In short: Stamp 1 is the immigration permission a non-EEA worker holds while working in Ireland on an employment permit. It ties them to your business and the permitted role. After five years on Stamp 1 (two for Critical Skills), the worker can apply for Stamp 4 and no longer needs a permit.
What Stamp 1 means for an employer
When CA Recruitment places an overseas worker with you, the worker arrives on an employment permit and is granted Stamp 1 immigration permission. In plain terms: Stamp 1 is the legal basis on which the worker lives in Ireland and is authorised to work — for your business, in the specific role on the permit.
Stamp 1 is not a general work permission. The worker cannot switch to another employer or become self-employed on it. If you employ them in the permitted role and meet the permit conditions, you are compliant. If the employment ends before the permit expires, both you and the worker must notify the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) within four weeks.
IRP registration after arrival
Once the worker arrives, they register their Stamp 1 permission and receive an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card from Immigration Service Delivery. CA Recruitment supports the worker through IRP registration, their PPS number, and a bank account in the first week — part of the first-90-day support included in every placement.
The path from Stamp 1 to Stamp 4
Stamp 1 is renewable in line with the employment permit, and it leads to settlement. A General Employment Permit holder can apply to the Department of Justice for Stamp 4 after five years of reckonable residence; a Critical Skills Employment Permit holder can apply after two years. On Stamp 4, the worker no longer needs an employment permit and can work freely — which is part of why workers who come this way tend to stay long term.
Hiring a worker who'll be on Stamp 1?
WhatsApp Monette for a free eligibility check. We confirm the permit, the immigration permission, and what it means for your business.
Frequently asked questions
Stamp 1 is the immigration permission that lets a non-EEA worker live and work in Ireland on an employment permit. It ties the worker to the specific employer and role on the permit. The worker registers for an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) after arrival, and the permission is renewed in line with the employment permit.
No. Stamp 1 held on an employment permit allows the person to work only for the employer and in the occupation stated on the permit. They cannot be self-employed or freelance on this permission. To change employer, a new employment permit is generally required.
Yes. A General Employment Permit holder on Stamp 1 can apply to the Department of Justice for Stamp 4 after five years of reckonable residence. A Critical Skills Employment Permit holder can apply after two years. Stamp 4 removes the need for a further employment permit.
Spouses and de facto partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders can apply for Stamp 1G, which lets them work in Ireland without their own employment permit. Family provisions differ for General Employment Permit holders. CA Recruitment explains the family position during the eligibility assessment.