Redundancy & Work Permits

If you are working on a work permit and lose your job through redundancy you should notify the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and return your work permit. From 28 August 2009 there are new provisions for newly redundant people who were working on a work permit.

If you have been made redundant after working on a work permit for 5 consecutive years you no longer need a permit to work in Ireland. You should apply to your local immigration officer who will issue you with a stamp 4 immigration permission for one year. This permission may be renewed annually and it allows you to take up any employment but not self-employment. (Within the Dublin District immigration officers are based in the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), and outside Dublin in the local Garda District Headquarters.)

If you have held a work permit for less than 5 years, The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will allow you a period of 6 months to find another job. When you find another job you have to apply for a new work permit. A labour market needs test is not required. If you were made redundant from a job on the list of ineligible categories you may apply for a new work permit for a job on that ineligible list.

You should contact your local immigration officer to confirm your immigration status. If you have more than 6 months before your immigration permission expires, you can reside in Ireland under your stamp 1 permission for a further 6 months. If you have less than 6 months' immigration permission you can have your immigration permission extended to 6 months which means you will have to pay €150 for a new GNIB card. If you have not found a new job after 6 months you will be expected to leave Ireland. If you then get an offer of employment in Ireland you may apply for a new work permit.