an initial period, then a new permit application, possibly with a new labour market needs test | Department of Enterprise, change of employer guidance |
| Permit fee, as published | In the region of €1,000 for the standard two year permit | Banded: roughly €500 for shorter permits, roughly €1,000 for longer ones | Department of Enterprise, fees page |
Every row has been amended at some point in recent years. The structure has held. The numbers have not.
The salary threshold is the whole game
The Critical Skills threshold is a floor on basic annual gross salary. The Department looks at guaranteed base pay. Bonus, commission, overtime, shift premiums, equity, health insurance, pension, relocation and most allowances are generally excluded.
So an offer of "€72,000 total compensation" made of base plus target bonus plus stock can fail a threshold that a plain €72,000 base would clear.
Now run the two outcomes.
Engineer A gets a base at or above the Critical Skills line. No advertising is needed, so the employer applies straight away. On arrival, the spouse applies for permission to work without a sponsor. Two years in, the engineer applies for Stamp 4 and is no longer tied to any employer.
Engineer B gets a base a few thousand euro under the line. Maybe the recruiter used a local pay band. Maybe the difference went into a bonus. Now the employer must advertise the job first, which adds weeks. The spouse generally waits twelve months for family reunification, then usually needs their own employment permit, which means finding another sponsor. The five year clock starts, and the engineer stays permit-tied throughout.
The employer could often have closed that gap without a second thought, in a fifteen minute call. Treat the offer conversation as an immigration event, because it is one.
What you need before you start
Your own list is short, because the employer applies, or you apply using the employer's evidence.
- A signed contract or formal offer stating job title, basic gross annual salary, start date, contract length and place of work.
- A valid passport with enough validity left, and passport-standard photos.
- Proof of qualifications or experience. Critical Skills generally expects a relevant degree, or relevant experience where the higher salary tier applies. Ireland has no separate skills assessment body like Engineers Australia or a Canadian ECA, so the paperwork is lighter.
- The employer's details, including its Companies Registration Office number, Revenue registration and staff numbers, since the Department applies a rule on the ratio of EEA to non-EEA staff, with exemptions.
- Civil status documents if family will follow: marriage or civil partnership certificate, birth certificates, and proof of a durable relationship for de facto partners. Legalisation or apostille and certified translation take weeks, so start as soon as an offer looks real.
You should pay nothing beyond your own document costs. No real Irish employer or recruiter asks for money to secure a job or a permit. Fees for job offers, payment to a personal bank account, or someone offering to "arrange" a Critical Skills permit are the patterns in our guide to verifying overseas job offers. Check the employer in the Companies Registration Office register, insist on a written contract naming that company, and check any adviser's standing before paying anyone.
How long it takes
The Department of Enterprise publishes a processing page showing the date of the applications it is working on now, separately for standard and Trusted Partner Initiative employers. It shows a date, not an estimate, so you can work out your own wait. Trust it over any article.
The stages that take real time:
- Offer and negotiation. Days to weeks. The only stage where the permit type is still open.
- Labour market needs test, General permit only. A set advertising period before the application. Weeks of dead time.
- Permit decision. Check the processing dates page. Trusted Partner employers sit in a separate, generally faster queue, so ask if yours is one.
- Entry visa, if you need one. Applied for after the permit issues.
- Travel, then registration. You register with immigration and get an Irish Residence Permit card. The Department of Justice fee has been in the region of €300 per person in recent years, on registration and renewal.
- The long clocks. Two years to a Stamp 4 application on Critical Skills. Around five years of permit-based work before long-term residence on the General route. Naturalisation, with the Department of Justice, generally needs five years of reckonable residence in the previous nine, including a continuous year just before you apply.
Expect offer to landing to take a few months on Critical Skills, longer on General because of the advertising. Do not resign on an expected date. Resign on an issued permit.
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Free eligibility check →How to negotiate the offer before you sign
This is the one moment you hold real leverage, and it lasts a few days.
Ask for the permit type in writing. Ask the recruiter: "Is this offer going in as a Critical Skills Employment Permit, and does the basic gross salary meet the current threshold?" An employer used to hiring abroad answers within the hour. One that cannot is not one to rely on.
Move money from bonus into base. If base is short, ask for it to rise and the bonus to fall by the same amount. It often costs the employer nothing. Frame it as a compliance requirement, because it is.
Ask about the next threshold revision. If your application will be decided near a January revision, an offer sitting exactly on today's line is a risk. Ask for headroom, and say why.
Ask whether the employer is a Trusted Partner. It changes your queue and costs nothing to ask.
Get the family position in writing. Ask whether your spouse or partner can get permission to work without their own permit, and when. The answer is completely different between the two permits. Our spouse and family visa guide lists the questions to ask before signing.
Ask who pays. Permit fee, entry visa fee, registration fee for each family member, and relocation. Small alone, meaningful for a family of four, and only negotiable now.
What it costs
Planning ranges published by the two Irish authorities. Reconfirm before you budget.
| Item | Planning range, as published | Who normally pays | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment permit fee | Roughly €1,000 for a two year permit; roughly €500 for shorter General permits | Usually the employer; the employer may legally pay | Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment |
| Entry visa, if required | Modest, banded by single or multiple entry | Applicant, often reimbursed | Irish visa service, Department of Justice |
| Irish Residence Permit registration | In the region of €300 per person, first registration and renewals | Applicant | Department of Justice, registration office |
| Document legalisation and translation | Varies widely by country | Applicant | Your foreign ministry and the Irish embassy |
| Flights and shipping | Varies | Negotiable at offer stage | Not applicable |
| Landing buffer, Dublin | Deposit plus first month plus setup; Dublin rents are among the highest in Europe | Applicant | Not applicable |
The permit and visa fees are small. Dublin housing is the big number, and the thing most likely to derail an approved move. Book temporary accommodation before you fly.
When this does not work
No job offer. Ireland has no points test and no expression of interest pool. Everything starts with an Irish employer. For a route that selects on your profile before an offer, look at Canada. Our piece on what to do when your Express Entry score is below the cutoff explains that pool.
Your occupation is on the Ineligible List. No salary fixes this.
The employer will not sponsor. Some Irish companies have never filed a permit application and will not start.
Your salary is below both thresholds. Below the General minimum there is no route through this system.
You need speed above all. Compare the Dutch highly skilled migrant scheme, which needs only a recognised sponsor and a salary band, with no advertising period. Our breakdown of the Dutch salary threshold and sponsor register sets out that comparison.
Common mistakes
Accepting a General permit without asking if Critical Skills was possible. The most expensive mistake here, and usually made in silence.
Reading total compensation as salary. Only basic gross counts.
Sitting exactly on the threshold. Fragile if your application straddles a revision.
Assuming the occupation lists are permanent. Both are reviewed, and jobs move in both directions. Check on the day you apply.
Assuming a permit is permission to live in Ireland. The permit comes from the Department of Enterprise. Permission to enter and stay comes from the Department of Justice.
Planning to switch jobs right after arrival. Permits restrict changing employer for an initial period, and the Employment Permits Act 2024 updated those rules. Confirm your position first.
Missing the reckonable residence detail. Not every stamp counts toward citizenship the same way. If citizenship is your goal, know which permissions count from day one.
Using an unregulated agent. The employer's immigration counsel or an Irish solicitor is the right person. Nobody should charge you for a job offer.
Frequently asked questions
Is a software engineer eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit in Ireland?
Software development and ICT professional roles have been on the Critical Skills Occupations List for many years. Eligibility still depends on the occupation code, your qualifications or experience, and the salary meeting the current threshold. Check the current list.
What salary does a software engineer need for an Irish Critical Skills permit?
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment's minimum has sat in the high €30,000s in recent years for a listed occupation with a relevant degree, and in the mid €60,000s for eligible occupations not on the list. Increases are announced in advance and usually take effect in January. It is assessed on basic gross salary, excluding bonus, commission and most allowances. Read the current figure on the Department's page before you negotiate.
What is the labour market needs test and does it apply to me?
Only to the General permit. The employer must advertise the job through the State employment service and in national and local media for a set period, and show no EEA candidate was available. Limited exemptions exist. It adds weeks.
Can my spouse work in Ireland on my permit?
On Critical Skills, family reunification is immediate, and spouses and de facto partners can generally get permission to work without their own employment permit. On the General permit, family reunification is generally not available in the first twelve months, and family members usually need their own permit to work. Confirm current policy on the Immigration Service Delivery pages.
How long until I get Stamp 4, and does permit time count toward citizenship?
Critical Skills holders can generally apply for Stamp 4 after two years. General permit holders typically need around five years before long-term residence. For citizenship, the Department of Justice generally requires five years of reckonable residence in the previous nine, including one continuous year just before you apply. Employment permit time is normally reckonable. Student permission is treated differently.
Is Ireland or the UK better for a software engineer?
They fail in different ways. The UK route needs a licensed sponsor and a Home Office salary and skill threshold, plus an immigration health surcharge per person per year that raises upfront costs a lot. Ireland has no such surcharge and a shorter path to unrestricted permission on Critical Skills, but a tougher housing market than most expect. Our UK Skilled Worker visa guide covers the UK side.
What to do next
The leverage disappears in stages, so work in this order.
- Read both current lists today: the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible List, on the Department of Enterprise site. Ten minutes, and it decides everything after.
- Write down the current Critical Skills threshold from the Department's own page. Use it as your floor with every recruiter, and ask for headroom.
- Ask every Irish employer three questions in writing. Which permit? Does the basic gross salary meet the Critical Skills threshold? Are you a Trusted Partner?
- Start civil documents now if family are coming. Legalisation and translation are the slowest step and do not need an offer.
- Get the family and Stamp 4 position confirmed in writing by the employer's immigration counsel or an Irish solicitor before you resign.
The window to change any of this is the few days between an offer arriving and your signature. After that, the permit type, the family timeline and the Stamp 4 clock are fixed. You fought hard to get that offer. Spend fifteen more minutes making it the right one. To see which Irish permit your profile and salary expectation reach, start with our free eligibility check.
