IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) has announced that all employment permits issued electronically since March will be printed and issued as hard copies.

What does the change mean? Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, employment permits have been issued electronically since March. DETE will soon begin printing and mailing hard copy versions of these permits. The original, printed version of the employment permit will be addressed to the permit holder and sent to their employer or agent, who will then be asked to ensure that the employee receives the original permit. A certified copy of the permit will be printed and sent separately to the employer or agent.

  • Implementation time frame: Hard copies will be printed starting on Dec. 14.
  • Visas/permits affected: Employment permits issued electronically since March.
  • Who is affected: Individuals who have a valid employment permit issued since March 2020.
  • Impact on processing times: The DETE will begin to re-issue original, hard copy employment permits soon, but expects that it will take a few months to clear the existing backlog. 

Additional Information: The DETE will continue to issue electronic copies of employment permits for the foreseeable future; no change in this regard has occurred. The recent announcement was only to notify employees, employers and agents that DETE will soon begin to re-issue hard copies of employment permits. Employees and employers do not need to take further action at this stage.

Analysis & Comments: Deloitte welcomes the reinstatement of the hard-copy permit issuance, because it will allow employees to hold their original, hard copy permits once again. Employers and employees should be sure to keep their original hard-copy documents safe and accessible at all times. DETE has provided a dedicated mailbox for employees and employers should they have any questions in relation to the printing system: EPPrintingqueries@enterprise.gov.ie. If you have employees or potential new hires who may be impacted by the changes above, please contact the Deloitte immigration team to assist.

We continue to update our FAQ for employers, available here.

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