Irish Work Visa Using The Work Permit Issued In April 2020

[msaj07]

Hi Experts,

I have a few questions with regards to applying Irish Work Visa, I would appreciate if someone could answer these because I am unable to find the answers based on my own research online.

This is regarding my Critical Skills Employment which was issued electronically in April 2020 and is valid till April 2022.

My queries are:

1) Is it possible to change my Employment Permit start date and end date?

2) Can I apply for the Employment Visa using the Employment Permit issued in April 2020?

3) If the answer to the above query is "yes", then by the time my Employment Permit expires (April 2022), I would have not completed "21 months of continuous employment in the State", hence I may not be eligible for applying for Stamp 4 immigration permission. Can you please advice what should I do in this situation? Should I ask my employer to apply for a new Critical Skills Employment Permit now itself so that I get 2 years of Permit?

Many thanks in advance.

[littlerr]

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/m ... vid19.html

DBEI will allow you to change your start date with your new employment, if you cannot take up the job as a result of COVID-19.

However, your permit has already lapsed for 8 months...

You need to have completed at least 21 months of work before your work permit expires. The start date on your permit is the date you should start working in Ireland.

I don’t know how lenient DBEI would be, but you need to come up with some good explanations. Your permit’s start date is 8 months ago. That is a very long period of time for you or your employer not to inform DBEI of any change.

Regarding visas, again, it would depend on how lenient your local embassy is during the COVID crisis (e.g. your country may have a strict lockdown order which may have prevented you from travelling to Ireland), but you will still need good and VERY STRONG reasons that you didn’t apply for a visa at least 8 months ago.

[msaj07]

Hi littlerr,

Thanks a ton for your prompt response.

Regarding my location, I am an Indian citizen, but currently living in the UK.

The reason for not applying visa for the past 8 months was that my employer lost his business because of the pandemic and they put a hold on my travel to Ireland until they secure additional business/revenue.

Now my employer's business is coming back on track and they are in the middle of securing a new customers, hence my employer and I are currently discussing on when to start my employment.

I don't know if this reason is strong or not, but sadly, this is the truth.

Do you think we made a mistake not informing DBEI earlier?

Do you think my employer should inform DBEI now?

[msaj07]

Can you please let me know if my employer should inform DBEI?
Much appreciated in advance.