Ireland’s 4-Year Free Work Visa Explained
Want to work in Ireland in 2025? 🇮🇪 Discover everything you need to know about the Ireland 4-Year Free Work Visa, processed in just 15 days! In this video, we cover the full visa process, eligibility criteria, salary expectations, and the most in-demand jobs in Ireland for 2025.
Whether you’re a software engineer, nurse, data analyst, construction worker, or finance professional, Ireland has high-paying opportunities waiting for you.
✅ What is it?
●It’s officially called the Critical Skills Employment Permit
●Designed to attract highly skilled workers to Ireland
●Valid for 2 years, with a path to residency extension (Stamp 4) for another 2 years
●Total: 4 years of legal stay in Ireland
💼 Key Benefits
●No permit fee (free for applicants)
●Fast processing: ~15 working days
●No need for high education or work experience in many eligible jobs
●High average salaries (€5,200 – €7,000/month)
📝 Eligibility Requirements
●A job offer from an Irish employer in an eligible occupation
●Minimum salary:
●€44,000/year for most roles
●€32,000/year for a small number of special cases
●Relevant qualifications or experience
●Job must be on Ireland’s Critical Skills Occupations List
💼 In-Demand Job Sectors & Average Salaries
Technology & IT
●Average salary: €69,500
●Roles: Software Engineers (€84,000+), Data Scientists (€60k–€95k), Cybersecurity Experts
Engineering & Construction
●Civil/Automation Engineers: €63,000–€85,000
●Project Managers: Up to €100,000
Finance & Legal
●Accountants, Compliance: €40,000–€100,000+
●Risk Analysts, Legal Officers: €56,000–€80,000
Healthcare
●Nurses: €40,000
●Doctors: €90,000
●Allied Health: €30,000–€50,000
Data Science
●Data Analysts: €50,000
●Business Analysts: €55,000
Hospitality & Retail (Support Roles)
●Cooks: €35,000
●Retail Assistants: €31,000
●Pharmacy Supervisors: €85,000
●Minimum wage in 2025: €13.50/hour
📊 Average National Salaries
Sector |
Weekly Earnings |
Yearly Average |
National Avg. |
€980/week |
€44,200/year |
ICT (Tech Sector) |
€1,685/week |
€87,620/year |
Finance & Real Estate |
€1,329/week |
€69,108/year |
Hospitality & Support |
~€450/week |
~€23,400/year |
🔍 Where to Find Jobs in Ireland
●Indeed.ie
●Gumtree Ireland (informal roles)
🧾 How to Apply (Step-by-Step)
1.Secure a Job Offer
●Search using the job portals above
●Target jobs listed on the Critical Skills List
2.Employer Applies for the Permit
●Your employer submits the application to the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment
3.Await Permit Approval
●Processing takes ~15 days (if all documents are complete)
4.Apply for Entry Visa (if required)
●Through the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS)
📌 Final Notes
●You can apply without agents or consultants
●Once you’re on a Critical Skills permit, you can bring your family
●After 2 years, you can apply for Stamp 4 residency, allowing unrestricted work