Student Information and Services: Pre-departure Information - Part-time Work

Part-time Work

***Please note that the International Education Office is aware that the entitlement for non-EU students to take up casual employment is currently under review by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.   To protect the integrity of the system, we anticipate that students may be required to obtain a work permit.  We expect that students requesting work permits for casual employment will be facilitated locally and will not be subject to all the current work permit restrictions.   July 2008  

Access to employment while in Ireland on a student visa

Citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA (that is, the 27 EU member states and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) who are registered as full-time students with the Garda Síochána (police) are permitted to work part-time in Ireland (up to a maximum of 20 hours a week and full-time during vacation periods) to support themselves. Read more information at http://www.citizensinformation.ie/

Since 18 April 2005 new students given permission to remain in Ireland for study cannot be given permission to work unless they are attending a full-time course of at least a year leading to a recognised qualification (recognised qualifications include those issued by the Dublin Institute of Technology, the universities, FETAC and HETAC). This change does not affect students who had permission to remain on the 18 April 2005. These students can continue to work part-time and study in Ireland for the remaining period of their visa. (See 'Renewal of student visas' below.)

The Department of Education and Science has compiled a 'Register of Programmes Recognised by the Minister for Education and Science for purposes of student access to employment'. The Register of Programmes is divided into two parts:

Programmes in a range of disciplines offered to students in third-level and further education colleges that lead to qualifications validated under the National Framework of Qualifications or a similar awarding body in another jurisdiction or qualifications validated by a professional body with a basis in Irish law

English language programmes that are approved by the Department of Education and Science on the basis of the Advisory Council for English Language Schools (ACELS) inspection scheme.

Full-time courses are courses of at least one year's duration. The academic year is considered to be 25 weeks (rather than 52 weeks) so courses of this length will qualify for inclusion on the register.

Further information  regarding employment is available from the:

Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Telephone: +353 1 631 2121,
LoCall: 1890 220 222,
Fax: +353 1 631 2827

E-Mail: info@entemp.ie

Website: http://www.entemp.ie

PPS no.

In order to take up casual employment you require a personal public service number (PPS no.).   In essence it is a taxation number.  PPS nos. are issued by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs located on Havover Street, Cork.

You need to present:

• Passport
• Proof of Address
• Student ID card
• Immigration card 

Applications may take up to two weeks to process.

How do I get a part-time job?

Part-time jobs are advertised on the Students’ Union notice board in the Student Centre, in newspapers, in shop windows and by word of mouth.  You may also approach managers directly and ask if they have any vacancies for part-time workers.  Usually, you will be required to complete an application form or to submit a curriculum vitae/resume. You will probably be interviewed for the post.  If you are successful it is not uncommon to have a probationary period before becoming a permanent part-time employee.

Minimum Wage

Ireland ’s National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 provides that the minimum wage rate for an experienced adult employee is €8.65 per hour from 1 July 2007. An experienced adult employee for the purposes of the Minimum Wage Act is an employee who has any employment whatsoever in any two years over the age of 18. The national minimum wage is reviewed at regular intervals. The national minimum wage does not prevent an employer from offering a higher wage. Further information is available from http://www.citizensinformation.ie/

Access to Employment for Non-EEA graduates from Irish Third Level Colleges – Third Level Graduate Scheme

On 24 January 2007, the Irish government announced details of new economic migration arrangements.  Non-EEA graduates from Irish Third Level Colleges, with a primary, masters or third level degree will now be eligible to apply to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service to be permitted to remain in Ireland for 6 months after receipt of their examination results.  This will allow time to seek employment.  If you are successful in finding a job, an application can be made for a Green Card or Work Permit in the normal way.

Further information

New application forms, guides etc – http://www.entemp.ie/

Email queries to workpermits@entemp.ie

Employment Permits Section, Dept of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Davitt House, 65A Adelaide Road, Dublin 2.

Call Centre – Locall 1890 201 616