Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE)
The Irish government department that processes and issues employment permits.
All permit applications, renewals, reviews, and change-of-employer requests go through DETE — not the immigration authorities. Processing times vary through the year and by employer status (Trusted Partners are faster), so check current timelines before promising a start date. DETE also publishes the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists that determine whether your role qualifies at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
DETE publishes the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible List of Occupations. Between them they tell you whether a role qualifies for the fast-track Critical Skills route, the standard General permit route, or no permit at all. Check the current lists at the start of any recruitment plan — they are updated as labour market needs change.
No. DETE (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment) issues employment permits. Immigration Service Delivery, part of the Department of Justice, handles entry visas and residence registration. A hire from a visa-required country passes through both systems in sequence — permit first, then visa — and delays can occur at either.
Processing times vary through the year and by queue: Trusted Partner applications are consistently faster than standard ones. Always check the Department's published current processing dates before promising a start date, and remember visa processing (handled separately by Immigration Service Delivery) adds its own timeline on top for visa-required nationals.