Employment Permits

Before you can enter employment in UCC you must ensure you have a valid employment permit and must be able to supply proof of the right to work in Ireland .

EU, EEA, UK and Swiss nationals have the right to work in Ireland,  and UCC is obliged by European law to appoint people who are citizens of those countries where possible.

Employment permits are processed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). You apply for the employment permit after you have been offered a job. The University would apply on your behalf. 

Critical Skills Permit 

You can apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit if you are offered a job that has either:

• An annual salary of at least €32,000 a year in an occupation that is on the Critical Skills Occupation List
• An annual salary of €64,000 a year in an occupation that is not on the list of ineligible occupations

The job offer must be for 2 years or more.

General Employment Permit

The General Employment Permit allows you to work in occupations where there is a labour shortage in Ireland. You can get the permit to work in any job that is not on the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits

The job must have a minimum annual salary of €30,000.

You can also apply if your annual salary is €27,000 and you are:

• A non-EEA student who has graduated in the last 12 months from an Irish third-level institution, and you have been offered a graduate position from the Critical skills Occupations List

Hosting Agreements (For Employees on a Research Contract)

Before you can enter employment in UCC as a Researcher you must ensure you have a valid work authorisation in the form of a Hosting Agreement for the right to work in Ireland .  This is a Fast-Track Work Permit for Research Employees.  EU, EEA, UK and Swiss Nationals have the right to work in Ireland without a Hosting Agreement.

For Full Application Procedure and Queries, please email: hrresearchqueries@ucc.ie

Dependent / Partner / Spouse Employment Permit 

A dependant of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder or researcher on a Hosting Agreement is permitted to work in Ireland while they are resident here and accompanying the Critical Skills Permit Holder. In order to take up employment in Ireland they must have a job offer and then apply for a Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit

Third Level Graduate Programme

This programme allows legally resident Irish educated non-EEA graduates who hold a level 8 or level 9 award from a recognised Irish awarding body to remain in Ireland after their studies for a period of twelve months under a Stamp 1G. Holders of a Stamp 1G can seek employment for up to 40 hours per week and apply for further permission to remain in the state under employment permit arrangements. The types of work which can be undertaken with Stamp 1G are not limited to specific employment categories or salary levels, unlike employment permits.

Entry Visas

If you are travelling to Ireland and you are not a citizen of the UK or a country in the European Economic Area (the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein), you may need to apply for a visa.

An Irish visa is a certificate placed on your passport or travel document that allows you to travel to Ireland

Check if you need a visa on the following link : http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/check-irish-visa

The standard non-refundable visa application processing fee is €60 for a single-journey visa. This will be valid for one entry into the State within 90 days of issue. If you then wish to leave the State (this includes travel to Northern Ireland) you will then need a re-entry or multiple-entry visa to re-enter the State.

Register with Immigration

If you come to stay in Ireland for more than three months and you are not an EU/EEA/Swiss/UK citizen then you must register your presence in Ireland with An Garda Síochána (the Irish police force). To register in Cork you must make an online appointment through the attached link below.

Types of appointment

You can make an appointment for: First time registration, Renewal of existing registration, Replace a lost or stolen registration certificate, i.e. Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card

When to book

Book your appointment up to 10 weeks in advance.  A small number of emergency appointments are released every day at 2:30pm.  If you need an appointment within the next 2-3 weeks, check the website at 2:30pm every day until you find one. You are likely to find an appointment within a few days.

Cancellations

Always cancel your appointment if you cannot attend.  If you do not cancel, you less likely to find an emergency appointment when you need one.

Book your appointment

Book a registration appointment online: https://burghquayregistrationoffice.inis.gov.ie/

What you need

You need your: Passport, Contract of Employment and Hosting Agreement (and Registration certificate (i.e. Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card) if renewing your registration).

How to book

Appointments are offered in a series of 1-hour slots each day.

• Select the date and a time that suits you
• Enter your information and confirm the appointment

You will receive a confirmation by email.  The confirmation email contains a link to a list of documents you will need for your appointment.

Prepare for your appointment

Make sure you bring all the documents you need to register for the first time or to renew.  Arrive 10 minutes early on the day of your appointment.  If you are late, you may not be seen.  Do not arrive more than 10 minutes early, as the office will be busy with other people.  You should also bring a copy of your email confirmation.

Following registration you will be issued with an "Immigration Certificate of Registration" (sometimes called a GNIB card), this card includes your name, address, photograph and your residence details. These cards are evidence that a person is legally resident in Ireland. As well as your Registration Certificate you will also receive a stamp in your passport which specifies the duration and the conditions of your permission to remain in Ireland. A Stamp 1 is issued to holders of employment permits/hosting agreements.

Please note there is a charge of €300 to register, and payment can only be made by credit/debit card or bank giro.

Long Term Residency / Citizenship

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to obtain long-term residence rights.

If you have been here on the basis of work permit conditions for over 5 years, you may apply for extended residence permission for a further 5 years. Your spouse and dependants may also apply for long-term residence if they have been legally resident in Ireland for at least 5 years. If your application is successful you will be granted exemption from the requirement to have a work permit in order to work in Ireland and you will get a stamp number 4 on your passport.

If you have been here on the basis of a hosting agreement or green card for over 2 years, you may also apply for long term residency.

It is also possible to apply for Irish citizenship through naturalisation after you have built up 5 years of reckonable residence for citizenship purposes.

Right to Vote

If you are resident in Ireland you may have the right to vote in some of elections.

The right to vote is as follows:

• Irish citizens may vote at every election and referendum;
• British citizens may vote at Dáil elections, European elections and local elections
• Other European Union (EU) citizens may vote at European and local elections
• Non-EU citizens may vote at local elections only

Click HERE for information on how to register as a voter.