A new report published on 3 November 2026 by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), through the European Migration Network Ireland, reveals how Ireland is increasingly relying on workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to address labour shortages.
The research shows that 30,000–40,000 employment permits have been issued or renewed annually over the past four years, with healthcare, technology, hospitality and construction among the sectors most dependent on international recruitment.
Indian nationals account for the largest share of employment permits, at 32%, followed by Brazilian and Filipino nationals at 11% each. However, difficulties retaining workers, problems accessing affordable housing and concerns about employment conditions threaten the long-term success of Ireland’s recruitment system.
The findings are particularly relevant to international applicants considering employment opportunities in Ireland, as well as existing Critical Skills and General Employment Permit holders.
Importantly, the report is research on Ireland’s existing employment permit system, not an announcement of a new visa programme or an automatic expansion of eligibility.
Employment Permits Surge
According to the ESRI’s 134-page research report, Non-EEA Migration to Ireland in Times of Labour and Skills Shortages, employment permit activity increased sharply after 2021.
Ireland issued or renewed 16,275 employment permits in 2021. That figure reached 39,955 in 2022, representing an increase of approximately 145.5% in just one year.
The report records 31,044 permits issued or renewed in 2025. Although annual volumes have fluctuated, the findings show that employers continue to depend heavily on recruitment from countries outside the European Economic Area.
The increase has been supported by several changes to Ireland’s employment permit system, including expanding eligible occupations in 2021 and 2023 and introducing new legislation in 2024.
The report’s authors, Ada Sophia Hahn and Dervla Potter, analysed developments between 2021 and 2025, including government statistics, legislative changes and interviews with relevant organisations.
Healthcare Leads Recruitment
Healthcare and social care remain the largest employment sectors for non-EEA workers.
The report identifies the following distribution of employment permits issued or renewed in 2025:
| Employment sector | Share |
| Health and social care | 26% |
| Information and communication | 12% |
| Accommodation and food services | 11% |
| Other service activities | 7% |
| Construction | 6% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 6% |
| Financial and insurance activities | 5% |
| Transport and storage | 4% |
| Other sectors | 23% |
Healthcare and social care accounted for approximately 7,948 permits in 2025, highlighting the importance of foreign recruitment for hospitals, nursing homes and community care services.
Healthcare assistants are particularly significant. This occupation became eligible for non-EEA recruitment in 2021 and accounted for 3,021 employment permits in 2025.
Construction has also experienced substantial growth. Employment permits in the sector increased from 607 in 2021 to 2,031 in 2025, reflecting continuing demand for workers involved in Ireland’s housing and infrastructure projects.
Accommodation and food services recorded another major expansion, increasing from 786 to 3,499 permits over the same period.
Meanwhile, transport and storage permits increased from 265 to 1,363. These figures illustrate how foreign recruitment has expanded beyond traditionally dominant sectors such as healthcare and technology.
Leading Worker Nationalities
India remained Ireland’s largest source of non-EEA employment permit holders in 2025.
SHARE OF 2025 EMPLOYMENT PERMITS BY NATIONALITY
Indian nationals received 9,947 employment permits, representing 32% of the total.
Filipino nationals accounted for 3,398 permits, closely followed by Brazilian nationals with 3,381.
China represented 6.2% of permits, while Pakistan accounted for 4.7%. Overall, nationals from South Asia received approximately 40.8% of all permits issued during 2025.
The report identified 137 nationalities represented in Ireland’s employment permit system, demonstrating the geographical diversity of the country’s international workforce.
However, these statistics represent employment permits rather than a guarantee of future immigration opportunities. Applicants must still satisfy the requirements applicable to their occupations, employers and permit categories.
General Permits Overtake
One of the most notable findings concerns the changing balance between General Employment Permits and Critical Skills Employment Permits.
For the first time since 2016, Ireland issued more General Employment Permits than Critical Skills Employment Permits in 2024.
The figures show:
- 19,478 General Employment Permits, accounting for 49.4% of all permits.
- 17,168 Critical Skills Employment Permits, representing 43.6%.
This development reflects the growing demand for workers across occupations that are not necessarily classified as highly skilled.
General Employment Permits cover a broader range of occupations, subject to restrictions and eligibility conditions. Critical Skills Employment Permits primarily target occupations considered strategically important to Ireland’s economy, including certain healthcare, engineering and technology professions.
The ESRI also explains that these figures include renewals. Since General Employment Permits are renewable while Critical Skills workers can generally transition to Stamp 4 after completing the relevant period, the comparison does not necessarily indicate that Ireland has stopped prioritising highly skilled recruitment.
Nevertheless, it confirms that employers increasingly need international workers across different skill levels.
Thousands Of Employers
International recruitment is no longer limited to a small number of multinational companies.
The ESRI identified 8,328 companies that recruited non-EEA workers through employment permits in 2025.
Of these, 4,740 employers sponsored just one employment permit each. This suggests that smaller businesses are also participating in international recruitment when suitable workers cannot be found locally.
The report identifies several major employment permit sponsors in 2025, including:
- Google Ireland Limited — 368 permits.
- Ernst & Young — 278 permits.
- University Limerick Hospitals Group — 251 permits.
- Amazon Development Centre Ireland Limited — 245 permits.
- Redwood Extended Care Facility UC — 237 permits.
These figures reflect historical permit sponsorship, not current vacancies or open recruitment programmes.
For prospective overseas workers, the broader participation of Irish employers is significant because employment permit opportunities are spread across a larger number of businesses and sectors.
Workers Leaving Ireland
Despite the growth in international recruitment, the report raises serious concerns about Ireland’s ability to retain workers.
Drawing on earlier Department of Finance research involving a sample of 350 migrant workers, the ESRI found that 40% of newly arrived Critical Skills Employment Permit holders in the study had left Ireland after two years.
Among newly arrived General Employment Permit holders in the study, approximately 21% had left after two years.
After five years, the departure figures were approximately 60% for Critical Skills workers and 50% for General Employment Permit holders.
These percentages must be understood carefully. They come from a specific research sample and should not be interpreted as confirmed departure rates for every employment permit holder in Ireland.
Interestingly, international graduates who obtained employment permits after studying in Ireland demonstrated better retention.
Among the study’s former international students, 27.2% of Critical Skills permit holders had left after five years, compared with 40% of General Employment Permit holders.
The findings suggest that workers who have already studied and established connections in Ireland may be more likely to remain.
However, the report also acknowledges limitations in available migration data, making further research necessary.
Housing And Living Costs
Affordable housing represents another major challenge for Ireland’s employment permit system.
The ESRI identifies accommodation shortages and high living costs as factors that may discourage international workers from remaining in Ireland.
This is particularly important for workers entering occupations with comparatively modest salaries.
Even when employers can offer suitable employment contracts, workers may struggle to secure affordable accommodation near their workplaces.
The report indicates that housing difficulties affect both international recruitment and the retention of existing workers.
These challenges are especially relevant to the healthcare, hospitality and construction sectors, where workers may not always have the financial resources necessary to compete in expensive rental markets.
Ireland therefore faces two connected challenges: attracting enough workers to fill labour shortages and creating conditions that encourage them to build long-term lives in the country.
Worker Protection Concerns
The research also highlights concerns about the treatment of some migrant workers.
Organisations consulted by the ESRI reported instances of unpaid wages, excessive working hours, insufficient rest breaks, inadequate accommodation and discrimination.
These problems were reported particularly among some General Employment Permit holders and workers in lower-paid occupations.
Healthcare assistants, home carers and meat-processing workers were among the occupational groups identified as facing particular risks.
Nevertheless, Ireland has introduced several protections through the Employment Permits Act 2024.
One important development allows eligible workers to change employers after nine months under the relevant permit conditions, providing greater employment flexibility.
Another safeguard is the Reactivation Employment Permit, intended to help qualifying workers regain lawful access to employment after situations such as redundancy or exploitation.
The research also recommends stronger awareness of employment rights and adequate enforcement resources for the Workplace Relations Commission.
Current Permit Requirements
For applicants considering Ireland in November 2026, the existing employment permit requirements remain important.
The standard minimum annual salary for a General Employment Permit increased to €36,605 from 1 March 2026.
Certain occupations, including healthcare assistants, home carers, meat-processing operatives and horticultural workers, have a lower minimum annual remuneration requirement of €32,691.
A reduced threshold of €34,009 may apply to eligible recent graduates of Irish higher-education institutions.
For Critical Skills Employment Permits, the relevant salary threshold for listed qualifying occupations is approximately €40,900, while a higher threshold of €68,911 applies to another qualifying category of occupations.
The precise minimum depends on the job, qualifications and applicable permit conditions.
The standard processing fee for a Critical Skills Employment Permit is €1,000.
For General Employment Permits, the application fee is €500 for permits of six months or less and €1,000 for permits lasting more than six months and up to two years.
Applicants should remember that an employment permit is separate from an entry visa. Visa-required nationals must also complete the relevant immigration procedures before travelling to Ireland.
Family Employment Rights
The report also recognises improvements in employment rights for eligible family members of migrant workers.
Since May 2024, qualifying spouses and partners of General Employment Permit holders and intra-company transferees who have received the appropriate family reunification permission have been eligible for Stamp 1G immigration permission.
This allows them to take up employment without securing a separate employment permit.
Similar employment access is available to qualifying spouses and partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders and certain researchers.
These arrangements are subject to the relevant immigration conditions and do not mean every family member automatically qualifies for permission to live or work in Ireland.
The research identifies family reunification procedures and differences in access to rights as issues that may influence whether overseas workers decide to remain in the country permanently.
Application Process
Prospective workers should first establish whether their proposed occupation qualifies for a General Employment Permit or a Critical Skills Employment Permit.
They must normally secure a genuine employment offer from an eligible employer operating in Ireland.
Depending on the permit category, the application may require evidence of qualifications, relevant experience, minimum remuneration and compliance with the Labour Market Needs Test.
Applications are submitted through Ireland’s Employment Permits Online system.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment advises that employment permit applications should be received at least 12 weeks before the proposed employment start date.
Candidates should also ensure that any required professional registration or recognition of overseas qualifications has been considered before accepting employment.
The ESRI specifically identifies qualification recognition as a challenge affecting professions such as doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers.
What Happens Next?
The ESRI report does not introduce a new immigration scheme or announce additional employment permit quotas.
Instead, its findings underline the increasing role of international workers in Ireland’s labour market.
For employers, the evidence demonstrates the importance of overseas recruitment in maintaining essential services, supporting infrastructure development and addressing shortages in occupations where domestic recruitment remains difficult.
For migrant workers, the report highlights both employment opportunities and practical concerns, including housing affordability, family reunification, employment rights and recognition of foreign qualifications.
Future policy discussions may therefore focus not only on recruiting international workers but also on improving the conditions that encourage them to remain.
Ireland’s long-term challenge will be to ensure that employment permits provide a sustainable response to labour shortages while protecting the rights and wellbeing of those recruited from overseas.