The Green Card Permits Act came into effect on 1 February, 2007. It allows people who have been offered a job at a company in Ireland to work for that company. It is granted for two years and is renewable. Years accumulated working on a green card count towards permanent residency and citizenship. Either the employee or the employer can apply for the permit, which will take about four to eight weeks to process. You can download the form online from The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (www.entemp.ie). It will cost you €1,000 the first time you apply for a green card. Both the green cards and work permits tie you to the specific employer with whom you are employed. Your spouse and children will be able to move to Ireland with you.

There are two categories of jobs under which non-EU citizens can apply for a green card permit. The first is for a job in any sector for which the annual salary is at least €60,000, not including bonuses. The other category is for those who have been offered a job in certain sectors – including IT, healthcare, industry, research or science, financial services and marketing and other specialist managing – for which the annual salary is between €30,000 and €59,999.