Critical Skills Employment Permit: the occupations, the pay floors and your CV
A Critical Skills Employment Permit needs a two-year job offer in Ireland paying at least €40,904 for a listed occupation with a relevant degree, or €68,911 for most other jobs; DETE also checks your qualifications and experience.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Before you tailor anything, find your occupation on the list
The permit decides which CV you need. A job title that sits on the Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL) opens the lower salary floor; one that does not needs the higher floor or a different permit. Check this before you rewrite a single line.
- Download the CSOL from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE). The version we read was last modified on 21 August 2026.
- Find the four-digit SOC code whose wording matches the job you are offered, not the title you would like.
- Read the conditions printed beside it. Some entries require a specialism, a professional membership or a minimum period of experience.
- Check that the offer is for at least two years and that the basic salary clears the floor for your route.
- Ask the employer whether at least half of its staff are EEA nationals; DETE refuses permits to firms below that line, with an exemption for some young start-ups backed by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland.
Rules and thresholds change. Read the linked DETE pages on the day you apply.
How the permit works
Who applies, when, and the fee
Either the employer or the prospective employee can apply, on Employment Permits Online, at least 12 weeks before the planned start date. The fee is €1,000; if the application fails, 90% is refunded, and the refund goes to the applicant even when someone else paid. When the employer applies, section 55 of the Employment Permits Act 2024 bars it from recovering the fee or any related cost from your pay.
Three salary floors since 1 March 2026
DETE raised the Critical Skills thresholds on 1 March 2026, from €38,000 to €40,904 for listed occupations and from €64,000 to €68,911 for the open route, under a roadmap announced on 2 December 2025. The roadmap phases further changes in through 2030; its table shows the 2027 figure as to be determined.
| Route | Annual minimum | Hourly rate (39-hour week) | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listed occupation | €40,904 | €20.17 | A job on the CSOL, with a relevant degree or higher |
| Recent graduate | €36,848 | €18.27 in the checklist (see the note below) | Level 8 degree or higher, relevant to a CSOL job, awarded in the 12 months before the application |
| Any occupation | €68,911 | €33.98 | Any job not on the Ineligible List; without a degree you must show the necessary experience |
| Public sector | The pay agreement rate | Not stated | Critical skills roles covered by a public sector pay agreement, including Section 38 employers |
What counts as pay
The checklist says salary means basic pay only, with no bonuses, shift allowances or overtime. The permit page adds one other component: health insurance paid to an insurer on the Health Insurance Authority's register. A signing bonus or a performance bonus does not lift an offer over the line.
Processing and review
Applications are handled in date order by employer type, Trusted Partner or Standard. As of 13 October 2026, DETE was processing Critical Skills applications received on 6 October 2026. A decision maker can ask for more information, to be returned within 28 days; a refusal can be reviewed by a more senior official if you ask within 28 days.
After the permit is granted
You are expected to stay with the first employer for at least nine months; section 18 of the Employment Permits Regulations 2024 blocks a new permit for another employer before then, except after redundancy or a fundamental change in the job. Holders can bring immediate family, and when the permit runs its course they can apply to the Department of Justice for Stamp 4 permission without a new permit.
Worked check: does this offer clear the floor
The numbers below are a worked example built on DETE's own rules: the annual floor, the 2,028-hour year (39 hours a week times 52), and the checklist's figure for a 40-hour week. The offer is invented.
| Step | Offer A: 39 hours | Offer B: same pay, 40 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly basic salary in the contract | €3,450 | €3,450 |
| Annual basic (times 12) | €41,400 | €41,400 |
| Floor that applies | €40,904 | €41,953.60 (the checklist figure for 40 hours) |
| Hourly check | €41,400 / 2,028 = €20.41, above €20.17 | Annual figure already below the 40-hour floor |
| €4,000 annual bonus | Ignored | Ignored |
| Result | Clears the floor by €496 | Short by €553.60; needs at least €3,496.14 a month |
A discrepancy in the graduate rate
The checklist gives €18.27 an hour for the €36,848 graduate floor. Dividing €36,848 by 2,028 hours, the method DETE's December 2025 press release sets out, gives €18.17. If your hourly rate falls between the two, ask DETE which figure it applies before you sign.
Listed occupations and the CV line that proves each one
A sample of CSOL entries, with the condition DETE prints beside them and the kind of CV line that makes the condition visible. The sample lines are invented.
| SOC code and entry | Condition on the list | Sample CV line |
|---|---|---|
| 2136 Programmers and software development professionals | None beyond the general degree rule | Backend Developer, Jul 2021 to present: built a payments API in Java serving 2 million calls a day |
| 2122 Mechanical engineers | None beyond the general degree rule | Process Engineer, Mar 2021 to present: validated 14 injection moulds under IQ/OQ/PQ protocols |
| 2421 Chartered and certified accountants, taxation experts | Specialising in tax, compliance, regulation, solvency or financial management | ACCA member since 2023; prepared corporate tax returns for 30 group entities |
| 2423 Management consultants and business analysts | Specialising in big data analytics, with IT, data mining, modelling and advanced maths | Built churn models in Python and SQL on 12 million customer records; MSc Statistics |
| 2311 Academics | Level 10 award at least two calendar years before the application, one academic year of teaching, and an eligible institution or ICT programme | PhD Electrical Engineering, awarded Jun 2022; Lecturer, 2023 to 2024 academic year, three undergraduate modules |
| 2231 Registered nurses | A qualification NMBI accepts for registration (permit page) | NMBI qualification recognition decision, Mar 2027; see the nurse guide |
| 3411 Animation background and design artist, 2D or 3D | At least one year of experience in the role | Background Artist, 2D series, Feb 2024 to Apr 2025 (14 months) |
| 3542 Business sales executives | International or IT B2B sales, plus fluency in an official language of a non-EEA state that is not an official language of any EEA state | Account Executive, B2B SaaS, Gulf region: closed €1.2 million in 2025; language named with its level |
If your occupation is not on the list, the €68,911 route is open to most jobs, and a job offer shorter than two years needs a General Employment Permit instead.
What DETE asks for, and where your CV feeds it
The checklist does not ask for a CV by name. It asks for details of your qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience, and for a detailed description of the job. In practice your CV is where those details come from, so the two must agree.
| Checklist item (August 2026) | What your CV should already show |
|---|---|
| Qualifications relevant to the role | Degree title, field, institution, award month; NFQ level from NARIC Ireland if you studied abroad |
| Detailed duties and responsibilities of the role | Lines from your current or last job that show you already do those duties |
| Qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience of the non-EEA national | Months and years for every job, so the experience can be counted |
| Previous visa permissions or employments in the State | Any earlier work in Ireland, with dates and employer |
| Registration or licence number for regulated jobs | The registration line, such as an NMBI PIN, where the job must be registered with a regulator |
| Signed contract and job title | The same job title on the CV, the contract and the application |
| Passport-type photo of the employee | Nothing: the photo goes with the permit file, not on the CV |
For a recent graduate, the graduation month decides the 12-month window, so write it in full. NARIC Ireland compares a Turkish Lisans Diplomasi with an Irish level 8 Honours Bachelor Degree; the Irish CV guide has the full table.
Sources, read on 13 October 2026
| Fact | DETE source | Date shown |
|---|---|---|
| Floors of €40,904, €36,848 and €68,911; two-year offer; fee and refund; 12 weeks; 50% rule; nine months | Critical Skills Employment Permit page | No date on page |
| Hourly rates, 40-hour figure, basic pay only, document list | Critical Skills checklist (PDF) | File dated 14 August 2026 |
| Occupations and their conditions | Critical Skills Occupations List (DOCX) | Modified 21 August 2026 |
| Applications received 6 October 2026 in processing | Current processing dates | As of 13 October 2026 |
| Increase on 1 March 2026 from €38,000 and €64,000; 2,028-hour method | Press release and roadmap review | 2 December 2025 |
Who this permit does not fit
- EEA, UK and Swiss nationals, who do not need an employment permit to work in Ireland.
- Jobs offered for less than two years: DETE points these to the General Employment Permit.
- Occupations on the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits, whatever the salary.
- Employers with fewer than half their staff from the EEA, unless the start-up exemption applies.
- Nurses who have not yet had their qualification accepted by NMBI; registration comes first.
- Anyone hoping a CV alone proves eligibility: DETE decides on the application form, the contract and the documents.
Next steps
- Get the job offer in writing with the basic salary, weekly hours and a term of at least two years.
- Align the job title on your CV with the CSOL wording and the contract.
- Build the CV in the Irish layout: two A4 pages, months on every job, no photo. The Irish CV guide shows it.
- CitedCV can write that CV in English from the facts you confirm, so the dates and titles match the ones you give DETE; it does not fill in the permit application.
- If you are a nurse, follow the NMBI guide before anything else.
Questions people ask
What is the minimum salary for a Critical Skills Employment Permit?
€40,904 a year for a listed occupation with a relevant degree, €36,848 for a relevant level 8 graduate of the last 12 months, and €68,911 for most other jobs, since 1 March 2026.
Which jobs are on the Critical Skills Occupations List?
Mostly professional roles: ICT, engineering, science, health and nursing, accountancy and tax, data analytics, architecture and surveying, plus some animation and sales roles. Several entries carry extra conditions.
Do I need a CV for a Critical Skills permit?
Not by name. The DETE checklist asks for details of your qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience, which your CV supplies and must match.
Does a bonus count towards the Critical Skills salary?
No. The DETE checklist counts basic pay only and excludes bonuses, shift allowances and overtime; employer-paid health insurance with a registered insurer can count.
How long does a Critical Skills permit take?
It depends on the queue. On 13 October 2026 DETE was processing Critical Skills applications received on 6 October 2026, and it asks for applications 12 weeks before the start date.
Can a recent graduate get a Critical Skills permit?
Yes, at €36,848 a year, if the level 8 or higher degree was awarded in the last 12 months, is relevant to the job, and the job is on the CSOL.
Can I change employer on a Critical Skills permit?
Not in the first nine months, unless you are made redundant or the job changes fundamentally. After that a new permit for the new employer is needed.
How much does a Critical Skills Employment Permit cost?
The DETE fee is €1,000, and 90% is refunded if the application is refused. An employer who applies cannot recover the fee from your pay.
Sources
- DETE: Critical Skills Employment Permitenterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/permit-types/critical-skills-employment-permit/
- DETE: Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL)enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Employment-Permit-Eligibility/Highly-Skilled-Eligible-Occupations-List/
- DETE: Critical Skills Occupations List (DOCX, August 2026)enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/publication-files/critical-skills-occupations-list.docx
- DETE: Critical Skills Employment Permit checklist (PDF, August 2026)enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/publication-files/critical-skills-employment-permits-checklist.pdf
- DETE: Current processing dates for employment permitsenterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/current-application-processing-dates/
- DETE: Roadmap for employment permit salary thresholds (2 December 2025)enterprise.gov.ie/en/news-and-events/department-news/2025/december/20251202.html
- DETE: Minimum Annual Remuneration, outcome of the roadmap review 2025 (PDF)enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/publication-files/employment-permits-minimum-annual-remuneration-outcome-of-the-roadmap-review-2025.pdf
- NARIC Ireland Foreign Qualifications Databaseqsearch.qqi.ie/WebPart/Search?searchtype=recognitions