by Stephen McCrea, Senior Manager in Fragomen’s Dublin office
With the Irish general election now called for Friday, 29 November, non-governmental organisations in Ireland have outlined their preferred priorities for the next government surrounding immigration. Recent legislative and policy changes in the business immigration space include the commencement of the Employment Permits Act 2024, the introduction of working rights for spouses of ICT and General Employment Permit holders and a renewed focus on workplace immigration compliance.
This article summarises the key requests from several non-governmental organisations regarding immigration policy, from a labour market perspective, in the run-up to Ireland’s general election. All share a common theme – that employment-based immigration remains a key component of Ireland’s economic success, and the future government should reflect this in its policies. Part 2 of this article series will explore the response from political parties to these business immigration priorities as contained in their election manifestoes.
Ibec
The Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (Ibec) has highlighted the importance of creating a labour market that can proactively respond to future needs, with a focus on providing policy certainty around business immigration and attracting and retaining foreign talent.
The organisation points to Ireland’s remarkable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to position the country as a truly desirable place to live and work.
However, housing remains a pressing issue in this regard and there are calls for leaders to direct part of the current budget surplus into large capital projects, including housing and public infrastructure, to address this challenge.
Ibec states that some of these concerns could be alleviated by attracting highly skilled foreign talent, particularly in sectors like energy, construction and healthcare, as more of these roles become eligible for employment permits.
Joint Civil Society Manifesto
As Ireland approaches full employment—a state in which labour is in high demand and job opportunities are abundant—the country will need to rely on migrant workers to meet current and future labour needs.
Ensuring Ireland remains an attractive destination for foreign workers will be key to sustaining economic success, with a strong emphasis on quality of life. The Joint Civil Society’s Manifesto, developed by a coalition of civil society organisations, calls for International Protection applicants to be eligible for Labour Market Access Permits from the date of their application, rather than the current six month wait that is required.
The manifesto also advocates for the development of a post-temporary protection plan to outline a clear path to residency and eventual citizenship for those under protection in Ireland as a result of the war in Ukraine.
ICOS
Immigration forms one of the key themes of the Irish Council for International Students’ (ICOS) General Election Manifesto, with the organisation singling out their welcoming of the increased efforts from the Department of Justice to digitalise their service offering through its introduction of the online residence card renewal service across the country.
Of particular note for business immigration stakeholders, ICOS is urging the next government to increase the work hours for Stamp 2 holders from 20 to 30 hours per week during term, a proposal that has also been widely supported by employers.
This change could help address the costs faced by international students while also providing them with more opportunities to gain work experience in their field before graduation, thus increasing the likelihood of future employment sponsorship.
American Chamber of Commerce Ireland
The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland’s manifesto echoes many of the sentiments of other interest groups, with infrastructure delivery topping its key priorities.
Coming from the perspective as the leading voice of US business in Ireland, sustaining the country’s future requires attracting talent and ensuring that skills development aligns with industry needs.
A pillar of that principal is highlighted in the Chamber’s manifesto, and its specific reference to Ireland’s future commitment to the EU Single Permit Directive, a process that aspires to have concurrent issuance of both employment permits and entry visas, as a noteworthy commitment from the government to ensure Ireland’s immigration process remains operationally efficient and fit-for-purpose. It is expected Ireland will be in a position to opt-in to the Single Permit Directive in the coming years.
MRCI
While the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland (MRCI) has no specific election manifesto published, the organisation continues to advocate on behalf of migrant workers through various platforms with the cost of the immigration process at the forefront of their recent statements.
Following Budget 2025, for example, the MRCI called for a reduction in the €300 Irish Residency Permit fee, pointing out that this fee is lower in many other EU countries and that the cost to the state of issuing the cards is minimal. However, these issues may not be high on the political agenda at this time.
Manifesto impacts
As political parties roll out their own plans for government, there is a clear, shared call from civil society and representative organisations to continue making Ireland an attractive destination for foreign workers and students.
While significant improvements have been made to in-country processes, addressing delays and uncertainties in the process is still essential to streamline hiring from outside Ireland. Improvements would benefit both employees and employers, providing them with greater certainty and control over the process.
The existing government’s decision to make steps towards opting in to the EU Single Permit Directive is a positive development, as it promises to simplify the application process by consolidating work, residence permits and entry visas. It will remain to be seen if a commitment to continue this work will be made by all political parties.
Given this uncertainty and the fact that the full implementation of this Directive will take several years, the more immediate changes proposed by these organisations should be given due consideration given the potential impact they could have on Ireland remaining a competitive and welcoming place for international talent.
About the author
Stephen McCrea is a Senior Manager in Fragomen’s Dublin office and has more than 6 years’ experience in law and immigration. He assists large companies in Ireland’s booming technology space with their immigration processes, queries and compliance. In addition to client service delivery and managing a team, Stephen also has a particular focus on EU Treaty Rights and other residence permission applications and management of related compliance issues.
Prior to joining Fragomen, Stephen worked within the immigration practice of a Big Four firm. He has also worked as a barrister in private practice and as a legal consultant for the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) with particular expertise in immigration compliance and deportation matters.
