What are the main immigration pathways to Ireland?

Ireland is an EU member but runs a notably independent immigration system. It is not part of the Schengen Area, so it issues its own visas, and it is instead part of the Common Travel Area with the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man — though Irish permission does not by itself allow entry to the UK. Rather than the EU Blue Card or Single Permit framework, Ireland uses its own employment-permit system run by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE).

The flagship work route is the Critical Skills Employment Permit, alongside the General Employment Permit and the Intra-Company Transfer permit. Immigration permission uses the Stamp system (Stamp 1 for permit-based work, Stamp 2 for students, Stamp 1G for graduates, Stamp 4 for full long-term residence). Study is via the Interim List of Eligible Programmes, family reunification follows national policy, and entrepreneurs can use the Start-Up Entrepreneur Programme. Settlement comes through Long Term Residency or Stamp 4, then citizenship by naturalisation or the generous citizenship-by-descent route. Note that the former Immigrant Investor 'golden visa' closed to new applications in February 2023 and is not available.

Salary thresholds, occupation lists, fees and processing times change regularly, so confirm current details on irishimmigration.ie and enterprise.gov.ie before applying. ACME can help you map your situation to the right route from the start.