In an effort to meet increasing demand, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has announced changes to the employment permits system to allow non-EEA citizens to work in various healthcare roles which have been up to now been ineligible for the purposes of employment permits.
As a result of the new changes, the following job roles will be removed from the ineligible categories of employment list:
1. Healthcare Assistant;
2. Social Worker;
3. Occupational Therapist;
4. Physiotherapist;
5. Speech and Language Therapist;
Non-EEA citizens qualified in the above roles, can now apply for a General Employment Permit.
Healthcare Assistants specifically, can qualify for a General Employment Permit where they are paid a minimum salary of at least €27,000 per annum. It will be a condition that the permit holder will have obtained a QQI Level 5 Qualification after two years in this type of role.
The role of Dietician has also been added to the highly skilled categories of employment which means a non-EEA citizen qualified as such, can apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit.
These changes took effect on Monday 14th June 2021, and will be subject to review in 12 months time to ensure they are still meeting the needs of the healthcare sector.
If you would like some advice in relation to these recent changes, or on employment permits in general, we look forward to hearing from you at 01 873 5012 or info@mcgrathmullan.ie and we would be glad to assist you.