Processing delays expected during rollout of employment permit reforms

IMPACT – HIGH

What is the news? Ireland is on the verge of introducing a new employment permit scheme that will involve a transition period.

What does this mean? Employers, employees and assignees applying for employment permits should anticipate delays in processing.

• Implementation timeframe: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Employment permits.
• Who is affected: All employment permit applicants.
• Impact on processing times: The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI) said to be prepared for disruptions to normal service through the end of the year.
• Business impact: The delayswill have an impact on start dates for those being posted to Ireland.
• Next steps: BAL is closely monitoring the situation and will update clients on changes.

Background: Last month, the Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2014 was signed into law, creating nine new employment permit categories and broadening the list of eligible occupations. The new schemes will begin to be implemented this month.

BAL Analysis: Employers should be mindful of imminent processing delays starting the middle of this month and continuing through the transition from the old system to the new regime, and be prepared to adjust start dates. On a positive note, when the Trusted Partner Scheme is in operation in the coming months, it will streamline processing and reduce wait times.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in the United Kingdom. For additional information, please contact uk@bal.com.

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