Occupations under review, employers invited to submit comments

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Ireland’s Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is reviewing the lists of occupations that are eligible to be filled by foreign workers and is accepting comments and recommendations from employers and other stakeholders on the occupations that should be included or removed from the Highly Skilled Eligible Occupations List (HSEOL) and the Ineligible Categories of Employment List (ICEL).

What does the change mean? Employers have until Thursday, April 27, to submit recommendations on the roles and occupations that should be available to foreign employees and assignees.

• Implementation time frame: Between now and April 27.
• Visas/permits affected: General employment permits.
• Who is affected: Irish companies hiring and recruiting foreign employees.
• Next steps: Information on how to submit recommendations is available on this Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation site.

Background: Ireland’s employment permit scheme is governed largely by the occupations listed on the HSEOL and the ICEL. Employment permits can be obtained for occupations that are not on either list, but Critical Skills Employment Permits are only available to foreign nationals seeking work in occupations on the HSEOL. The current HSEOL and ICEL lists are available on the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation website.

BAL Analysis: The HSEOL and the ICEL dictate the occupations that foreign workers may fill, and by submitting recommendations employers have an opportunity to be heard on their experience with labor shortages and skills needs in certain occupational classifications. The lists are reviewed on a biannual basis and those who are unable to submit recommendations this round will likely have another opportunity to do so later in 2017.

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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