Hire Workers in Ireland on a General Employment Permit
Ireland decides by occupation and by salary, and both moved in 2026. We source workers from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan for roles that are actually permittable — including the quota schemes built for meat, dairy and horticulture.
- Checked against the occupation lists, then the salary
An ineligible occupation cannot be permitted at any wage. We check that first.
What You Need to Hire Workers in Ireland
Ireland runs employment permits through the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. For the manual and skilled roles we place, the relevant permit is the General Employment Permit. Whether you can get one turns on two questions asked in order.
First, is the occupation eligible at all? Ireland maintains an Ineligible Occupations List, and a role on it cannot be permitted regardless of what you offer to pay. The lists are revised, and the direction of travel has recently favoured construction and transport: the 2026 updates carved out roles including steel fixers, curtain wallers, concrete pump operators, fencing operators and erectors, and plastic lining technicians, alongside HGV and motor mechanics and vehicle technicians in transport and haulage.
Second, does the salary clear the floor? From 1 March 2026 the General Employment Permit minimum rose to €36,605. A lower floor of €32,691 applies to a defined set of roles including meat processing operatives, horticulture operatives, healthcare assistants and home carers. Those figures sit on a published roadmap of staged increases, so a hire landing next year should be budgeted against the next step rather than today’s.
Some occupations are additionally quota-controlled, with a fixed number of permits released per year — meat processor operative, dairy farm assistant and horticulture operative among them. Quotas are finite and they are consumed, so timing genuinely matters on those roles. Unless the role is exempt, a Labour Market Needs Test also has to be run and evidenced before the permit is applied for.
Who We Are
Hire Across Euro is an independent international recruitment consultancy with an active sourcing network across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The founder runs every engagement personally, so an Irish employer is told whether the occupation is eligible before anyone talks about candidates.
What We Handle for Irish Employers
Sourcing and Vetting
We shortlist workers whose training documents and work history stand up to consular scrutiny. Every file is checked for document completeness and practical competence before it reaches you.
- Document verification
- Trade competence check
Eligibility, Quota and Permit Filing
We check the occupation against the current lists, confirm the salary position and any quota headroom, then run the Labour Market Needs Test and file the employment permit application.
- Occupation list and quota check
- Labour Market Needs Test
Visa and Immigration Support
Once the permit issues we support the entry visa where one is required, and the immigration registration that follows arrival in the State.
Workplace Onboarding
Workers are briefed on Irish employment rights, working-time rules and site safety expectations before they travel.
Sectors Where We Hire Workers in Ireland
Four areas where Irish permits are realistically obtainable, including the quota-controlled schemes.
Meat and Food Processing
Meat processor operatives and boning hall staff under the dedicated quota and lower salary floor.
Agriculture and Horticulture
Dairy farm assistants and horticulture operatives on the quota-controlled permit routes.
Construction Trades
Steel fixers, concrete pump operators, curtain wallers and fencing erectors following the recent eligibility changes.
Transport and Haulage
HGV and motor mechanics and vehicle technicians for haulage operators and workshops.
The Irish Route at a Glance
Two lists and a salary floor, asked in that order.
| Permit | General Employment Permit, issued by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment |
|---|---|
| First question | Is the occupation on the Ineligible Occupations List? If so, no salary can rescue it |
| Salary floor | EUR 36,605 since 1 March 2026 |
| Lower floor | EUR 32,691 for meat processing, horticulture, healthcare assistants and home carers |
| Quota roles | Meat processor operative, dairy farm assistant and horticulture operative carry fixed annual allocations |
| Labour market test | The Labour Market Needs Test must be run and evidenced unless the role is exempt |
How to Hire Workers in Ireland on an Employment Permit
Irish employers exploring how to hire workers in Ireland from India, Nepal or Bangladesh often start from the salary and work backwards. That is the wrong order. The first question is whether the occupation is eligible at all, because Ireland’s Ineligible Occupations List is an absolute bar: a role on it cannot be permitted at any wage, with any amount of documentation.
That list is not static, and recent revisions have moved in employers’ favour in exactly the sectors this business works in. Construction roles including steel fixers, curtain wallers, concrete pump operators and fencing erectors were carved out as exceptions in 2026, and transport and haulage gained HGV and motor mechanics and vehicle technicians. Employers who checked the list two years ago and concluded Ireland was closed to them should check it again.
The salary floor is the second gate. Since 1 March 2026 the General Employment Permit minimum has been €36,605, with a lower €32,691 applying to a defined group that includes meat processing operatives, horticulture operatives, healthcare assistants and home carers. Government has published a roadmap of further staged increases, which means a permit landing in a future year should be budgeted against the step that will then be in force, not the current one.
Then there are the quotas. Meat processor operative, dairy farm assistant and horticulture operative each carry a fixed annual allocation of permits. Allocations run out, and when they do the route closes until the next release regardless of how good the file is. On those roles, being early is worth more than being thorough. Our live roles are on the vacancies board, our fee and treatment standards are in ethical recruitment compliant with EU labour law, and employers weighing Ireland against other high-wage markets often also read our pages on Denmark and Sweden.
How the Process Works
Six steps from the first requirement call to workers on site in Ireland.
Requirement Call
We go through headcount, roles, worksite location, contract length and the start date you are working back from.
Shortlist
We present vetted workers from India, Nepal, Bangladesh or Pakistan with their training and work-history evidence attached.
Permit Filing
We run the Labour Market Needs Test where required and file the employment permit application with the Department.
Visa Application
We prepare the consular file and the employer-side documents your HR team is asked to produce, and track it to decision.
Arrival
We coordinate travel and the first days in Ireland, including immigration registration and the practical basics.
Onboarding
We support induction at the worksite and stay reachable through the first weeks of the placement.
Quick Answers
What is the Ineligible Occupations List?
It is Ireland’s list of jobs that cannot be permitted at all. Ineligibility is absolute: no salary, no documentation and no shortage argument overcomes it. This is why we check the occupation before anyone discusses candidates or timelines.
Why do the Irish quotas matter more than the paperwork?
Because meat processor operative, dairy farm assistant and horticulture operative each carry a fixed number of permits per year. When an allocation is consumed the route closes until the next release, regardless of how strong the file is. On those roles, being early beats being thorough.
How much must we pay for an Irish employment permit?
EUR 36,605 a year since 1 March 2026 for a General Employment Permit, with a lower floor of EUR 32,691 for a defined group including meat processing and horticulture operatives and care roles. Government has published further staged increases, so budget against the step that will be in force when the permit actually issues.
Official Sources and Further Reading
The occupation lists and salary thresholds are revised, and recent revisions have opened up construction and haulage roles that were closed a couple of years ago.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum salary for a General Employment Permit in Ireland?
€36,605 since 1 March 2026, with a lower floor of €32,691 for a defined set of roles including meat processing operatives, horticulture operatives, healthcare assistants and home carers. Further staged increases have been published, so budget forward rather than to today’s figure.
Our role is on the Ineligible Occupations List. Can a higher salary fix that?
No. Ineligibility is absolute. A listed occupation cannot be permitted at any wage. The lists are revised periodically, though, so a role that was ineligible in the past is worth rechecking.
What are the quota occupations and why do they matter?
Meat processor operative, dairy farm assistant and horticulture operative each carry a fixed annual allocation of permits. Once an allocation is used the route closes until the next release, so timing on those roles matters as much as the paperwork.
Do we have to advertise the job first?
Unless the role is exempt, yes — the Labour Market Needs Test has to be run and evidenced before the permit application goes in. We run it and keep the record the Department expects to see.
Have any construction roles become eligible recently?
Yes. Recent revisions carved out roles including steel fixers, curtain wallers, concrete pump operators and fencing operators and erectors, and electrical trades were made eligible earlier. It is worth rechecking a role you were previously told was closed.
We were told Ireland was closed to our construction trade. Is that still true?
Possibly not, and it is worth rechecking. Recent revisions carved out roles including steel fixers, curtain wallers, concrete pump operators and fencing erectors, and electrical trades were made eligible earlier. Employers who checked the list two years ago and concluded Ireland was shut to them are often working from stale information.
How long does the whole Irish process take?
The permit decision is only part of it: the Labour Market Needs Test has to run first where it applies, and the entry visa and immigration registration follow. On quota roles the binding constraint is not processing time at all, it is whether places remain in the current allocation.
Request Workers for Ireland
Tell us the roles, the offered salary and the headcount. A consultant replies within one business day with the eligibility position, any quota constraint and what the file will take.
Talk to Us
If your operation in Ireland needs workers from India, Nepal or Bangladesh, send us the requirement and a consultant replies within one business day with the eligibility position, the timeline and a quote.