Irish Work Visas: Apply from the US

You may be granted access to Ireland if your employer is only transferring your job to Ireland from your home country temporarily.

Intra company transfers are done to facilitate the transfer of trainees, key staff, and senior management to the Irish branch of a foreign company.

You must be able to prove that the Intra Company Transfer Employment Permit is needed in order to achieve a goal or grow a part of the project. It cannot be used as a replacement for an opportunity for employment for the Irish people.

You must also earn more than €30,000, while senior management must earn more than €40,000.

Additionally, you must meet the criteria given for key staff, senior management, or trainee. For example, key staff must be proven to provide support to the company that cannot be replaced by local citizens of Ireland.

An internship is one route to working in Ireland as a US citizen. You can apply for an internship employment permit within the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment.

If you are accepted, you must apply for an internship visa if you will be in Ireland for longer than 90 days. Internship Employment and the associated permits are meant for international students who are studying full-time.

University students must be sponsored by an Irish company in order to apply for an internship permit.

A Working Holiday Authorization (WHA), sometimes called a Working Holiday Visa, gives you permission to stay in Ireland for up to one year, as well as the right to work.

Unlike a work permit, you do not need to secure a job offer prior to applying for the Working Holiday Authorization. You can enter Ireland on the WHA and look for work while you are there. The WHA is an agreement between the countries of Ireland and the USA. Authorizations are made through the Department of Foreign Affairs.

If your application is successful, you must register with immigration services upon entry to Ireland. You may not apply to this program if you already have residence within Ireland.

If you’d like to gain employment in Ireland as a doctor in the hospital sector there is some general information that may assist in your goal.

Doctors looking to find work must declare whether they are seeking work as a general practitioner or in a hospital. Immigration permission will cover only those categories. As a doctor on an atypical working scheme, you will not be permitted to work in both.

As a doctor, you can be registered with only one agency. The agency will be responsible for compliance with all immigration permissions.

US Citizens can apply to work as a non-EEA affiliated associate of the Irish Shipping Fleet, also known as a Sea Farer.
You must meet these qualifications to apply:

• Employment contracts must be approved by the CDPA (Central Depository) for fishing vessels at the National Seafood Center.
• You must have a written contract of employment for no less than a year.
• The contract holder must be hired directly by the owner of a Sea-Fishing boat license in Ireland.
• The Atypical Working Scheme is only applicable to members employed on registered and licensed vessels in specified sections of the Irish fleet for ships more than 15 meters long.

You may not work as a nurse with an employment permit until you have completed and passed the RSCI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland or the Clinical Adaptation & Assessment Program test conducted by the Department of Justice.

You must also meet the following criteria:

• Your contract has to be for a duration of 2 years or more
• You may only have one application under this system within a 12-month time period

Supporting documents for an employment permit include:

• An original bank statement showing sufficient funds for your time in Ireland. Bank statements must
• Medical insurance
• Current and valid passport
• Proof of your employment contract
• Itinerary and evidence of the date you plan to leave Ireland

Letters from companies or universities must be written on official-headed paper. Original documents will be returned to you by post. Photocopies will not be returned.

There is a postage fee for the return of documents that must be paid at the time you pay the application fee.

All the documents you submit will be reviewed by the Irish Embassy Department of Foreign Affairs.

If additional documentation is needed you will be notified and given a deadline to provide the additional documents.

You can apply through the online system at the government website.

You must apply for the appropriate work permit in order to be approved. Following your permit approval, you can then apply for a Long Stay ‘D’ Visa if necessary. US citizens may travel to Ireland for up to three months without a visa. An immigration officer at border control will review your documents and grant you entry to Ireland.

Once you enter the country, you will be required to register with immigration services if you will be in the country for longer than 90 days.

Generally, it takes about eight weeks from the time your application is submitted to process a work permit, however, the current wait time can be months due to a large number of applicants. It is recommended to begin your application as early as possible.

A long stay ‘D’ visa application takes about eight weeks to process. Providing complete documentation as described in the visa application will ensure your processing time is not delayed.

With Total Law, your work visa application can be assembled by our team of professional immigration lawyers, ensuring your documentation is correct and your application has the best chance of approval. Total Law can advise you on what type of work permit or Irish visa you may need to obtain in order to travel to Ireland for work.

Your Total Law advisor will provide you with all the necessary advice to proceed with your application for an Irish work visa.

For further information, contact us today at +1 844 290 6312 or use our online contact form to get in touch with our team of qualified immigration lawyers.