Doctors on General Employment Permits who have been working in Ireland for more than 2 years will immediately be able to access a Stamp 4 permit and their spouses will have the right to work in the State.
With a Stamp 4 you can work without needing an Employment Permit.
The changes will give most doctors with General Employment Permits the same rights as doctors on the Critical Skills Employment Permit scheme. Up to 1,800 doctors are expected to benefit from this change.
New Stamp 1H
The Department of Justice is now creating a new stamp category called Stamp 1H for doctors in HSE and HSE funded agencies (ie the Section 38s/voluntary hospitals) and private hospitals. This includes those who have recently received a two-year multi-site General Employment Permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Spouses of these doctors who currently have a Stamp that does not allow them to work will be able to apply for a Stamp 1G as part of this new system, which will allow them to work.
Doctors who complete 2 years’ service under Stamp 1H will then become eligible for a Stamp 4 support letter from the Department. For doctors in HSE and HSE funded agencies and private hospitals on a General Permit, but not a two-year multi-site General Permit, arrangements will be made to allow them to transition to a Stamp 1H in the coming months.
Doctors in HSE and HSE funded agencies (ie the Section 38s/voluntary hospitals) and private hospitals who had already completed 24 months’ service in Ireland will be entitled to apply for a Stamp 4 support letter from The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
The Department will soon open an application process, available until the end of April only, for these doctors to apply for a Stamp 4 support letter. Once assessed the information will be shared with the Department of Justice, which will then issue the Stamp 4 by end of May.
Summary of proposed changes:
| Doctors with General Employment Permit who are new applicants or less than 2 years in Ireland | Doctors who have completed more than 2 years but less than 5 years | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Stamp | Receive Stamp 1H if new applicant or if currently in the State for less than 2 years, then eligible to transfer from Stamp 1 to new Stamp 1H | Can move from Stamp 1 to Stamp 4 |
| Eligibility for Stamp 4 – timeframe | Eligible for Stamp 4 after 2 years | Eligible for Stamp 4 after 2 years |
| Type of stamp spouse/partner may receive | Partners/spouses eligible for Stamp 1G able to work once Stamp 1H is granted to doctor | Partners/spouses eligible for Stamp 1G able to work once Stamp 4 is granted to doctor |
| Frequency of stamp renewal | Move to annual renewal instead of every 6 months |
Please see the full notice available here.
