Foreign
Japa: Ireland woos Nigerians, others with work permit
The Critical Skills Employment Permit is for skilled workers who are qualified in disciplines that are experiencing a deficit of qualifications and experience required for the proper functioning of the Irish economy.
Employment details
Job opportunities span various sectors such as production management, ICT, health and social services management, natural and social sciences, engineering, information technology, and telecommunications.
Additionally, roles are available for health workers, teaching professionals, business and administrative professionals, architects, artistic and media professionals, design, sports and fitness, as well as sales and marketing. See full list here.
These disciplines however require specialism from candidates to qualify for a Critical Skills Employment Permit.
Eligibility
According to the information released through the Citizens Information Board of the Irish government, interested participants can only apply if offered a job running for two years or more from a company or employer that is registered with revenue, trading in Ireland and registered with the Companies Registration Office.
The applicant must be directly employed and paid by their employer in Ireland. Job offers from recruitment agencies and other intermediaries are not acceptable for this permit.
It also states that job offers must have a minimum of €32,000 in annual salary in an occupation that is on the Critical Skills Occupation List or an annual salary of €64,000 a year in an occupation that is not on the list.
Work permits cannot be obtained for companies where more than 50% of the employees are non-EEA nationals. This requirement may be waived in the case of start-up companies which are supported by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland.
Further details iterate that permits have to be obtained before entering Ireland and applicants may also need to apply for a visa. The scheme requires qualified individuals to register and get an Irish Residence Permit once they arrive in Ireland.
Applicants who already live in Ireland and have a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) with stamp 1, 1G, 2, 2A or 3 permission can apply for the permit if they satisfy the criteria.
However, labour market needs tests are not required for the permit. This means that the employer does not need to advertise the job with the Department of Social Protection, European Employment Service (EURES) or in newspapers.
How to apply
The applicant can be the employer, the employee, a connected person or contractor, or an authorised agent. Payments are to be made by electronic fund transfer (EFT) to the Employment Permits Section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment at Earlsfort Centre, Lower Hatch Street, Dublin 2 D02 PW01, Ireland.
Applications can also be made online with the required documentation, using the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS), with a supplied checklist for assistance.
Applications cost €1,000. If an application is refused or withdrawn, 90% of the fee will be refunded.
What next?
The Board assures that rejected applications will be justified and applicants will be granted an appeal within 28 days.
Successful applicants who live outside of Ireland are required to apply for a visa to enter Ireland if their country requires it. They are to present an employment permit to the immigration officer before entry.
They are also to register with their local registration office in the area where they intend to live. Once registered, they will get an Irish Residence Permit (IRP). The fee for registering with immigration and getting an IRP is €300.
If already living in Ireland with another immigration permission, candidates must visit their local registration office for a change of registration permission.
Qualified candidates invited to Ireland for a job interview on the critical skills occupations list can also apply for a highly skilled job interview authorisation. This allows an applicant to remain in Ireland for a maximum of 90 days.
Relocating expatriates
Ireland allows individuals who go through the Critical Skills Employment route to bring their family to live with them in Ireland.
If their family is from a country whose citizens need a visa to enter Ireland: they must all apply for separate visas. If not, they must show proof that they are the family members of the Permit holder to an immigration officer before entry.
If a skilled worker brings a de-facto partner, they must apply for either a visa if their country requires it or a preclearance if not. This is the person they are in a committed relationship with but not married to.
Children must also apply the same way as the de-facto partner. However, spouses or de-facto partners and any child over 16 must register and get an IRP.
Ireland also offers opportunities for partners of skilled workers to work in the country without a permit through the Stamp 1G IRP. Other family members can apply for a Dependent/Spouse/Partner Employment Permit.
Citizenship by naturalisation
The Critical Skills Employment Permit is issued for two years. After this, skilled workers can apply for a Stamp 4 permission to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit.
Stamp 4 permission will be issued for 2 years and can be renewed provided candidates continue to satisfy the criteria. After legally residing in Ireland for 5 years, skilled workers can apply for citizenship by naturalisation.
If not eligible for a Stamp 4, candidates may be issued with a Stamp 1 and will continue to need an employment permit to work in Ireland.
A United States federal court has set August 21, 2026, as the deadline for the release of records linked to longstanding allegations concerning Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and U.S. financial accounts associated with him in the 1990s.
The records are being sought in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by Aaron Greenspan, which has reportedly been before the federal courts for more than three years.
The documents are understood to be held by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The development followed a reported request by the DOJ for an additional 10 days to comply with an earlier court order requiring the release of the records.
According to Von Batten, a Washington, D.C.-based Republican lobbying firm, Tinubu also joined the DOJ’s request for the extension.
The firm said it obtained a copy of a recent court filing submitted on Tinubu’s behalf and claimed that the Nigerian president formally joined the request just two business days before it became public.
However, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell rejected the request for additional time and directed that the records be released by August 21.
Von Batten said Tinubu’s reported decision to participate in the extension request raised questions about his reasons for seeking more time before the records are made public.
The firm alleged that the delay could potentially be used to lobby U.S. officials over concerns that releasing the documents might affect U.S.-Nigeria relations.
It further speculated that Tinubu could argue that disclosure of the records might affect his cooperation with Washington on counterterrorism and security matters.
The records relate to allegations dating back to the early 1990s, including the 1993 forfeiture of approximately $460,000 connected to accounts associated with Tinubu in a U.S. proceeding involving suspected proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
Tinubu has consistently denied wrongdoing and has rejected allegations linking him personally to drug trafficking.
Von Batten also warned against any attempt by U.S. officials to interfere with the FOIA or judicial process to prevent the records from being released.
The lobbying firm referenced U.S. President Donald Trump’s stated opposition to shielding individuals accused of serious criminal conduct, arguing that the legal process should be allowed to proceed without political interference.
With Judge Howell’s ruling in place, the records are expected to be released on or before August 21, unless further legal action changes the deadline.
The contents of the documents remain unknown, and their release could provide further information about the 1990s forfeiture proceedings and U.S. law-enforcement investigations involving accounts linked to Tinubu.
South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, as it staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Durban on Monday.
The group marched through central Durban under the theme, “It’s time to fetch your people,” calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take back their citizens living in South Africa without legal documentation.
March and March had earlier led nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher government action against undocumented immigration and warning that its campaign would continue until its demands were addressed.
Announcing its latest action, the group said the September 30 deadline would mark the beginning of what it described as the “mother of all protests”, while urging South Africans to assist the police in identifying undocumented foreigners.
The protest took place as the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government got underway in Durban, with leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states in attendance.
The demonstration has renewed debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly citizens of other African countries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned discrimination and violence against foreigners, saying South Africa could not advocate regional integration at the SADC summit while practising exclusion within the country.
The June 30 protests were accompanied by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some areas, according to police reports cited in the original report.
March and March has continued to demand tougher action against undocumented immigration, while tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals have prompted some African countries to evacuate their citizens from South Africa.
The latest protest has brought the immigration dispute directly to the doorstep of the SADC summit, placing the issue before regional leaders whose citizens are among those affected.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, while calling on Tehran to surrender.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over future maritime navigation arrangements through the strategic waterway.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said, referring to the discussions between Oman and Iran as Washington pursues its own negotiations.
Iranian and Omani officials have been holding talks for weeks, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration on the strait.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is under US control, despite Iran maintaining an effective blockade that has severely restricted maritime traffic.
On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, prompting Iran to insist that the strategic waterway “will remain Iranian.”
Trump also called on Iran to “put up the white flag of surrender,” according to Yingst.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south, was previously regarded as an open international waterway and carries a significant share of global energy shipments.
AFP
There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the Middle East war, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot.
Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place.
“Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said, using an informal unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials.
The war between Tehran and Washington began on February 28 after the United States, joined by Israel, attacked Iran. It was followed by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, and a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.
Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.
AFP
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Ituma Simon
January 7, 2024 at 5:57 am
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