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For Oral Answer on : 08/02/2024
Question Number(s): 10 Question Reference(s): 5575/24
Department: Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Enterprise; Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 11 and 23 of 29 June 2023, if he is considering bringing forward measures to allow labour market access to the partners and spouses of intra-company transfer employment permits holders, similar to that of partners and spouses of critical skills employment permit holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
One of the attractions of the Critical Skills Employment Permit is that these permit holders can apply to the Department of Justice for immediate family reunification and once their partners or spouses are resident in the State, they are eligible to apply to that Department for their own immigration permission which can give them the right to take up any employment in the State without the need for an employment permit.
Spouses or partners of holders of Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permits do not currently receive automatic work rights on the basis of their spouses permit and corresponding immigration permission. They are, however, free to apply for a separate employment permit in their own right.
The Department of Justice, which has responsibility for the conditions governing the eligibility requirements for immigration and work permissions for non EEA nationals and their spouses are conducting a review of the broader family reunification policy, including work rights of spouses.
The Department of Justice policy requires that the sponsor demonstrate their capacity to provide for their family member(s) if they are to be granted a permission to come to Ireland. The policy sets out the rationale for applying resource requirements as part of the overall assessment of whether to approve an application for family reunification and the conditions attaching to permissions issued to family members.
That work is ongoing at present and my Department has been engaging with the Department of Justice to support this review.
