Help!! Work permit for casual work as US citizen???

Hi! I'm hoping somebody can help me out!!!

I'm an American moving to Ireland in 2 weeks. I've a round trip ticket so I can enter as a visitor (but I won't use my return ticket). I plan to stay at a hostel in Cork until I can find a job in a cafe (or some type of casual work) and a flat in the city. I plan to stay in Ireland 5 years then apply for dual citizenship.

Can I just get off the plane, head to Cork and start looking for a job? Then apply for a work permit once I've found an employer? Or will my being a "visitor" cause problems with my permit (citizensinformation.com said something about that)? Will I be able to get my permit within my granted 90 days or will it take longer? Do I pay the permit fee or does my employer? After I am granted my work permit, will I have to ask the Gardai for permission to reside? Anything else that I'm missing?

Thank you sooooo much for reading!!!! Please help!!! Only a few more days!!!

Work permits are for highly-skilled people who can do jobs that an employer can't find anyone in Ireland or the EU to do. The employer must prove that they've advertised the job on the official government channels for a specific length of time. They must also prove that there's no one from an EU country who can/will take the job. It costs EUR1000 and can take up to 8 weeks to process.

Read the guidelines here.

Casual work in a bar or cafe meets none of the work permit requirements. Categories of work which are specifically ineligible for work permits include all sales staff, all clerical and administrative positions, and all hotel tourism and catering positions (except chefs).

Even if you got a work permit, you'd have to go back to the US to wait for it and come back into Ireland on the permit. You can't switch from visitor status to work permit status once in the country.

Hi Platinum (and anyone else listening.... thank you!!),

I was told by my local Irish Consulate that it would be wise to visit the Gardai in the first week I arrive to show proof that I can support myself. Then I would be granted permission to remain longer than the 90 days (to allow enough time to find work and process paperwork). Then they said I could look for a job and come back to the Gardai once I've found an employer. As long as the position was run in the paper for 3 days (allotting enough time for an Irish citizen to apply), I would be employable. Then the Gardai would give me the stamp to deem me eligible to remain as a worker. Is all of this advice true?

But the "proof" they want is a bank statement showing EUR 1000/month and I've got only about $3000 in my bank account (nearly enough for my given 3 months)... so I'm hoping that I can skip the first Gardai visit and just go job hunting straight away. If/When I find an employer, can I then go to the Gardai and ask for permission to work? Is this route even possible?

Last year when I was in Dublin, I met some Canadian girls who were doing the same thing. They got jobs as clerks in little shops and had no problem getting their permits. Have things changed since then?

What does this all sound like to you? Risky or possible? Thanks so much for helping with my headache! take care..

mello_chello wrote:Hi Platinum (and anyone else listening.... thank you!!),

I was told by my local Irish Consulate that it would be wise to visit the Gardai in the first week I arrive to show proof that I can support myself. Then I would be granted permission to remain longer than the 90 days (to allow enough time to find work and process paperwork). Then they said I could look for a job and come back to the Gardai once I've found an employer. As long as the position was run in the paper for 3 days (allotting enough time for an Irish citizen to apply), I would be employable. Then the Gardai would give me the stamp to deem me eligible to remain as a worker. Is all of this advice true?

But the "proof" they want is a bank statement showing EUR 1000/month and I've got only about $3000 in my bank account (nearly enough for my given 3 months)... so I'm hoping that I can skip the first Gardai visit and just go job hunting straight away. If/When I find an employer, can I then go to the Gardai and ask for permission to work? Is this route even possible?

Last year when I was in Dublin, I met some Canadian girls who were doing the same thing. They got jobs as clerks in little shops and had no problem getting their permits. Have things changed since then?

What does this all sound like to you? Risky or possible? Thanks so much for helping with my headache! take care..

How old are you, and what qualifications/work experience do you have?

If you want to work in Ireland doing casual/bar/cafe work, or any other job that does not normally require a degree and/or years of experience, you will NEVER get a visa/permit, even if the employers loved you and wanted you. I think, for Ireland, you must have skills in high-demand and/or years of experience in your field. Since it sounds from your posts that you don't have any in-demand skills, you'll not be able to get a visa, especially NOT for cafe/bar/casual work!! I cannot see a cafe job being advertised and no Irish or EU/EEA national, or student visa holder, being able to fulfil the requirements. Moreso, I cannot see the authorities giving you a visa even if the post went unfilled!

The Canadian girls you mentioned...they were probably there on the Irish holiday maker visa...which is not open to U.S. citizens.

Oops..sorry if it sounds harsh. Didn't want to burst your dreams but we have to be realistic. Then again, you know what they say, "never say never". Why not go to Ireland as a student?

As a student you can work upto 20 hrs a week anywhere. See if you can contact anyone on the Migrant Council Ireland (www.mrci.ie) or Immigrant council (www.immigrantcouncil.ie) to email/talk to you about your options.

mello_chello wrote: I was told by my local Irish Consulate that it would be wise to visit the Gardai in the first week I arrive to show proof that I can support myself. Then I would be granted permission to remain longer than the 90 days (to allow enough time to find work and process paperwork). Then they said I could look for a job and come back to the Gardai once I've found an employer. As long as the position was run in the paper for 3 days (allotting enough time for an Irish citizen to apply), I would be employable. Then the Gardai would give me the stamp to deem me eligible to remain as a worker. Is all of this advice true?

It is a sad but true fact that many Irish embassies around the world are misinformed about their own immigration laws. I would take any advice an Irish embassy gives you with a pinch of salt and do your own investigation on the relevant government websites.

With respect, it doesn't really sound as if you've thought your move to Ireland through. You cannot just hop onto a plane and arrive in Ireland without any permission to work, find a casual job and think that you will be given a work permit. If it was that easy don't you think the whole world would be on a plane to Ireland?

As others have pointed out it simply is not possible to obtain a work permit for unskilled jobs like bar and restaurant work.

Whatever happens, you need to sort out your paperwork BEFORE you arrive in Ireland.

Thanks everybody for the advice!! take care..

mello_chello wrote:Hi! I'm hoping somebody can help me out!!!

I'm an American moving to Ireland in 2 weeks. I've a round trip ticket so I can enter as a visitor (but I won't use my return ticket). I plan to stay at a hostel in Cork until I can find a job in a cafe (or some type of casual work) and a flat in the city. I plan to stay in Ireland 5 years then apply for dual citizenship.

Casual work? Citizenship? You clearly have not read this forum. A final disappointment unfortunately - once you've jumped through the almost impossible hoops of obtaining permission to work, and you've lived here for 5 years, your application for naturalisation will take a further 2.5-3 years to process.

As a side note - why on earth are Americans not included in the Irish Working Holiday Visa scheme? Considering the 50 000 odd Irish-illegals in the US and the fact that 1000's of Irish students flock to the US under J-1 visas each year for what is essentially a working holiday in the US - the least you would expect was for the US to be included in such a scheme.

joesoap101 wrote: As a side note - why on earth are Americans not included in the Irish Working Holiday Visa scheme? Considering the 50 000 odd Irish-illegals in the US and the fact that 1000's of Irish students flock to the US under J-1 visas each year for what is essentially a working holiday in the US - the least you would expect was for the US to be included in such a scheme.

The Summer J-1 visa does actually have a reciprocal version for American students to come to Ireland for a 4 month period (same as the J-1). When I came here originally that is the visa I was on and was then able to get a work permit. That 4 months, however does not count toward residency or citizenship. Same thing goes for Canadians, Kiwis and Aussies - anytime here on a student or working holiday programme will not count towards your residency/citizenship residency requirement.

In regards to the Irish illegals in the US - I am sure most people from everywhere would agree - it is aggravating to know that the Government here will lobby for these people to be given rights to stay in the US even though they are illegal and for the most part have not paid taxes, when those of us who have paid taxes in Ireland for 5 years are essentially treated like criminals when we wish to stay here.

Mello - I am not sure if you hopped on the plane or not, but the best advice would be get the 4 month visa if you can and hope you get employed in a job that will sponsor you and will be able to obtain the work permit on your behalf.

I would love to know what this visa is actually called, what stamp did you get in your passport?

i would like to make another suggestion for you. may be it is funny but hey, it might work one day. loads of illegal irish working in usa and the irish government is trying hard to make those illegal irish in states to be legal!!!!!!! why dont you work illegally here and get the usa government to get the irish government to make give you legal stauts in ireland to work????????

just kidding. the irish government is worst then the guys in fatah!!! so good luck in ireland for trip and hope something works out for you at the end.

Marielmcp wrote:In regards to the Irish illegals in the US - I am sure most people from everywhere would agree - it is aggravating to know that the Government here will lobby for these people to be given rights to stay in the US even though they are illegal and for the most part have not paid taxes, when those of us who have paid taxes in Ireland for 5 years are essentially treated like criminals when we wish to stay here.

I think you should try to get your story on to the letters page of the irish times or the Herald that you will write your congressman or others to do your best to make sure the illegal irish don't get any reprieve in the U.S. Also mention the way you've been treated here by the Irish government even though you are legal and paying your taxes. I know it's not nice to the Irish in the U.S, but this is the only achilles heel the nazis in the Irish government have...It might even have the effect of forcing the government to change their attitudes.