Skip to content
VisaRoles

Ireland's Critical Skills Employment Permit for tech roles

Ireland is the main English-speaking route into Europe for tech workers. Most software, data and engineering roles qualify for the Critical Skills Employment Permit, which has no lottery, lets your partner work, and leads to long-term residence.

Checked October 2026

What the role has to pay

The Department of Enterprise sets minimum annual pay for the Critical Skills permit:

  • €40,904 for occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List that need a degree (most tech roles)
  • €36,848 if you received that degree in the 12 months before applying
  • €68,911 for any other occupation

Why it is the permit to aim for

After the permit, you can move straight to Stamp 4 permission without renewing it, and after five years you can apply for long-term residence.

Your spouse or partner can join you immediately and can work in any job. Their employment permit is free.

Who actually sponsors

Ireland publishes how many permits each company was issued. 31,044 were issued across all sectors in 2025. Among tech employers, Amazon (425), Google (385), Microsoft (97), Mastercard (89), Analog Devices (77) and Intel (76) received the most.

Those counts are attached to every matching employer on VisaRoles, so an Irish role shows whether its employer has actually hired people on permits, not just whether it could.

Practical tips

  • Dublin has most roles, but Cork and Limerick host large engineering sites (Apple, Analog Devices, Dell).
  • Employers who file permits regularly know the process well. Asking whether they have done it before is a fair question.
  • The UK and the Netherlands are worth running in parallel: neither has a lottery either.

Stop guessing which employers can hire you.

Every open role on VisaRoles carries its sponsorship verdict and the line it came from. Free, updated daily.

Ireland tech jobs with visa sponsorship

Common questions

What salary do I need for an Irish Critical Skills Employment Permit?
At least €40,904 a year for degree-level roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List, €36,848 for recent graduates, or €68,911 for any other occupation.
Can my partner work in Ireland on a Critical Skills permit?
Yes. Spouses and partners can join immediately and can take any job; their employment permit is issued free of charge.
Which tech companies sponsor the most work permits in Ireland?
In 2025, Amazon (425 permits), Google (385), Microsoft (97), Mastercard (89), Analog Devices (77) and Intel (76) were among the largest tech recipients.

Official sources

General information, not legal advice. Immigration rules change and individual cases differ — confirm your own with a licensed immigration attorney.