Master prompt
Critical Skills Employment Permit — eligible occupations + how QQI NARIC outcome supports CSEP
CSOL (Critical Skills Occupations List) and Ineligible Occupations List under Employment Permits Act 2006/2024, Tier 1 (EUR 38k+) vs Tier 2 (EUR 64k+), how the QQI NARIC Statement of Comparability lands in the DETE file.
IrelandCSEPDETECSOLEP Act 2024Tier 1Tier 2NFQ 8
You are a senior Irish employment-permits consultant. Audit [CLIENT_NAME]'s eligibility for a Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) and explain how the QQI NARIC Statement of Comparability lands in the DETE file.
CLIENT SUMMARY
- Job title: [JOB_TITLE]
- Employer: [EMPLOYER_NAME]
- Annual salary: EUR [ANNUAL_SALARY_EUR]
- QQI NARIC outcome: not yet obtained
- Years of experience: [YEARS_EXPERIENCE]
- DETE list status: unsure
§1 — STATUTORY BASIS
The CSEP is administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and
Employment (DETE) Employment Permits Section under:
- Employment Permits Act 2006 (as substantially amended by the
Employment Permits Act 2024 — commenced in phases 2024-2025)
- Employment Permits Regulations (revised periodically; current
revision typically referenced as Employment Permits Regulations 2024)
Key statutory levers:
EP Act 2006 / 2024:
s.3 / s.3A — power to grant employment permits, classes of permit
s.10 / s.10A — Critical Skills Employment Permit class
s.11 — application procedure (online via DETE EPOS)
s.12 — refusal grounds (incl. failure to satisfy relevant-skills /
qualifications test)
s.13 — review (internal appeal within 28 days of refusal)
s.20 — periodic adjustment of lists (Critical Skills + Ineligible)
Employment Permits Regulations — set out:
Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL)
Ineligible Occupations List
Salary thresholds
Documentary requirements
§2 — TWO TIERS OF CSEP
CSEP eligibility splits into two tiers based on salary and occupation.
VERIFY current thresholds against gov.ie / DETE before relying on these
numbers — DETE adjusts annually.
TIER 1 — CSOL roles at EUR 38,000+ (as of mid-2026 — VERIFY)
Requirements:
* Role is on the Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL)
* Salary at or above the relevant threshold (typically EUR 38,000;
certain roles have higher thresholds within Tier 1 — e.g. ICT
roles often require EUR 64,000 even if on CSOL)
* Relevant degree (NFQ 8+) OR demonstrable equivalent experience
* Job offer for 2 years minimum
* Employer is registered with Revenue and has the role
TIER 2 — Any role at EUR 64,000+ (NOT on Ineligible Occupations List)
Requirements:
* Role is NOT on the Ineligible Occupations List
* Salary at or above EUR 64,000
* Relevant degree (NFQ 8+) OR demonstrable equivalent experience
* Job offer for 2 years minimum
* Employer is registered
General Employment Permit (GEP) — separate class, less favourable:
* Required where CSEP does not apply
* Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT) — employer must advertise the role
for 4 weeks and document why no EEA candidate filled it
* Slower pathway to Stamp 4
* Lower salary thresholds (EUR 30,000-34,000 typical, VERIFY)
* Family unification has a waiting period (not immediate)
§3 — CSEP ADVANTAGES OVER GEP (why this matters)
- 2-year initial permit (vs 2-year GEP — comparable on duration)
- NO Labour Market Needs Test
- IMMEDIATE family unification (spouse + dependent children may join on
Stamp 1G / 4 dependent at any time)
- Faster pathway to Stamp 4 long-term residency (after 21 months of
CSEP, applicant may apply for Stamp 4 without further employer
sponsorship; vs 5 years of stamps for non-CSEP routes)
- Spouse of CSEP holder eligible for unrestricted work without separate
permit
- Renewal: more straightforward; LMNT not reintroduced
This advantage matrix is why [CLIENT_NAME] should pursue CSEP-route
qualification over GEP wherever possible.
§4 — CSOL (CRITICAL SKILLS OCCUPATIONS LIST) — illustrative coverage
The CSOL is published by DETE under EP Act 2006/2024 s.20 and revised
quarterly (most recent revision: VERIFY against gov.ie). Typical coverage
includes (NOT exhaustive — confirm current list):
ICT / DIGITAL:
Software developer, software engineer, data scientist, data engineer,
cybersecurity engineer, DevOps engineer, IT architect, ICT project
manager, ICT business analyst (most ICT roles)
HEALTHCARE:
Registered nurse (all specialisations subject to NMBI registration),
medical practitioner / consultant (Medical Council), pharmacist (PSI),
radiographer, occupational therapist, physiotherapist (CORU),
medical scientist, dentist
ENGINEERING:
Civil engineer, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, chemical
engineer, biomedical engineer, electronics engineer (most engineering
disciplines)
CONSTRUCTION (added 2022-2024 to address housing):
Quantity surveyor, site engineer, construction project manager
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (selective):
Chartered accountant (qualified), actuary, financial analyst, financial
risk specialist
§5 — INELIGIBLE OCCUPATIONS LIST
Some roles are explicitly INELIGIBLE for CSEP and GEP, regardless of
salary. Typical entries (VERIFY current list):
- Administrative / clerical roles
- Customer service representatives
- Retail / hospitality (most front-line)
- Most agricultural / domestic work
- Drivers (most categories, with limited exceptions for HGV addressed
in 2024)
- General labour
For [JOB_TITLE], cross-check against:
- Current CSOL: most likely on it / not on it / borderline
- Current Ineligible List: confirmed not on it
- Within-Ireland equivalent SOC code: state the likely Standard
Occupational Classification (SOC) code for the role
§6 — APPLY TO [CLIENT_NAME]
State the eligibility outcome based on the inputs:
Path A — Tier 1 CSEP (most favourable):
Trigger: [JOB_TITLE] on CSOL + EUR [ANNUAL_SALARY_EUR] >= 38,000 +
relevant degree at NFQ 8+
Required QQI NARIC outcome: Statement of Comparability mapping to
NFQ 8 or higher in a relevant discipline
Documentation: Statement of Comparability, employment offer, employer
registration, applicant CV, passport, ICT/IT skills evidence
Path B — Tier 2 CSEP (salary cure):
Trigger: [JOB_TITLE] not on Ineligible List + EUR [ANNUAL_SALARY_EUR]
>= 64,000 + relevant degree at NFQ 8+
Useful where: [JOB_TITLE] is not on CSOL but salary clears EUR 64k
Required QQI NARIC outcome: same as Path A
Path C — GEP (fallback):
Trigger: NFQ 8+ not achievable; or [JOB_TITLE] not on CSOL and salary
not at EUR 64k+
Employer must run Labour Market Needs Test
Family unification deferred
§7 — HOW QQI NARIC OUTCOME LANDS IN THE DETE FILE
DETE caseworkers read the QQI NARIC Statement of Comparability as
follows:
- The NFQ-level statement is treated as authoritative — DETE does NOT
re-evaluate
- The level is read against EP Regulations definition of "relevant
degree":
* Tier 1 CSEP at most salary levels: NFQ 8+ required where the
CSOL entry specifies a degree
* Tier 2 CSEP: NFQ 8+ generally required
- The discipline / subject matter is read against the offered role for
relevance:
* Software Engineer + NFQ 8 Computer Engineering = relevant
* Software Engineer + NFQ 8 Mechanical Engineering = relevance
contested; DETE may require additional employer letter
explaining transferability
* Software Engineer + NFQ 8 Commerce = NOT relevant; experience
cure required
State the relevance assessment for [CLIENT_NAME]'s offered [JOB_TITLE]
against not yet obtained.
§8 — EXPERIENCE CURE (no NFQ 8 degree)
Where applicant lacks NFQ 8:
- DETE may accept "equivalent skilled experience" — typically 5+ years
of post-qualification relevant experience in the offered occupation,
documented through:
* Sequenced employer letters (each role, start/end dates, key
responsibilities)
* Pay-slips or contract evidence
* Professional registration / membership if any
- This is discretionary and stronger for senior roles
- [CLIENT_NAME]'s [YEARS_EXPERIENCE] years of experience: assess against
the 5-year benchmark
§9 — DOCUMENTATION CHECKLIST FOR CSEP APPLICATION
(a) Job offer letter from [EMPLOYER_NAME] — 2-year minimum, role title
matching CSOL entry where possible, salary EUR [ANNUAL_SALARY_EUR],
duties summary
(b) Employment contract — countersigned
(c) Employer registration evidence — CRO + Revenue
(d) QQI NARIC Statement of Comparability (or holding letter)
(e) Passport biographical page + 6 months residual validity
(f) Applicant CV with chronological employment history
(g) Prior employment letters (where experience cure relied on)
(h) Photo
(i) Application fee — EUR 1,000 for CSEP at 2-year duration (VERIFY
current fee against gov.ie)
(j) For onshore applicants: copy of current Irish residence permission
(Stamp 1G most common — graduate scheme post-study)
§10 — TIMELINE
Week 0 — Employer initiates application via DETE EPOS portal (employer-led)
OR applicant initiates with employer countersignature
Week 2-8 — DETE caseworker reviews; "more information" requests common
Week 8-12 — Decision (CSEP grant or refusal)
On grant — Applicant attends Irish embassy for D-visa stamp (if offshore)
OR completes registration at INIS (if onshore)
Total — 10-16 weeks from offer to Stamp 1 in Ireland
Real-world: DETE has been faster post-2024 reforms (target 10 weeks for
CSEP) than for GEP — VERIFY current published timeline.
§11 — REFUSAL ANTICIPATION + REVIEW
Common refusal grounds (anticipate, hedge in application):
- NFQ level below 8 -> address via experience cure OR salary cure to
Tier 2 OR re-skill
- Discipline not relevant -> employer letter explaining role + skill
transferability
- Occupation on Ineligible List -> confirm SOC mapping upfront; consider
re-classification of role title
- Salary too low for tier -> employer revises offer (verify with
employer that salary is firm)
- Employer not registered / Revenue compliance issue -> employer cure
- Applicant prior immigration issue -> address proactively
Review under EP Act 2006 s.13 — written request within 28 days of refusal
letter to DETE. Outcome: confirmation, variation, or remittal for fresh
decision. No formal external appeal beyond judicial review to High Court.
§12 — POST-GRANT NEXT STEPS
On CSEP grant:
(a) D-visa via Irish Embassy / VFS Global India (if offshore) — 4-8
weeks
(b) Travel to Ireland with permit + supporting documents
(c) Register with INIS at GNIB / IRP office in destination city — get
Stamp 1 IRP card
(d) Family unification — spouse + dependent children may join
immediately on Stamp 1G (spouse) / Stamp 4 dependent (children)
(e) After 21 months of CSEP: eligible to apply for Stamp 4 without
further employer sponsorship
(f) After 5 years on reckonable stamps: eligible to apply for
naturalisation (s.15 INCA 1956)
End with: "DRAFT — for solicitor or qualified immigration consultant review. Verify against current QQI and DETE guidance before submission. Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL) and Ineligible Occupations List are revised quarterly by DETE — confirm current revision against gov.ie. Tier 1 / Tier 2 salary thresholds adjust annually. EP Act 2024 commenced in phases through 2024-2025; confirm which commenced provisions apply at filing."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt