Since the beginning of the pandemic Minister McEntee has announced nine temporary extensions of immigration and international protection permissions.
This temporary permission means that people who held valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 are legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022 even if their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card has expired and they are awaiting a new one.
At this time there are no plans to issue an extension beyond 31 May 2022. Those covered by the extension are entitled to remain, reside and work in the State if their previously granted permission allowed them to do so.
If your employee is required to hold an employment permit, they must check with the employment permits division of the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment regarding the issuing of a new or renewed employment permit.
International students who have arrived in the State and who wish to engage in employment should be able to demonstrate to employers that they have a valid landing stamp in their passport indicating they are required to register for a Stamp 2 permission on an approved scheme under the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP).
In relation to renewals in the Dublin area, ISD is experiencing a very large volume of applications. The current processing time to renew permission is 10 weeks. It can then take a further two weeks to receive a new IRP card. If your employee’s IRP card has expired and they are unable to obtain a valid registration card by 31 May 2022, they are still legally permitted to remain in the State provided they show proof that they have applied to renew their registration and are waiting for it to be processed.
All renewals are processed online and applicants are issued with a receipt of the application and a unique application number (OREG number).
Prospective employees intending to take up employment under these arrangements should print this notice and present it if requested by their employer.