Ireland: Minimum Remuneration Thresholds for Employment Permits Delay

Key Points  

• Ireland will delay increasing its minimum annual remuneration for employment permits until after January 2025, except for Health Care Assistants, Home Carers and Care Workers 

Delays to the Minimum Remuneration Threshold Increase

Ireland will delay increasing its minimum annual remuneration (MAR) for employment permits until after January 2025. Employers must offer at least the Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) to issue an employment permit. In January 2024, authorities increased it as part of a roadmap outlining further increases until 2026. For more details, refer to the “Outcome of the Review of the Employment Permits Occupations Lists,” published in December 2023. 

The January 2024 increase addressed the gap between the MAR and average state earnings. However, due to rising business costs, the department is reviewing the roadmap for future increases to ensure stability for employers and permit holders. 

To incorporate the review findings into business planning, authorities deferred the January 2025 increases, except for the previously delayed increase to €30,000 for Health Care Assistants, Home Carers and Care Workers, which will proceed as planned.