ELIGIBILITY: Going into more detail on SOC codes

In very brief summary:

Ineligible means: that even if you have a job offer, you will not be getting a work permit, you cannot work in Ireland in that career.

Critical skills:
this is a very high demand career and will offer you a work permit subject to the terms and conditions, and if successful your spouse and/or children can join immediately with you and your spouse subject to conditions can get a work permission too

General:
means you can get a work permit subject to many terms and conditions, your spouse and/or children can join you 12 months later subject to more conditions, but they cannot work without their own work permit

 


 

There is NO point looking for work in Ireland if you have not done the skills check!

You are wasting time and energy if you haven't done this check!

You can follow the steps below, or you can pay EUR5 (around R100) for a full report on your and your spouse's careers to see

1. Are we eligible?

2. What kind of work permit are we eligible for?

3. Can we both work or are there restrictions?

4. How does this affect our children?

If you are STILL lost or concerned

see: 4. Eligibility check/ report

 


 

The most useful tool for looking up the SOC code is this: HERE

The ONS Coding tool

 

Once you know your SOC code you look up your career on BOTH of these lists to see if you are eligible for a work permit:

 


 

First open 4 browsers on your PC or MAC:

(We don't recommend a phone because the lists do not appear well due to formatting as the screen is so much smaller.  It's also more difficult to use "ControlF" on PC or or Command+F on a Mac, to search within a document/website page. Also switching between tabs on a phone can be cumbersome)

 

 

You have this website page open on one tab, great! The other 3 tabs are here:

 


 

 

 

On the ONS coding tool

Type in your career title

We are going to use "Sports Facility Manager" as an example

 

See then below it pops up with a few examples.

Which of those titles best describes your career?

It opens a window with a description of the career.

Then it has the entry requirements, so the qualifications you may need to do this job.

Then tasks/responsibilities that are usually required in doing this job.

 

Now click on your Ineligible list tab on your PC.

Always look at INELIGIBLE first.

You want to be sure that exact career/ SOC code is not ineligible.

If your career and code is on this list, it means, despite a job offer, you will not get a work permit.

 

 

 

Lets look up another career, lets say Engineer

Long list of Engineering related careers!

Let's add some clarity then, let's say "Electrical Engineer"

Now 5241 says electrical engineer, but when I open up the description of 5241…

 

 

 

 

 

5241 is actually an electrician and electrical fitter.

But is this your career?

No, you may have a BTEC degree, so go back to the list and make sure you find the exact description that matches your degree and the career you do, or as close to it as possible.

 

 

 

Here you are in fact 2123 ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

There are your qualifications, the job description and so on, it matches!

Do a quick search on the ineligible list just to be sure, nope its not ineligible, so then look at the critical skills list

 With this particular career, it's not ineligible, so then check the critical skills list, and there it is...

 

 

 

A qualified registered Electrical Engineering professional is eligible for a Critical Skills work permit where an Electrician is General work permit

Had this Electrical engineer not checked correctly, and gone with the first SOC code they would have discovered 5241 Electrician and Electrical fitter is ineligible and walked away from any further searches and given up all dreams and hopes of immigration here.

Searching CORRECTLY and THOROUGHLY is vital!

 

Careers that fall on the ineligible list- cannot get a work permit in that career

Critical skills list- need a degree in that career, or a job offer over EUR64000 with career experience and possibly a registering organising body registration

ALL other careers that fall neither Critical nor Ineligible are GENERAL WORK PERMIT ELIGIBLE

 

 


 

Other SOC codes tools

 

This tool is from the Office of National Statistics in the Uk, but as these are worldwide codes, it applies to us in Ireland too.

And a list on an excel sheet can be found HERE with the 2020 and 2010 SOC codes side by side. Follow the link and download where indicated here

This is an American site with the codes and here is a UK one.


 

UPDATE 21/12/23:

We will implement these new changes in requirements on SA2Eire when the lists are updated, but there are changes in the work permit eligibility lists, and the min salary requirements for new work permits from Jan 2024

https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/news-and-events/department-news/2023/december/20122023.html

 


 

 

By this point you should know your chances of getting a work permit for Ireland, and have checked the skills lists.

So now follow the links to:

 

  • The SOC codes and skills lists (Done above)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Employment - A few articles on CV writing,  how to find work, getting employed and all things related to employment like, tax, pensions, USC, labour laws etc

 

 


 

Important links:

 

  #MapMyMove- Our coaching Services - Confused or lost and need some direction, book a session with us to help untangle the confusion and work out your route of immigration

   DETE- Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment 

   Updates on the Skills lists usually occurs bi-annually- The eligible and ineligible employments for employment permits are laid out in regulations and are arrived at following a formalised and evidence-based process which is carried out bi-annually.  The process involves obtaining and considering advice from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) and Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SMLRU) in SOLAS.  It also involves input from relevant Government Departments, Agencies, and industry as necessary.” DBEI.gov.ie

   South African and Ineligible. The Heartbreak (BLOG) - what are my options if I am ineligible for a work permit for Ireland?

   Admin before the move

   Admin once you're in Ireland

 


X

Right Click

No right click