Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In order to work in Ireland, a non-EEA national, unless they are exempted, must hold a valid employment permit, which is administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE).

Visa required nationals must apply for a “D” long stay employment visa once they have been granted an employment permit from DETE. Any non EU/EEA nationals who wish to remain for longer than 90 days must also register with my Department, within 90 days of their arrival in Ireland, and apply for further permission to remain.

The processing times for visa decisions are published on the visa pages of each Visa Office and the relevant Embassy website.  Currently, the average time taken to process an employment visa received in my Department's Visa Offices in Dublin and overseas is three weeks.

The granting of an employment permit by DETE is not the sole determining factor as to whether a visa will subsequently be granted by my Department. These are two very distinct application processes with different checks and procedures in place in each respective Department.

The central concern in deciding on visa applications, as with all visa services worldwide, is to strike an appropriate balance between protecting the country's vital national interests by maintaining an effective immigration regime while at the same time facilitating travel for those who meet the criteria.  Each visa application is therefore decided on its own merits taking all factors into account.