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General Employment Permits are the primary vehicle used by the State to attract 3rd country nationals for occupations which are experiencing a labour or skills shortage. Unlike Critical Skills Employment Permits where the State specifies eligible occupations, General Employment Permits assume all occupations to be eligible unless otherwise specified. Therefore, all occupations are eligible unless excluded under the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits.
The main attraction of the General Employment Permit for prospective candidates is that it permits a broader range of occupations than the other classes of employment permit and may be obtained in respect of a month contract of employment. All occupations under the Critical Skills Occupations List are deemed eligible. A General Employment Permit can be issued for an initial period of 2 years and can then be renewed for up to a further three years.
For illustrative purposes the example given in the video below is in respect of an application for the role of chef. Please note that the overall application process is the same for all General Employment Permits, however you may need to submit some different documents depending on the specific requirements of that employment type.
Details of the required documents are contained in the relevant Employment Permit Checklist. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment examine a number of criteria when assessing employment permit applications.
