These regulations amend the Employment Permits Regulations 2017 to provide new minimum annual remuneration and hourly rates of remuneration.
For Critical Skills Permits for jobs on the Critical Skills Employment List, it raises the minimum annual remuneration to €38,000, and the hourly rate to €18.74. For General Employment Permits, it raises the minimum annual remuneration to €34,000 and in respect of which the minimum hourly rate of remuneration is €16.77. Exceptions to this are for horticulture workers, meat processor operatives, health care assistants, care workers and home carers, for whom minimum annual remuneration is set at €30,000, and in respect of which the minimum hourly rate of remuneration is €14.79. It also raises the minimum annual remuneration and minimum hourly rate for Intra-Company Transfer Permits.
It amends to the list of employments eligible for a Critical Skills Employment Permit to add 11 new occupations (including professional foresters and special engineering roles). It removes 33 occupations from the ineligible occupations list (e.g. social care workers, bakers, electricians, mechanics and technicians (motor vehicles)).
The Regulations provide for new quotas for General Employment Permits in certain employments, listed in Schedule 7 and extending the numbers for five occupations. It also introduces further quotas in certain employments.
NB: The minimum annual remuneration for General Employment Permits for specific jobs was amended subsequently amended in Employment Permits (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024.
