Green card, red tape

Ireland's 'green card' scheme, which aims to reduce shortages in professions including ICT and the financial sector, is being strangled at birth by red tape.

Under the scheme, any job paying over €60k a year and 'specified' jobs with salaries over €30k a year (both excluding bonuses) should now receive green card approval on the nod. Jobs in the specified category include ICT professionals and financial roles from accountants to fund specialists.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment tell us that approval takes just eight days. But recruiters say it can take months for high-level foreign candidates to start work in Ireland.

James Hayes, manager of banking & financial services at Robert Walters, says existing staff are having to cover as they wait for candidates' green card and entry visa approval. Firms trying to meet the shortage of quantitative investment management skills staff, for example, are waiting 12 to 14 weeks.

According to Catherine Cosgrave, legal officer at the Immigration Council of Ireland, there's a lack of coordinated government policy: once a green card is granted, applicants must then apply for an entry visa from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The whole process, she says, can take three to five months.

Evgeni Wilczynfki, a consultant at workpermit.com, says he's receiving numerous inquiries from ICT professionals in India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, Darren McCabe, a senior consultant at Joslin Rowe, says there is a shortage of accountants who could earn over €50k a year. Recruiters also suggest that €30k is too high for fund administration positions, and employers are inflating salaries to ensure they meet the threshold.