A Permit for the Job, Not for the Person, and a Notice You Must Publish First
Answer
The general rule applies to you
No exception is recorded for citizens of Barbados on this topic. That is the answer, not a gap - everything below is the rule you get, unchanged.
116 exceptions recorded across 45 countries · none match Barbados to Ireland · Residency through work
Working in Ireland without an employment permit is prohibited twice over by section 7 of the Employment Permits Act 2024: the foreign national may not enter the employment and the employer may not provide it. Section 8 lists who the prohibition does not reach, and the limb that matters most here is nationality - anyone entitled to work in the State under the European Union treaties is outside the Act entirely. For everyone else the 2024 Regulations set what the job must pay: 34,000 euro a year for a general employment permit in most employments, 38,000 for a critical skills permit, 64,000 for the critical skills employments on the wider list. And for a general permit the employer must first have advertised the job to Irish citizens and to the exempt classes, and be able to satisfy the Minister that it did.
At a glance
- Working without a permit
- Prohibited, and prohibited for the employer too
Section 7(1) and 7(3) of the Employment Permits Act 2024.
- General employment permit, most employments
- €34,000 a year, and €16.77 an hour
Regulation 38(c) of the Employment Permits Regulations 2024.
- General employment permit, care work
- €27,000 a year, and €13.31 an hour
Regulation 38(a), for a health care assistant, care worker or home carer.
- Critical skills employment permit
- €38,000 a year on the narrower list, €64,000 on the wider one
Regulation 26(a) and 26(b).
- Labour market test
- A published notice of the offer, before the application
Section 23 of the Act, for general, seasonal and contract for service permits.
- Who is outside the Act
- Anyone entitled to work here under the European Union treaties
Section 8(1)(e). The exemption follows the entitlement rather than a list of states.
Requirements
- An offer of employment, and an employer who applies or joins the application
- Remuneration at or above the figure the Regulations set for that permit and that employment
- For a general employment permit: a published notice of the offer before the application is made
Country-level policy
Ireland and the United Kingdom have shared a free travel area since long before either joined anything, and there is no Irish statute that grants it. The mechanism is a subtraction. Section 2 of the Aliens Act 1935 says an alien is a person who is not a citizen; section 10(1) lets the Government exempt the citizens of a country from the Act; the Aliens (Exemption) Order 1999 exempts every citizen of the United Kingdom from the Act and from every aliens order made under it. The Immigration Act 1999 then defines a non-national as an alien other than one exempted under section 10 - so a British citizen is not a non-national, and the Immigration Act 2004, which regulates non-nationals and nobody else, does not reach them. The Employment Permits Act 2024 borrows the same definition for foreign national, so the permit system does not reach them either. The Common Travel Area does appear by name in the 2004 Act, twice, and both times it is about keeping other people out of it.
What applies to you
Nothing changes for a citizen of Barbados
We have no rule recorded that treats your citizenship differently here, so the general rule above is the one that applies to you. That is an answer, not a gap.
What the law says
«7. (1) A foreign national shall not— (a) enter the service of an employer in the State, or (b) be in employment in the State, except in accordance with an employment permit that is in force in respect of that foreign national.»Both sides of the prohibition. The permit attaches to a named employment with a named employer, which is why changing jobs is an application rather than a notification.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The electronic Irish Statute Book: every Act of the Oireachtas since 1922 and every statutory instrument, each at a stable ELI address built from year, type and number. A full Act or instrument is served at the /print path; the /html path returns only the arrangement of sections. The site also carries a legislation directory page per Act listing every instrument made under it, which is the only published index of the orders that make up a scheme.
Standing:
Cannot be cited for: This site publishes Acts **as enacted** and statutory instruments **as made**, and nothing else. It is not the law in force and does not claim to be: the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014 has been amended more than twenty times and the text served at its address is the 2014 original, with no marker to say so. Section 819(4) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is served in words replaced in 2008. For an Act the Law Reform Commission has revised, the revised text is the one to read; for the Taxes Consolidation Act and for every statutory instrument there is no revised text anywhere, and the current wording has to be assembled from the amending instruments by hand. The directory page for an Act is reachable; the equivalent page for a statutory instrument returned an error when tried.
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«8. (1) Without prejudice to any other provisions of this Act, section 7 shall not apply to a foreign national— (a) in respect of whom a declaration under section 47 of the Act of 2015 is in force, (b) who is permitted to enter and reside in the State, or reside in the State, pursuant to section 56 or 57 of the Act of 2015, (c) who is a programme refugee within the meaning of section 59 of the Act of 2015, (d) who is an applicant or a recipient within the meaning of the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 ( S.I. No. 230 of 2018 ), (e) who is entitled to enter the State and to be in employment in the State pursuant to the treaties governing the European Union (within the meaning of the European Communities Acts 1972 to 2012),»The exempt classes. Paragraph (e) is the nationality limb, and it is written as an entitlement under the treaties rather than as a list of member states.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The electronic Irish Statute Book: every Act of the Oireachtas since 1922 and every statutory instrument, each at a stable ELI address built from year, type and number. A full Act or instrument is served at the /print path; the /html path returns only the arrangement of sections. The site also carries a legislation directory page per Act listing every instrument made under it, which is the only published index of the orders that make up a scheme.
Standing:
Cannot be cited for: This site publishes Acts **as enacted** and statutory instruments **as made**, and nothing else. It is not the law in force and does not claim to be: the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014 has been amended more than twenty times and the text served at its address is the 2014 original, with no marker to say so. Section 819(4) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is served in words replaced in 2008. For an Act the Law Reform Commission has revised, the revised text is the one to read; for the Taxes Consolidation Act and for every statutory instrument there is no revised text anywhere, and the current wording has to be assembled from the amending instruments by hand. The directory page for an Act is reachable; the equivalent page for a statutory instrument returned an error when tried.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«23. (1) This section applies to an application for a general employment permit, seasonal employment permit and a contract for service employment permit. (2) Subject to subsections (6) and (7) , the Minister shall not grant an employment permit in respect of an application to which this section applies unless the Minister is satisfied that— (a) before the application was made, a notice referred to in subsection (3) in respect of the employment the subject of the application had been published in accordance with this section, and (b) the application was made within the period referred to in subsection (5) . (3) Where an application to which this section applies is made— (a) the person who makes the offer of employment concerned, or (b) in the case of an application for a contract for service employment permit, the contractor or where the application is made by a subcontractor, the subcontractor, concerned, shall satisfy the Minister that he or she has, before making the application, offered the employment in respect of which the application is made to— (i) an Irish citizen, or (ii) a foreign national referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (g) of section 8 (1) , by causing a notice of the offer of the employment concerned to be published in accordance with subsection (4) .»The labour market test. What has to be shown is that the job was offered to Irish citizens and to the section 8(1) classes, by a notice published before the application.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The electronic Irish Statute Book: every Act of the Oireachtas since 1922 and every statutory instrument, each at a stable ELI address built from year, type and number. A full Act or instrument is served at the /print path; the /html path returns only the arrangement of sections. The site also carries a legislation directory page per Act listing every instrument made under it, which is the only published index of the orders that make up a scheme.
Standing:
Cannot be cited for: This site publishes Acts **as enacted** and statutory instruments **as made**, and nothing else. It is not the law in force and does not claim to be: the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014 has been amended more than twenty times and the text served at its address is the 2014 original, with no marker to say so. Section 819(4) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is served in words replaced in 2008. For an Act the Law Reform Commission has revised, the revised text is the one to read; for the Taxes Consolidation Act and for every statutory instrument there is no revised text anywhere, and the current wording has to be assembled from the amending instruments by hand. The directory page for an Act is reachable; the equivalent page for a statutory instrument returned an error when tried.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«38. In the case of a general employment permit for— (a) employment as— (i) a health care assistant, (ii) a care worker, or (iii) a home carer, the minimum annual remuneration is €27,000 and the minimum hourly rate of remuneration is €13.31, (b) employment as— (i) a horticulture worker, or (ii) a meat processor operative, the minimum annual remuneration is €30,000 and the minimum hourly rate of remuneration is €14.79, and (c) any other employment, the minimum annual remuneration is €34,000 and the minimum hourly rate of remuneration is €16.77.»About this source
The electronic Irish Statute Book: every Act of the Oireachtas since 1922 and every statutory instrument, each at a stable ELI address built from year, type and number. A full Act or instrument is served at the /print path; the /html path returns only the arrangement of sections. The site also carries a legislation directory page per Act listing every instrument made under it, which is the only published index of the orders that make up a scheme.
Standing:
Cannot be cited for: This site publishes Acts **as enacted** and statutory instruments **as made**, and nothing else. It is not the law in force and does not claim to be: the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014 has been amended more than twenty times and the text served at its address is the 2014 original, with no marker to say so. Section 819(4) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is served in words replaced in 2008. For an Act the Law Reform Commission has revised, the revised text is the one to read; for the Taxes Consolidation Act and for every statutory instrument there is no revised text anywhere, and the current wording has to be assembled from the amending instruments by hand. The directory page for an Act is reachable; the equivalent page for a statutory instrument returned an error when tried.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«26. The minimum amount of remuneration payable in respect of an employment as a condition for the grant of a critical skills employment permit in respect of it is— (a) in the case of the employments referred to in Regulation 25(a)— (i) annual remuneration of €38,000, and (ii) an hourly rate of remuneration of €18.74, and (b) in the case of the employments referred to in Regulation 25(b)— (i) annual remuneration of €64,000, and (ii) an hourly rate of remuneration of €31.56.»Two figures because the critical skills list has two halves: the employments in regulation 25(a) and everything in 25(b).
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The electronic Irish Statute Book: every Act of the Oireachtas since 1922 and every statutory instrument, each at a stable ELI address built from year, type and number. A full Act or instrument is served at the /print path; the /html path returns only the arrangement of sections. The site also carries a legislation directory page per Act listing every instrument made under it, which is the only published index of the orders that make up a scheme.
Standing:
Cannot be cited for: This site publishes Acts **as enacted** and statutory instruments **as made**, and nothing else. It is not the law in force and does not claim to be: the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014 has been amended more than twenty times and the text served at its address is the 2014 original, with no marker to say so. Section 819(4) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is served in words replaced in 2008. For an Act the Law Reform Commission has revised, the revised text is the one to read; for the Taxes Consolidation Act and for every statutory instrument there is no revised text anywhere, and the current wording has to be assembled from the amending instruments by hand. The directory page for an Act is reachable; the equivalent page for a statutory instrument returned an error when tried.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
Practical notes
The Act was read as enacted. The Statute Book offers a revised text of it, and what has been commenced and when was not checked here, so a provision quoted may be in force on a date this record does not state.
The permit is a condition of the employment, not of being in the State. Permission to be here is still section 4 of the Immigration Act 2004, given separately by a different Minister's officer, and the two can come apart.
- publishesEmployment Permits Act 2024
Irish Statute Book, Office of the Attorney General
About this source
The electronic Irish Statute Book: every Act of the Oireachtas since 1922 and every statutory instrument, each at a stable ELI address built from year, type and number. A full Act or instrument is served at the /print path; the /html path returns only the arrangement of sections. The site also carries a legislation directory page per Act listing every instrument made under it, which is the only published index of the orders that make up a scheme.
Standing:
Cannot be cited for: This site publishes Acts **as enacted** and statutory instruments **as made**, and nothing else. It is not the law in force and does not claim to be: the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014 has been amended more than twenty times and the text served at its address is the 2014 original, with no marker to say so. Section 819(4) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is served in words replaced in 2008. For an Act the Law Reform Commission has revised, the revised text is the one to read; for the Taxes Consolidation Act and for every statutory instrument there is no revised text anywhere, and the current wording has to be assembled from the amending instruments by hand. The directory page for an Act is reachable; the equivalent page for a statutory instrument returned an error when tried.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
- publishesEmployment Permits Regulations 2024
Irish Statute Book, Office of the Attorney General
About this source
The electronic Irish Statute Book: every Act of the Oireachtas since 1922 and every statutory instrument, each at a stable ELI address built from year, type and number. A full Act or instrument is served at the /print path; the /html path returns only the arrangement of sections. The site also carries a legislation directory page per Act listing every instrument made under it, which is the only published index of the orders that make up a scheme.
Standing:
Cannot be cited for: This site publishes Acts **as enacted** and statutory instruments **as made**, and nothing else. It is not the law in force and does not claim to be: the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014 has been amended more than twenty times and the text served at its address is the 2014 original, with no marker to say so. Section 819(4) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is served in words replaced in 2008. For an Act the Law Reform Commission has revised, the revised text is the one to read; for the Taxes Consolidation Act and for every statutory instrument there is no revised text anywhere, and the current wording has to be assembled from the amending instruments by hand. The directory page for an Act is reachable; the equivalent page for a statutory instrument returned an error when tried.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source