Employment Visa (Atypical Working Scheme) Application

If you are a citizen of a country which is not in the EEA or Switzerland nor a non-visa required country, you will need to apply for an Employment Visa (Atypical Working Scheme) to work in Ireland for a period of up to 90 days.

Under this visa, you cannot undertake any work which is not in accordance with your application and you cannot access public funds whilst you are in Ireland either.

The first step in the employment visa (Atypical Working Scheme) application process is to apply for approval from the Atypical Working Scheme Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.

The purpose of this scheme is to streamline the process for those who wish to work in Ireland for a short period of time in employment which is not governed by Employment Permits Acts.

Atypical Working Scheme Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the Atypical Working Scheme, you must be a non-EEA national who is required to undertake work in Ireland by an Irish company or organisation. Applications for this scheme must be made from outside of Ireland.

You could be eligible to work in Ireland through the Atypical Working Scheme under the following circumstances:

• To provide a specialised skill to a business, industry or academic institution
• To work for an Irish company which has identified a skill shortage
• To work as a locum doctor in the hospital or primary care sectors
• To work as a nurse as part of the Clinical Adaptation and Assessment Programme/Examination
• To work as a researcher for up to 12 months when not eligible for an employment permit or hosting agreement
• To undertake waged/funded short-term employment/internship which is necessary to a course being studied for 3^rd level students who are studying outside Ireland in an accredited institution

The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation reviews all applications for the Atypical Working Scheme.

Who is not eligible for the Atypical Working Scheme?

Individuals in the following circumstances will not be eligible for the Atypical Working Scheme:

• Already legally living in Ireland
• Plan to enter Ireland for employment for up to two weeks
• Wish to enter Ireland for business purposes for up to 90 days
• Already have an employment permit
• Qualify for the Van der Elst work transfer
• Have been invited for a Highly Skilled Job Interview
• Have an Intra Company Transfer Employment Permit in another jurisdiction
• Would be working in a company where their employment would result in more than 50% of the employees being non-EEA nationals

If you have received a Letter of Approval, you can then apply for the Employment Visa (Atypical Working Scheme). Do note that the visa can only be applied for if you have received approval from the Atypical Working Scheme Division and are in possession of the Letter of Approval.

You will need to complete an online application to begin the visa application process. An application summary sheet will be displayed once the online application has been completed. You will need to print this sheet out as it will form part of your visa application.

Your Visa Application Tracking Number will be shown on the summary sheet, along with the address to send your application to.

Employment visa (Atypical Working Scheme) Required Documents

After you have completed the online application, the next step is to gather all your documents together. The specific documents which you need to provide could differ depending on your particular circumstances.

However, the following documents will definitely need to be included in the employment visa (Atypical Working Scheme) application:

• Two colour passport-sized photographs
• Your current passport and a full copy of any other passports (if possible)
• A signed letter detailing the purposes of your visit to Ireland, how long you intend to stay, where you plan to stay in Ireland, your commitment to living in Ireland under the conditions of the visa and your commitment to not become a burden on Ireland
• Valid Letter of Approval from the Atypical Working Scheme Division
• Evidence of your obligations to return to your country of permanent residence. You need to be able to demonstrate that you have strong family, social or economic ties to your country of residence. This could be shown through, for instance, a tenancy agreement or the birth certificate of your child who is living in your country of residence

Any documents which are not in Irish or English must be translated by an officially accredited translator. Each one of the translated documents must include:

• Confirmation from the translator that the document is accurately translated
• The date of the translation
• The full name and signature of the translator
• The contact details of the translator

Bear in mind that you must include the original and the translated documents in your visa application.

All documents which you supply must be in their original form. It is highly unlikely that photocopies will be accepted, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

After you have completed the online application and compiled all your relevant documentation, you need to send your visa application to the visa application office shown on your online application summary sheet.

If you are found to have deceived the Department of Justice & Equality in any way, your application will be rejected and further ramifications could be imposed on you.

For full information and guidance on the requirements and the documents you might need to provide, contact us on 033(+353) 061 518 025.

The fee for an employment visa (Atypical Working Scheme) is as follows:

• €60 for a single-journey visa
• €100 for a multiple-journey visa

However, this might not be the only cost to take into consideration with an employment visa application. The professional translation of documents could be costly, and you also need to take the initial Atypical Working Scheme application into account.

When will my employment visa application be processed?

Processing times vary depending on the application office which is processing the application. Also, keep in mind that during particularly busy periods, applications will take longer.

At the time of writing, the Department of Justice & Equality state that all Short Stay ‘C’ Visa applications take up to eight weeks to process, regardless of where the application is made from.

What is the process after my application has been submitted?

The Department of Justice & Equality will consider your full employment visa (Atypical Working Scheme) application. It is imperative that you include all the necessary documents and information in your application. If your application is missing any key documents, your application will be automatically rejected.

If your application is accepted, your passport will be stamped with the visa. If your application is rejected, a refusal letter will be sent to you highlighting the reasons for the refusal.

After your application has been processed, your passport and marriage/birth/death certificates will be returned to your home address. If you prefer, your documents can be sent back to an Irish embassy or consulate.

You can also request for other documents in your application to be returned by notifying immigration officials in your online application.