The information given here is a brief synopsis of the types of work visas available and is by no means a complete information source. Vantage management have in depth knowledge and experience of obtaining work visa's for IT contractors to come and work in Ireland and will assist you in obtaining one for working in Ireland with us. Please note that the following information applies only until the 1st of February 2007, when the new Employment Permits Act 2006 will be brought into full effect.
Firstly, a short note. When dealing with Governmental agencies there is a right way to process any application and a wrong way and there are NO shortcuts - period. There are rules and criteria defined by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment for the work visa process - break them and you may as well stop there and then! Similarly, this also applies to any company who breaks these rules when applying for a visa on your behalf so beware!
Fundamentally, there are TWO types of working visas available in Ireland for IT contractors and these are the Working Authorisation Visa and the Work Permit Visa. The old Business Transfer visa used to transfer staff between subsidiary companies is no longer in existence. A new type of Visa is expected to be launched in the coming months. It will effect IT personnel looking to work in Ireland and will be based on salaries to be earned in Ireland. The fundamental principal for issuing any one of these Visas's is that you have skills that are in short supply in Ireland and it will be a form of ‘Green Card' system. The regulations for this form of Visa have not yet been issued. We will keep you informed of any updates.
Working Authorisation Visa
This Visa is issued to the individuals themselves and is applied for by that person in the country where they reside. It cannot be issued here in Ireland. The visa is issued to IT personnel with specific rare skills and the applicant must also have a relevant Information technology third level qualification (this is important!). The visa is inserted in your passport on application. At the time of application you need a job offer from a valid employer in Ireland but you are not required to work for this employer for the duration of your visa i.e. you may seek alternate employment once you are residing in the country. Upon arrival you need to perform a number of registration processes. Of course every detail required in the process is not listed here but Vantage will use its wealth of experience in this area to assist you and cover off each small detail to ensure a smooth application process - we even arrange for someone to meet you upon arrival at Dublin Airport!
Work Permit Visa
This Visa is issued to individuals Employer and NOT to the individual themselves and is in direct contrast to the work authorisation visa. The prospective employer has to make the application for a fee of €500 and the whole process takes approximately 6 - weeks. (You should never be asked to pay this application fee, as it is the responsibility of the person applying for your work permit to pay this). The employee cannot move to another job unless they get the new employer to apply for a new work permit which means an additional €500 and 6 week time frame. The issued work permit is retained by the employer and not in the individual's passport as with the work authorisation visa although the same registration process with the Irish immigration authorities is required upon arrival.
Unlike the WVA application the work permit is a longer process, as one of the stipulations is that FAS the Irish Training and Employment Authority must advertise the job for 4 weeks before the visa application can be submitted to the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment.
Entry visas (D-Visas) are required for certain Non-EU nationals which are Visas in addition to a work permit or work Authorisation. Vantage can advise you on these specific requirements.
Note on Transitional Economic Migration Arrangements January - February 2007 *Work Permit Applications received before 1st January 2007 are being examined and processed in accordance with the procedures outlined above. *Work Permit Applications received during January 2007 will be processed as above, but will be accompanied by the information of the Employment Permits Act 2006. *Work Permit Applications received after 31st January 2007 will be processed in accordance with the new arrangements. *With effect from 1st January 2007, Irish embassies abroad are not accepting new Work Visa / Work Authorisation applications and these schemes have been discontinued. It is being replaced by the Green Card which will come into effect on the 1st February.
Hope this brief outline is of some assistance. Obviously if you would like to work in Ireland in the IT sector we would love to talk to you and will support you in your Visa application.
Vantage Resources treats their employees like VIPs. They will
help you in any way they can and even provide a dedicated specialist
just to attend to your concerns, be it work related, personal issues, visa concerns, housing concerns, you name it, they are always there to help.
Vantage Resources deals with international companies which
will put you in a very good position in Information and Technology. As an Oracle Developer, I enjoy my job, while practicing my expertise, I am able to learn new things as well.
Let's just say I am very happy with Vantage Resources that it made me turn down all new offers I am getting from different companies.
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