Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 February 2012
131 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will outline the way in which a person (details supplied) from Canada who is authorised because of special skills to work in the country on a one year work holiday visa can have same extended; if he will give details of their options on their status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8687/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department processes applications in respect of the different types of employment permits and all applications are processed in line with the Employment Permits Act 2006. The Employment Permits Section has indicated that they cannot consider applications for employment permits for foreign nationals who are currently in the State on a working holiday authorisation (WHA) issued by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. WHAs are issued by the Irish Embassy/Consulate in the relevant country. They are issued to individuals for a period of 12 months and they must adhere strictly to the conditions set out. One of these conditions is that the person concerned would have signed a declaration stating that they would not seek authority to settle in Ireland and that they would leave the State at or before the end of the authorised period of stay. In the event that the WHA has expired and they have left the State then they are free to apply for an employment permit, however the current policy in relation to new first time applications would apply.
It is current Government policy to issue new employment permits only in respect of:
highly skilled, highly paid positions or;
non-EEA nationals who are already legally resident in the State on valid employment permits or;
positions requiring specialist or scarce skills, expertise or qualifications which cannot be filled elsewise.
Further information and the conditions that apply to the obtaining of new employment permits can be found at my Department's website at www.djei.ie.
