The government has changed its immigration rules to allow partners and spouses of holders of Critical Skills Employment permits the right to work in Ireland without the need to apply for a separate permit.

Previously, a dependant, partner or spouse of a CSEP holder was issued only with an immigration permission to accompany the holder, and had to apply separately for a work permit after having received a job offer which conforms to certain rules, such as paying at least the minimum wage and extending to at least ten hours per week.

Those immigrants can now take a job in Ireland without the need to apply for a separate permit, as long as they hold the ‘Stamp 3’ immigration permission from the Naturalisation and Immigration Service.

The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, which represents over 700 US companies in Ireland, welcomed the changes.

A Chamber spokesperson said: “This announcement will bring certainty to employers and the families of CSEP holders. It showcases a joined-up, cross-Departmental approach to streamlining Ireland’s talent mobility regime. It also contributes to the adoption of an agile and user-focused system, which has been advocated by the American Chamber.

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“The new process will contribute to enhancing Ireland’s overall competitiveness in a rapidly changing talent environment. The American Chamber welcomes the measure to help future-proof Ireland’s reputation as a globally inclusive location of choice for talent.”

Business minister Heather Humphreys said that the CSEP system had aimed to streamline the process whereby people from overseas with critical job skills could enter and work in Ireland, but that the existing rule applied to their families had turned out to be cumbersome, with long delays which acted as a barrier to these people securing work in Ireland.

“This is not what was intended when the policy was developed, and the process put in place,” the minister stated. “We are talking about less than 1,000 spouses and partners per year, but this small change will make a big difference in terms of Ireland’s offering to both investors, and international talent.

 “Furthermore, our research shows that in general the spouses or partners of the Critical Skills Permit Holders are themselves highly skilled and can make a great contribution to our economy. It also shows that in a high percentage of cases where foreign nationals leave a country earlier than planned, it is because their spouses or partners could not find work.”