Ireland: Restrictions on foreign work permits and green cards
Description
On 15 April 2009, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment announced changes to the work permit and green card regimes of Ireland. From 1 June 2009, the Irish government will restrict eligiblity and impose tougher tests before work permits are granted or renewed. Also, various occupations with medium-level salaries have been declared uneligible for green cards. The new policy seeks "to allow the maximum opportunity for any available job vacancies to be filled from within the Irish labour market and wider EEA".
Specific restrictions on work permits include:
- Making more job categories ineligible for new work permits (work riders, domestic workers and HGV drivers now ineligible), and an ongoing assessment of other occupational categories regarding their continued eligibility
- No new permits for low-paid jobs i.e. paying under €30,000 per annum
- Strengthening the labour market needs test by doubling EURES/FAS advertisement of the job vacancy to 8 weeks, and national press advertisement to six days.
- Tougher conditions for the renewal of permits – higher fees and requirement for labour market needs test on renewal
- Spouses and dependants of future principal work permit holders having to apply for permits in their own right subject to the standard eligibility criteria and fees for Work Permits (currently spousal/dependant work permits are open to all job categories with no labour market needs test applied or fee charged)
The following occupations with a salary between €30,000 and €60,000 have been removed from the Green Card List:
- Healthcare: Registered midwives; physiotherapists; psychologists; social workers; medical physicists; and speech and language therapists.
- Financial Services: Economists; statisticians; underwriters; claims assessors and analysts; securities specialists; fund and investment management specialists; common law jurisdiction lawyers; investment fund professionals; fund accountants; fund valuations professionals; fund administrators; custody specialists; transfer agents; and hedge fund specialists.
- Industry/Services: Marketing Managers.
These occupations continue to be eligible for salaries of €60,000 or more.
Any Evidence-Based Deliberation:
| Question | Result |
|---|---|
| Is there anything in the public record to suggest that evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was considered during official deliberations? | |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | |
| Was such evidence identified? | |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? |
Date Discovered:
Implemented: Yes
Date of inception: 1 Jun 2009
GTA Evaluation: Red
Source:
Department for Enterprise, Trade & Employment. (15 April 2009). Tánaiste announces revised Employment Permit arrangements for foreign nationals seeking to work in Ireland. Available at http://www.entemp.ie/press/2009/20090415.htm
Department for Enterprise, Trade & Employment. (15 April 2009). REVISED ARRANGEMENTS FOR GREEN CARD SCHEME, APRIL 2009. Available at http://www.entemp.ie/labour/workpermits/revisedgreencard.htm
Department for Enterprise, Trade & Employment. (15 April 2009). Changes to Work Permits Arrangements, April 2009. Available at http://www.entemp.ie//labour/workpermits/revisedworkpermitarrangements%2...
Government Response:
- 231 reads
