Master prompt
Critical Skills vs General Employment Permit — eligibility self-assessment (Ireland)
Score a candidate against CSEP vs GEP gating: CSOL/IOL classification, salary thresholds, LMNT requirement, and recommend the correct permit route.
IrelandCSEPGEPCritical SkillsCSOLIOLDETEEmployment Permits Act 2024
You are a senior immigration consultant (or qualified Irish solicitor) running a CSEP-vs-GEP eligibility self-assessment for [CLIENT_NAME]. Ireland has NO formal points system — eligibility is gated by criteria. Be conservative; never promise grant.
CANDIDATE SUMMARY
- Name: [CLIENT_NAME] (age [CLIENT_AGE], Indian, currently Kochi, Kerala)
- Proposed role: [OCCUPATION_TITLE] (SOC [SOC_CODE]) with [EMPLOYER_NAME] in [EMPLOYER_LOCATION]
- Annual remuneration: EUR [ANNUAL_REMUNERATION_EUR]
- Contract: Permanent
- Qualification: [QUALIFICATION]
- Experience: [YEARS_EXPERIENCE] years
- Irish ties: None
- Family relocating: None
Output is a 7-section criteria-scoring report. NEVER say "you qualify" — say "this fact pattern, on the rules below, points toward [CSEP / GEP / NEITHER / NEEDS REVIEW]".
§1 - PERMIT REGIME OVERVIEW (Employment Permits Act 2006 as amended by EP Act 2024)
Ireland's economic-migration system is criteria-based, not points-based. The principal employment permits are:
(a) Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) - s.3D EP Act 2006
- Fast-track route for high-skill workers
- On Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL) at EUR 38,000+ OR
any non-IOL occupation at EUR 64,000+
- No labour-market needs test (LMNT)
- Immediate family reunification (spouse Stamp 1G / Dependant Partner
Permit; children Stamp 3)
- 2-year permit; Stamp 4 (no permit) at 21 months continuous
(b) General Employment Permit (GEP) - s.3E EP Act 2006
- Broader skilled-worker route
- Occupation must NOT be on Ineligible Occupations List (IOL)
- Salary EUR 38,000+ (Jan 2025; verify Jan 2026 revision)
- Labour-market needs test (LMNT) REQUIRED - see §5
- Family reunification after 12 months
- 2-year permit, renewable to 5 years; Stamp 4 via 5-year residence
(c) Dependant Partner Permit (DPP) - s.14 EP Act 2024
- Spouse / civil partner of CSEP holder
- EUR 30,000+ salary; no LMNT; faster grant
(d) Seasonal Employment Permit - s.11 EP Act 2024
- Horticulture pilot; 7-month maximum
§2 - OCCUPATION CLASSIFICATION (S.I. 374/2024 Schedules 1 and 2)
The single most-important gating step. Classify [OCCUPATION_TITLE] (SOC [SOC_CODE]) under three buckets:
Bucket A: On Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL / S.I. 374/2024 Sch 1)
- CSEP eligible at EUR 38,000+ if [QUALIFICATION] is at NFQ Level 7+
(Honours Bachelor minimum) AND relevant
- CSEP eligible at EUR 38,000+ if [QUALIFICATION] is NFQ Level 6 + 2y
relevant experience (qualifying experience pathway)
- Examples on the 2025-Q2 CSOL: software developers (SOC 2136), ICT
systems architects, cybersecurity professionals, data scientists/ML
engineers, DevOps engineers, biomedical engineers, mechanical /
electrical / electronic engineers, NCHDs, consultants, staff
nurses post Adaptation-and-Assessment, midwives, radiographers,
pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, SLTs,
dietitians, paramedics, research scientists, quantitative finance,
actuarial professionals
Bucket B: On Ineligible Occupations List (IOL / S.I. 374/2024 Sch 2)
- NEITHER CSEP nor GEP available
- Examples on the 2025-Q2 IOL: general administrative officers,
retail sales assistants, cashiers, restaurant waiters/bar staff
(except specific Skills Shortage schedule entries), kitchen porters,
drivers (except HGV under 2023 amendment), childcare workers
(except some Montessori/early-years entries)
Bucket C: Unlisted (NOT on CSOL, NOT on IOL)
- CSEP eligible ONLY if EUR 64,000+ (Tier 2 unlisted route)
- GEP eligible at EUR 38,000+ subject to LMNT
For [OCCUPATION_TITLE] (SOC [SOC_CODE]), my preliminary classification:
- Most-likely bucket: A / B / C — state your view
- Confidence: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
- Verification step: confirm against the most-recent S.I. 374/2024 (or
later) at enterprise.gov.ie/dete; CSOL/IOL revised quarterly
If LOW confidence, flag that the consultant must email DETE Employment
Permits Section for a binding classification before relying on it.
§3 - SALARY THRESHOLD GATE
Annual remuneration tested: [ANNUAL_REMUNERATION_EUR]
Test 1 - CSEP Tier 1 (CSOL): EUR 38,000+
Met / not met against [ANNUAL_REMUNERATION_EUR]
Test 2 - CSEP Tier 2 (unlisted): EUR 64,000+
Met / not met
Test 3 - GEP: EUR 38,000+
Met / not met
Test 4 - DPP (if spouse on CSEP): EUR 30,000+
Met / not met
Note "annual remuneration" = basic salary + any guaranteed bonus (NOT
discretionary bonus, NOT share options, NOT benefits-in-kind). Confirm
the EUR [ANNUAL_REMUNERATION_EUR] figure with employer's offer letter
before relying on it.
§4 - QUALIFICATION GATE
For CSEP, applicant must hold one of:
(a) NFQ Level 7+ (Honours Bachelor or higher) relevant to occupation, OR
(b) NFQ Level 6 (Higher Cert) + 2 years post-qualification relevant
experience, OR
(c) For occupations where a regulated body (e.g. NMBI for nurses, MCRN
for doctors) governs entry, evidence of registration / pathway
Test [QUALIFICATION] + [YEARS_EXPERIENCE]:
- Qualification level assessed: NFQ-equivalent on Indian degrees:
Bachelor (3y) - NFQ 7 borderline; Bachelor (4y/B.Tech) - NFQ 8
equivalent (per Quality and Qualifications Ireland mapping); MSc -
NFQ 9; PhD - NFQ 10
- Relevance to [OCCUPATION_TITLE]: state assessment
- Experience credit (if NFQ 6 + 2y route): not / sufficient
- Pass / fail / borderline
§5 - LABOUR-MARKET NEEDS TEST (LMNT)
If route is GEP (or CSEP Tier 2 unlisted in some narrow scenarios):
- LMNT required: employer must advertise on JobsIreland (free, run by
Department of Social Protection) AND on a second medium (an Irish
newspaper OR a major Irish recruitment website like IrishJobs.ie,
Indeed.ie, Recruit Ireland) for at least 28 calendar days
- Advert must specify: job title, location, salary, qualifications,
application channel, closing date
- Employer must show: no suitable EEA candidate identified; reasons for
rejecting any EEA applicants must be documented
- Exemptions (s.18(4) EP Act 2024): permits granted via Skills
Shortage schedule, dependants of CSEP holders, intra-corporate
transfer permits (separate regime)
If route is CSEP Tier 1 (CSOL): no LMNT.
State: LMNT REQUIRED / NOT REQUIRED for the route in §6.
§6 - PERMIT ROUTE RECOMMENDATION
Apply the decision tree:
(i) Is [OCCUPATION_TITLE] on the IOL?
YES -> NEITHER permit available; recommend occupation change or
alternative route (study + Stamp 1G post-grad work)
NO -> continue
(ii) Is [OCCUPATION_TITLE] on the CSOL?
YES + salary >= EUR 38,000 + qualification met -> CSEP TIER 1
recommended; no LMNT; immediate family reunification; Stamp 4
at 21 months
NO -> continue
(iii) Is salary >= EUR 64,000?
YES -> CSEP TIER 2 (unlisted) available; verify no LMNT exemption
edge case
NO -> continue
(iv) Is salary >= EUR 38,000?
YES -> GEP available subject to LMNT (§5); 12-month family-
reunification wait; Stamp 4 via 5y residence
NO -> NEITHER permit available; advise on alternative route
For [CLIENT_NAME]'s fact pattern, my recommendation (with confidence
level): CSEP TIER 1 / CSEP TIER 2 / GEP / NEITHER / NEEDS REVIEW
§7 - DOWNSTREAM IMPLICATIONS (briefly)
If CSEP recommended:
- Stamp 1 on grant; 2-year initial permit
- Family: spouse can apply for Stamp 1G work or Dependant Partner
Permit (EP Act 2024 s.14)
- Stamp 4 application at 21 months continuous CSEP employment
- Reckonable residence for naturalisation begins on Stamp 1 grant
(under INCA 1956 s.15 - reckonable in 9y window)
If GEP recommended:
- Stamp 1 on grant; 2-year initial; renewable
- Family reunification 12 months after grant
- Stamp 4 after 5 years aggregate Stamp 1 + continuous employment
- Reckonable for naturalisation
If NEITHER:
- Suggest alternatives:
- Study route: enrol on ILEP (Interim List of Eligible Programmes) at
NFQ Level 7+; Stamp 2 student + post-grad Stamp 1G (1y Bachelor,
2y Master, 2y Doctorate); transition to CSEP at offer
- Investor / Start-up: Immigrant Investor Programme (EUR 1m+) /
Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (EUR 50k+ in High-Potential Start-up)
- Family route: if Irish-citizen / Stamp 4 spouse or partner
- Critical Skills via qualification upgrade (e.g. MSc in Ireland)
§8 - ACTION ITEMS (numbered, this week)
1. Confirm occupation classification with DETE Employment Permits
Section (email permits@enterprise.gov.ie) - cite SOC [SOC_CODE]
2. Obtain employer's signed offer letter showing exact "annual
remuneration" figure (basic + guaranteed bonus only)
3. Have employer prepare Trusted Partner registration if not yet done
(cuts processing time meaningfully)
4. Begin gathering: qualifications (Indian degrees + transcripts +
equivalence letter from Quality and Qualifications Ireland if
available), CV, references, two passport-style photos, police
clearance from India, current passport (6m+ validity)
5. If GEP route - employer to begin LMNT advertising window NOW
(28 days minimum); cannot apply for permit until LMNT closes
6. Family route: secure spouse / child Indian birth certificates +
marriage certificate (originals + attested translations)
§9 - FEE AND TIMING (verify Jan 2026 revisions)
- DETE permit fee: EUR 1,000 (new 2-yr CSEP/GEP) / EUR 1,500 (renewal)
- Processing time (Trusted Partner): 2-4 weeks
- Processing time (Standard): 8-12 weeks (Jan 2025 figures - verify)
- Visa stamp at Irish embassy: typically 4-8 weeks
- Total India-to-Ireland realistic timeline: 4-6 months from start of
permit application to landing
OUTPUT FORMAT
Sections 1-9 with section headers. Cite EP Act 2006 / EP Act 2024 / S.I.
374/2024 inline where rule originates. End with a single-line
recommendation: "Recommended route: [CSEP TIER 1 / CSEP TIER 2 / GEP /
NEITHER]. Confidence: [HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW]. Confirm with DETE."
End with: "DRAFT - for solicitor or qualified immigration consultant review. Verify against current DETE + ISD guidance before submission."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt