joesoap101 wrote:Well their policy is that if you have a 'green card' employment permit for 2 years you can apply to the DOJ for LTR. If you're on a work authorisation then you have to wait 5 years before being eligible to apply for LTR. Some people are waiting up to a year to have their LTR processed but even taking this into account, obtaining LTR after 3 years as apposed to 6 years- the benefits are strikingly obvious. However, like I said previously- this would really only be important to people who have not had a work authorisation for long.
The term green card and permanent residency in the Irish context is a total anomaly because your 'permanent residency' is merely an extension of leave to remain for 5 years, and the green card is just a regular work permit with a fancy name. They are too hung up on catch phrases!
Everyone should decide for themselves which route to take, renewal of authorisation or applying for a green card.
Hi Litol
i found out all the info now and you make the jugdement youself that if you should stay on work authorization or switch to green card, ok?
i spoke to the people in dept of enterprise today. to renew your work authorization. you just do what i mentioned in the other post. show up in the GNIB with a letter from your emplyer saying how much you getting pay and you have a job, your p60 for preivous years or p21 from the previous year will do as well, your passport and you current gnib card. go there. pay €100 then get your 2 years stamp again. once when your work authorization renewed. you can stay with the same employer as you wish or you can change to whoever you want to work for without applying for the new work authorization within the 2 years period that from the new GNIB stamp. ok? thats pretty much about work authorization. €100 is not bad for it.
now now, here is the green card. here is the link for the guildline for green card from dept of enterprise:
http://www.entemp.ie/labour/workpermits/guidelines.htm
i have been told on the phone today by dept of enterprise. here is how the green card works. you apply for the green card. they will give you 2 years green card permit and they prefer you stay with the same employer for the first 2 years. application fees for that is €1000 euro. the application fees can be pay by you or your employer. let say you want to change employer after the first year, you or your new employer has to pay €1000 euro again to apply for a new green card. if you stayed with the same employer for the first 2 years and want to continue on with the same employer. then you put in an application to renew your green card. the dept of enterprise will give you a new green card for 5 years and the dept of enterprise call it RENEW INDEFINITE even it only has 5 years limit on it. if you want to change employer after the RENEW INDEFINITE green card issued to you. you or your new employer has to put in a new application for a new green card which the dept of enterprise will charge a €1000 euro for application fees again!!!!!!!!!!! so every time when you want to change employer. you or your new employer has to pay €1000 before they give you a new green card.
about the residency. if you read the green card guildline published by the dept of enterprise. it said there will be a pathway to permanent residency after the 2 years as green card holder but it never said how much time or when the dept of justice will give you the so call permanent residency or long term residency. according from dept justice person i spoke to last friday over the phone. he told me that no one will be granted long term residency( or so call permanent residency in ireland ) unless the applicant has resided in ireland for 5 years or more. and the person i spoke to in dept of enterprise confirm that. so you have to hold the green card for 5 years before you apply for long term residency.
on the other hand, let say if you go for the green card and they give you a 5 years green card on your second one. what do you think when you go down to renew you GNIB card. do you think the GNIB will give you a 5 years GNIB card or do you think the GNIB will give you a year or 2 and ask you to come back to get further extension of it. thats another 2 to 3 hundred euro right there if the GNIB not giving you the full 5 years GNIB card based on you 5 years green card. just think about it.
thats what i can understand in my own situation. i am a work authorization holder like you but i have been here little bit longer then you. the green card just a more expensive work permit. it ties you to the employer if you cannot find another job offer. you have to pay expensive application fees every time when you want to change employer. the length for green card holder to apply for long term residency is same the holder of work authorization. the work authoization holder can change job anytime wihtout apply again after every 2 years. it is cheap and easy to renew. you dont have to go to dept of enterprise and dept of justice to renew the work authorization. just by going to the GNIB every 2 years. but if you hold the green card. you have to go throught 2 departments all the time.
as far as i can see it. green card just another money making thing invented by the irish gangster to make more money out from the foreign workers. so if i were you, i will definitely keeping the work authorization and think twice before you switch over to the green card. if you dont believe me, phone the dept of enterprise helpline at 01 417 5333 and enjoy the waiting before someone picks the phone!!!!!
