The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has published a long-awaited Roadmap that will overhaul Ireland’s Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) thresholds for non-EEA employment-permit holders. From 1 March 2026 the entry-level salary for a General Employment Permit will rise from €34,000 to €36,605, while the threshold for Critical Skills Employment Permits will move to €40,904 for degree-qualified applicants and €68,911 for highly-paid, experience-based cases. Lower-paid sectors such as meat processing and healthcare will also see increases to €32,691. (sdworx.ie)
Unlike previous one-off adjustments, the Roadmap sets out an indexation model that will incrementally lift salaries through 2030 in line with average earnings. Ministers Peter Burke and Alan Dillon said the phased approach gives employers time to budget while ensuring that wages remain competitive in a tight labour market.
The plan also introduces graduate-specific bands – for example, recent Irish-educated graduates will qualify for a Critical Skills permit at €36,848 – a nod to the Government’s talent-retention agenda. Sectors already reliant on foreign labour, notably healthcare, hospitality and construction, are expected to feel the squeeze first as they revisit pay scales and cost projections.
![Government unveils Roadmap to raise employment-permit salary thresholds from 1 March 2026]()
For organisations and individual professionals trying to navigate these new thresholds, VisaHQ can streamline the process by clarifying documentation requirements, monitoring application timelines and ensuring compliance with the latest salary bands. Their dedicated Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers up-to-date guidance and digital tools that help reduce administrative risk when securing Irish work permits and visas.
Global mobility teams should audit existing assignee packages, future requisitions and posted-worker budgets now. Companies that lodge permit applications before 1 March can still rely on current thresholds, but any amendment or renewal filed on or after that date must meet the new figures. Payroll and relocation allowances may need to be adjusted to avoid short-payment breaches that can invalidate permits.
Processing times remain uneven – up to six weeks for Critical Skills and up to 12 weeks for General permits – so early filing will be essential in Q1. The Roadmap’s publication signals the direction of travel: Ireland intends to remain a high-skill, high-wage destination and will increasingly tie work-authorisation policy to labour-market metrics.
Unlike previous one-off adjustments, the Roadmap sets out an indexation model that will incrementally lift salaries through 2030 in line with average earnings. Ministers Peter Burke and Alan Dillon said the phased approach gives employers time to budget while ensuring that wages remain competitive in a tight labour market.
The plan also introduces graduate-specific bands – for example, recent Irish-educated graduates will qualify for a Critical Skills permit at €36,848 – a nod to the Government’s talent-retention agenda. Sectors already reliant on foreign labour, notably healthcare, hospitality and construction, are expected to feel the squeeze first as they revisit pay scales and cost projections.
For organisations and individual professionals trying to navigate these new thresholds, VisaHQ can streamline the process by clarifying documentation requirements, monitoring application timelines and ensuring compliance with the latest salary bands. Their dedicated Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers up-to-date guidance and digital tools that help reduce administrative risk when securing Irish work permits and visas.
Global mobility teams should audit existing assignee packages, future requisitions and posted-worker budgets now. Companies that lodge permit applications before 1 March can still rely on current thresholds, but any amendment or renewal filed on or after that date must meet the new figures. Payroll and relocation allowances may need to be adjusted to avoid short-payment breaches that can invalidate permits.
Processing times remain uneven – up to six weeks for Critical Skills and up to 12 weeks for General permits – so early filing will be essential in Q1. The Roadmap’s publication signals the direction of travel: Ireland intends to remain a high-skill, high-wage destination and will increasingly tie work-authorisation policy to labour-market metrics.
