In short: Yes — care assistants and home support workers qualify for a General Employment Permit at the reduced €32,691 threshold, and care assistants do not need NMBI registration. CA Recruitment manages the full DETE permit and visa process for nursing homes, homecare and disability services.
Care Sector Staffing in Ireland
Ireland's care and social services sector faces one of the most severe staffing crises in the country. Residential care homes, home care agencies, and disability services are operating with chronic vacancies that cannot be filled from the domestic labour market alone.
Overseas care workers bring exactly what this sector needs: genuine compassion, patience, and a caring culture that runs deep. Many come with direct experience in care settings and hold qualifications in healthcare or social services. CA Recruitment places vetted overseas care workers across the spectrum of care and support roles, managing the full permit process so you can focus on delivering services.
Roles We Fill
The Permit Process
- 1
Free Consultation
We assess the role, your current workforce, and the appropriate permit route. No obligation or charge.
- 2
Sourcing, Vetting & Labour Market Test
We source and vet candidates in the Philippines and manage the 28-day labour market advertising requirement (Jobs Ireland/EURES + one additional platform) before submitting the application.
- 3
Placement & 90-Day Support
We support the worker's arrival and first 90 days.
Struggling to fill care vacancies?
WhatsApp us and we'll assess your situation in a free consultation. We cover residential, community, and disability settings.
WhatsApp UsWhy Filipino Care Workers?
Natural Compassion
Filipino culture places enormous value on caring for others, particularly the elderly and vulnerable. This shows up every day in care settings — it's not something you can train into someone.
English Proficiency
Clear communication with residents, clients, and colleagues is critical in care settings. Overseas care workers from the Philippines are English fluent as standard.
Care Qualifications
Many Filipino candidates hold formal care or health-related qualifications and bring direct residential or community care experience from the Philippines or previous overseas placements.
Commitment & Stability
Permit-route workers are motivated to stay and build a career. The turnover and reliability problems common with agency care staff are much less of an issue.
What Care Providers Say
"The compliance piece was what worried me most: work permits, visas, the whole lot. CA handled every bit of it. Our new accounts administrator was in the office and productive within two months of first contact."
"We needed reliable staff for our shop in Midleton and couldn't find the right people locally. CA Recruitment placed two excellent Filipino workers with us — both have been brilliant from day one. Couldn't recommend them highly enough."
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Care assistant, home care worker, and disability support roles typically qualify for the General Employment Permit (GEP). The role must meet the minimum pay threshold for care assistant and home carer roles — €16.12 per hour, which works out at €32,691 per annum on a 39-hour week or €33,529.60 on a 40-hour week. This is a reduced rate that applies specifically to these positions; the standard GEP minimum is €36,605. The qualifying figure must be basic pay — guaranteed premium payments can count, but bonuses, shift allowances, and overtime cannot. The role must be on the DETE eligible occupations list and pass the 28-day Labour Market Needs Test. We manage the full process.
Care assistants, home carers, disability support workers, and social care workers are among the roles regularly placed via the GEP route. We confirm eligibility for your specific role during your free consultation.
Regulatory requirements differ by role and setting. We're familiar with the compliance framework for care homes, home care providers, and disability services. We advise on any role-specific regulatory considerations — such as Garda vetting requirements — as part of the recruitment process.
Typically 6–8 months from consultation to the worker starting. This covers the 28-day Labour Market Needs Test and DETE permit processing (check current processing dates at enterprise.gov.ie).
Many of the candidates we source have direct care experience — in residential settings, home care, or disability services. We vet candidates carefully for the type of role you need, and only present workers whose background matches your requirements. Filipino workers are widely regarded for their warmth, patience, and dedication to care work.
CA Recruitment's recruitment fee is agreed upfront and is separate from government costs. The employer-paid DETE GEP fee (currently €1,000) is the main external cost. Full breakdown provided at consultation.