Document checklist
Iraq → Ireland: Critical Skills Employment Permit
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
8 itemsIdentity
Passport and current immigration stamp (if already in Ireland)
RequiredA passport-type photo of you, and, if you're already resident in Ireland, a clear copy of your current immigration stamp and visa (if you have one), plus your Irish Residence Permit registration number.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist
Financial
Employment permit fee
RequiredA Critical Skills Employment Permit costs €1,000 for the first application, covering up to 24 months. Fees can change, so check the current amount before you pay.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Fees for employment permits
Pay details meeting the minimum salary
RequiredYour total annual salary, hourly and weekly rate, and hours worked each week. Basic pay (not bonuses, shift allowances or overtime) must be at least €40,904 a year for roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List, or €68,911 for other eligible roles, based on a 39-hour week, these figures may change, so check the current amounts before you apply. Graduate CSEP roles need at least €36,848 a year.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist
Purpose of travel
Signed employment contract and job offer
RequiredA copy of your employment contract, signed by both you and your employer. The job offer must be for 2 years or more, and must state your job title, your duties, and where you'll be working, you can only work at the location stated on your permit.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist
Other
Employer's business details
RequiredInformation about your employer's business: the nature of the business, how many EEA/Swiss/UK/Irish nationals and how many non-EEA nationals they currently employ, and whether the same role has had any redundancies in the last 6 months.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist
Family reunification for dependants
If you're bringing your spouse, partner or children, Critical Skills Employment Permit holders can apply for family reunification straight away, without the 12-month wait that applies to most other employment permit types. Your family members need their own separate application and documents, check the current requirements with Immigration Service Delivery.
Proof of your qualifications, skills or experience
RequiredDetails of the qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience the role needs, and of your own. For a role with a minimum salary of €40,904 on the Critical Skills Occupations List, you need a degree or higher in the relevant field. For roles with a minimum salary of €68,911 that aren't on the Ineligible List of Occupations, you can qualify on experience alone if you don't hold a degree. A Graduate CSEP is available if you graduated in the last 12 months with a level 8 degree or higher relevant to a role on the Critical Skills Occupations List.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist
Registration number for regulated professions
If your role must be registered with a regulatory body or government minister (for example nursing or medicine), your registration number or licence number.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist
Why applications on this route get refused
Salary below the minimum for the role
Critical Skills Employment Permits have a minimum salary that depends on the occupation. Basic pay below that minimum (not counting bonuses, allowances or overtime) means the role doesn't qualify.
How to avoid it: Check the current minimum salary for your occupation before applying, and make sure your contract's basic pay meets or exceeds it.
Job offer shorter than 2 years
A Critical Skills Employment Permit requires a job offer for a period of 2 years or more.
How to avoid it: Confirm your contract covers at least 2 years of employment before you submit the application.
Role not eligible for Critical Skills
Roles on the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits don't qualify, and roles outside the Critical Skills Occupations List at the €68,911 salary level need proven experience if you don't hold a relevant degree.
How to avoid it: Check the Critical Skills Occupations List and Ineligible List of Occupations, and confirm your qualifications or experience match what the role needs.
Incomplete application
Missing employer, employee, employment or pay details from the checklist can delay or prevent approval.
How to avoid it: Work through the official Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist and include everything it asks for before you submit.
Sources
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Critical Skills Employment Permit · checked 21 Sept 2026
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Critical Skills Employment Permit Checklist · checked 21 Sept 2026
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment Permits · checked 21 Sept 2026
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Fees for employment permits · checked 21 Sept 2026
- Immigration Service Delivery, Family dependants · checked 21 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Ireland application fee.
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