How to get a work permit in Ireland

I want to give you some insight into the process of getting a work permit here in Ireland. I realized very quickly into the process, that just because I am an American citizen and have a doctorate degree doesn't mean a red carpet will be rolled out for me. I had to go through the bureaucratic processes just like everyone else and I got denied just as quickly as anyone else.


Step 1- Find an employer.
You need to have someone to sponsor you to get a work permit, and the less people they have from foreign countries the better. If the company already has a lot of non-Irish people working for them, it may be harder to get a work permit. The employer must also prove that it has searched for an Irish person to fill the job, and couldn't find one, or that there is specific need for your profession in the country.

Step 2- Apply.
Once you have found someone to work for, you need to apply. In comes the DJEI- Department of Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation. Fact is, this organization was not pleasant for me to deal with. Technically all you have to do is fill out the correct form and send it in (they started online applications recently as well), pay the fee, and you should have your permit within a few months.

There are different types of permits based on what you plan to be doing in the country, for example: sport permit, internship permit, highly skilled worker permit, spouse permit, and what I did, the general employment permit.

Now let me tell you a little more how my experience went.
 
I was rejected 4 times by them. First was because I didn't have the right application, (it took them 6 weeks to tell me that). Secondly it was because there was some information that they thought was lacking or something to that extent. Thirdly was because I was in the country visiting. Fourth was because they didn't believe that I was out of the country. After the fourth letter, I was at my wits end. How do you prove you are out of a country? Send them your boarding pass and entry stamp into the country you are now in right? Well that wasn't enough. I had to go to the American Embassy and get a letter notarized, a sworn statement saying that I was out of the country. Let's just say it was a first for the embassy.

After the fourth rejection we also wrote a letter to the minister of the whole department complaining about the process and how the organization was not promoting jobs, enterprise, and innovation at all, by denying a doctor of chiropractic, in a highly needed field to come in and help the local economy by working in an all Irish business. (Thank you Mr. L)

I sent all this stuff over together.... and ..... it got lost in the mail. I had to overnight express everything again to make sure it made it by the deadline. Nearly everything that could go wrong, went wrong. But finally after a 7-8 month process, I was approved!

Step 3- Register.
Finally, when you get to Ireland, comes registration with the Garda police, and your local immigration officer which will cost you 300 euros. Thankfully the process is much smoother when you renew your permit (every two years), but you still have to pay another 300 euros.

If you are looking to come to Ireland, be prepared for a difficult time with the DJEI, and then if everything goes smoothly for you, you won't be as frustrated as I was. In the end, the struggle was worth it for me and it felt so good to say that I had been accepted and could finally work! 


Good luck!