Current mood:

optimistic

The passport of the foreign national must be in date and valid for at least 3 months after the proposed expiry date of the Work Permit/Green Card. And when applying for permanent residency or unlimited work permit, the applicant's passport must be in date and valid for at least 12 months.

As an employee, am I free to move employer after I get a Green Card Permit?

"If this is your first employment permit in the State then (other than in exceptional circumstances) you are expected to stay with your initial employer for a period of 12 months but then you may move employer provided that a new application for a Green Card Permit is made."

Obviously, though, it will be easier for Green Card holders to change employers because their occupations are already on the Approved list, so they won't have to go through the whole labour market needs test which is the real killer. And, short of someone laying on the lash and chaining you up at night, it's probably worth sticking it out because after two years Green Card holders can apply for Permanent Residency - and freedom.

Green Card Miscellany:

Brent, a subscriber, had a number of questions regarding Working Visas which he resolved. For now, we can assume that the same information applies to the new Green Card system. Here's what he found out:

"One question was whether you could obtain the work authorisation at an Irish embassy in a country different from your country of citizenship. The answer is yes. I just got my work authorisation in London and I'm a US citizen.

Some other tips to pass on. They are extremely picky about the documentation. They don't accept copies, only the originals. For evidence of your third level education in the Information Tech field my diploma needed to say somewhere on it that the degree was Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology or one other that I can't recall or else they wouldn't accept it. The offer letter from the company has to have all the information on it that is stated on their web site or they won't accept it. You also need to bring two passport photos, your passport and the fee of course. That's all that is needed. They give you a short one page application form to fill out.

I had some hitches with my documentation, but once I got all the docs together it took 4 business days to get it.

The other question was whether my family needed anything special to enter Ireland with me once I received my work visa. The answer is no, but now that they are here we're supposed to register with the Immigration Office in Dublin or local Garda station. We haven't done that yet, but I've been told it's sort of a rubber stamping kind of process from what I've heard." (That's what I've heard, too... Scott)

One item for IT professionals: the Department insists on a degree in IT. This means people who program, manipulate data, have high end hardware skills, etc. Generally, it does not include those with a degree in Computer Graphics or Web Design.

Unfortunately, self taught programmers and specialists get caught in the same net. I know of one self trained programmer whose skills are so specific and so in-demand that he has been able to work out a very favourable contract with an Irish firm. The firm is applying for the work permit, but he won't be just a standard employee, but rather a type of sub-contractor able to work on commission with a solid retainer. But... as I try to stress, it's hard for non-EU nationals to get work here unless they have high end skills.

Timeline - How Long Does It Take to Receive a Green Card

I received my Green "Card" yesterday, seven weeks and one day after I submitted the application. I was watching the dates updated on their website and wasn't expecting to get it until the end of the month (if I was lucky) based on their documented pace. When I turned in my application they told me 6-7 weeks and the application says to expect a minimum of 8 weeks. My work received a copy two days before I received the actual card. For someone having it mailed to a different country I would expect it to take an extra week or two for it to find its way in the mail. (Be.)

Thought I would let you know that even in Ireland, miracles are possible. My husband's green card application took 9 days to process. It arrived in Dublin, they processed it within 9 days, sent on the 26th of the month and it arrived in our midwestern US mailbox 4 days after that. (T.)

I was in touch with my employment agent yesterday regarding my planned departure in 6 weeks & she responded with this info: "We got news from the Ministers office this week that the Green Cards are being given preference and so it's really very unlikely that your Green Card will not be through by the time you get here". (MJ)

B.'s Experience

"The application itself, once you start looking at it, is full of little things that don't make sense, or just aren't very clear as to how you are supposed to deal with them. And good luck getting feedback on questions that haven't been included in their "FAQ".

I tried for hours to get through to their "Call Center" and never got anything - probably because they are completely slammed right now. (No, it's always a nightmare to get through - Scott). I was in Ireland, so went down to their office directly to talk to someone in person, but the only one I was able to talk to was the man at the front desk - not a designated Immigration Official.

The things I turned in:

1. The fully completed application (in some places we just had to mark N/A on parts that were phrased poorly). Also, be careful not to miss the passport photo requirement - read this document multiple times, very carefully.
2. The check covering the €1,000 fee.
3. The letter of offer, signed by both parties and conforming to the requirements they line out in their "Guide to Green Card Permits".
4. A few tax and registration documents from the company that they require on the second to last page of the application (only needed if the company has not applied for a permit before).
5. A copy of my passport.
6. "Certified proof of qualifications" - to cover this I turned in a sealed official transcript from my university proving degree in architecture (which was the requirement for the work authorization and what the desk man told me), but this is the one part that was incredibly vague, so I don't know if they will decide they need more or not...time will tell. (B. received his Green Card in seven weeks.) "

Visiting Ireland When the Green Card Issues

"I was told by the Garda National Immigration Bureau that I could just go in to them with my Green Card, before my 90 day tourist visa ran out, and they would give me my immigration stamp. When I was talking to someone at the immigration office, they said that the officers there can call the DETE directly to verify your paperwork is in process. " (B.)

So, there's no need to leave the country and re-enter with the green card in hand. The paperwork changes can be handled in Ireland.

http://www.movetoireland.com/movepag/workperm.htm

http://www.entemp.ie/publications/labour/2007/guidegreencards.pdf

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/moving-country/moving-to-ireland/working-in-ireland/coming_to_work_in_ireland

http://www.entemp.ie/labour/workpermits/