Change of Employer Rule
A provision allowing General and Critical Skills permit holders to move to a new employer after nine months on their first permit, without a fresh permit application.
Before September 2024, permit holders were effectively tied to their sponsoring employer for 12 months and needed a brand-new permit to move. Now they can apply to change employer after nine months, generally within the same sector, with no Labour Market Needs Test required. For employers this cuts both ways: it is easier to recruit an experienced permit holder already in Ireland, but it also means retention matters from day one — good conditions, not the permit, are what keep staff after month nine.
Frequently Asked Questions
The same way you retain anyone: pay, conditions, hours, and how they are treated. The nine-month rule was designed to stop the permit acting as a retention mechanism, so employers who relied on immobility need a genuine retention strategy — clear progression, fair rosters, decent accommodation arrangements, and treating the renewal process as a shared commitment rather than a favour.
Yes, once they have completed nine months on their first employment permit in the State and the move is within the same sector. The process is a change-of-employer request rather than a brand-new application, so it is faster and does not require you to run a Labour Market Needs Test. Verify their current permit status and start date before making an offer.
Yes, if they hold a General or Critical Skills permit and meet the eligibility conditions — the move is generally restricted to the same sector, and they apply through a change-of-employer submission rather than a full new permit. There is no Labour Market Needs Test for the new employer, which makes hiring experienced permit holders already in Ireland significantly easier than recruiting abroad.