Moving to Ireland from the US: which visa or residence route fits

Ireland is not in the Schengen Area and runs its own immigration system. Citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK need permission to stay longer than 3 months, and that permission comes in numbered "stamps" that set what you can do and for how long. For Americans, the realistic routes are retiring on independent means, working on an employment permit, or claiming Irish citizenship through a parent or grandparent. This guide compares them using what Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), the Department of Enterprise and Citizens Information publish.

How Irish immigration permission works

ISD says anyone coming from outside the EU and Switzerland who wants to stay more than 90 days must apply for permission. Each permission type is shown by a stamp number (Stamp 0, Stamp 1, Stamp 2 and so on). The stamp in your passport and on your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card tells you what you can do and how long you can stay.

Citizens Information makes a key point for planning: in most cases you cannot change your purpose after you enter. If you arrive as a tourist, you cannot apply to work during that stay. You leave and apply for an employment permit from outside Ireland. So the route has to be chosen and set up before the move.

Whether you also need an entry visa depends on your nationality. ISD publishes a list of visa required and non-visa required nationalities. Check it with your passport in hand, because the routes below still need approval before you arrive whether or not you need a visa.

The routes at a glance

• Stamp 0, independent means: for people who can support themselves without working, typically retirees.
• Critical Skills Employment Permit: for highly skilled jobs on Ireland's shortage list or very well paid roles.
• General Employment Permit: for most other jobs, with a labour market test in most cases.
• Citizenship by descent: for people with an Irish-born parent or grandparent.

Stamp 0: living on independent means

ISD's retirement page says you must be financially independent and meet all conditions. People from visa required countries must apply for a D Reside visa before arriving, and all applicants must apply for Stamp 0 before arriving in Ireland. ISD's application form states that Stamp 0 applications are not accepted from inside the State.

Money. ISD says a person of independent means should have an individual income of €50,000 per year, plus access to a lump sum to cover sudden major expenses, equal to something like the price of a home in Ireland. Citizens Information adds that a couple's joint income should be €100,000 per year. ISD says investment sums are not normally measured: the money must be pension income or readily accessible funds.

Paperwork. Your finances go in a spreadsheet, converted to euros and showing monthly income and spending, certified by an Irish accountancy firm. ISD also lists:

• A copy of every page of your passport.
• Your birth certificate, and marriage certificate if relevant.
• Six months of bank statements or similar evidence of funds.
• Private medical insurance with full cover in private hospitals.
• A police clearance certificate and a health declaration.

After approval. You get an approval letter. On arrival you receive a landing stamp of up to 90 days, and you must register your permission within that period. Stamp 0 holders cannot access State benefits.

Critical Skills Employment Permit

The Department of Enterprise designed this permit to attract highly skilled people and encourage them to settle permanently. Typical roles include ICT professionals, engineers and technologists.

Who qualifies:

1. Roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List paying at least €40,904 a year, with a relevant degree or higher. If you got the qualification in the 12 months before applying, the floor is €36,848.
2. Almost any role paying over €68,911 a year, except jobs on the Ineligible List of Occupations.

You need a job offer of at least 2 years from an employer trading in Ireland and registered with the Revenue Commissioners. The employer must normally have at least 50% EEA nationals on staff, though start-ups may get a waiver.

Advantages. No labour market test is needed. Holders can apply straight away to bring family, and spouses or partners living in Ireland can then work. When the permit's duration is up, holders can apply for permission to live and work without an employment permit.

Cost and timing. The processing fee is €1,000, and 90% is refunded if the application fails. Applications must be received at least 12 weeks before the planned start date and are made on Employment Permits Online. You are expected to stay with the first employer for at least 9 months.

General Employment Permit

The Department of Enterprise treats this as the main permit for jobs facing a labour or skills shortage. Unlike the Critical Skills permit, every occupation is eligible unless it is on the Ineligible List.

Pay floor. The minimum is generally €36,605 a year. It is €32,691 for some roles such as health care assistants and horticulture workers, and €34,009 for people with a relevant degree from an Irish third level college in the past 12 months.

Labour market test. In most cases the employer must advertise the job before applying. That test is waived for roles on the Critical Skills list, for jobs paying at least €68,911, and in a few other cases.

Length and cost. The first permit runs up to 2 years and can be renewed for up to 3 more. After 5 years you can apply to ISD for long term residency. A new permit costs €500 for 6 months or less, or €1,000 for longer. Unlike Critical Skills holders, spouses and partners cannot get a Dependant Employment Permit and must apply for their own permit. Citizens Information says a spouse or partner living in Ireland with Stamp 3 can work without a permit.

Before you travel on a work permit

The Department of Enterprise is clear that an employment permit is not permission to live in Ireland. After the permit is granted, anyone who needs a visa applies to their local Irish embassy or consulate. Everyone goes through immigration control on arrival with the original permit and supporting documents, then registers to be lawfully resident.

Citizenship by descent

For many Americans this is the strongest route, because an Irish citizen needs no permit at all. Citizens Information sets out the rules:

• Irish-born parent: if either parent was born in Ireland and was an Irish citizen when you were born, you are automatically an Irish citizen. You can apply for an Irish passport directly.
• Irish-born grandparent: if a grandparent was born in Ireland but neither parent was, you can become a citizen by having your birth registered in the Foreign Births Register (FBR). Citizenship counts from the date of registration, not your birth.
• Great-grandparent: this works only if your parent had already registered in the FBR by the time you were born.

More distant ancestry gives no automatic right. There is a separate discretionary route based on Irish associations, decided by the Minister. ISD has an online tool to check whether you are an Irish citizen by birth or descent.

Registering after you arrive

Whatever permission you hold, ISD says you must register it within 90 days. If you cannot get an appointment in time, ISD says it will not cancel your permission while you wait. First registrations happen at Burgh Quay in Dublin. Renewals are done online. After registration your IRP card arrives by post.

Which route fits

1. Retired or living on a pension with no plan to work: Stamp 0, applied for before you move.
2. A skilled job offer in a shortage field or at a high salary: Critical Skills Employment Permit.
3. Another job offer from an Irish employer: General Employment Permit.
4. An Irish-born parent or grandparent: check citizenship by descent first. It removes the need for any permit.

Common questions

Can I move to Ireland as a tourist and apply for residency there? Generally no. Citizens Information says that in most cases you cannot change your purpose after entering, and ISD says Stamp 0 must be applied for before you arrive. Employment permits are applied for before you come to Ireland.

How much income do I need to retire to Ireland? ISD says a person of independent means should have an individual income of €50,000 per year plus access to a lump sum for major unexpected costs. Citizens Information gives €100,000 per year joint income for a couple. The figures must be certified by an Irish accountancy firm.

What salary do I need for a Critical Skills Employment Permit? At least €40,904 a year for occupations on the Critical Skills list with a relevant degree, or €36,848 for recent graduates. Most other occupations qualify at over €68,911 a year, unless they are on the Ineligible List.

Can I get Irish citizenship through my grandparent? If a grandparent was born in Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen by registering your birth in the Foreign Births Register. Citizenship starts from the date of registration.

Where do I register when I arrive in Ireland? ISD registers first time permissions at Burgh Quay in Dublin, and you should register within 90 days. Renewals are done online, and your Irish Residence Permit card arrives by post.