Effective from 30 November 2023, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) will cease taking applications for Stamp 4 support letters. This will impact Critical Skills Employment Permit holders, Researchers on a Hosting Agreement, and NCHD Multi-Site General Employment Permit holders wishing to transfer to a Stamp 4 Immigration permission.

However, all applications received by DETE prior to the 30 November 2023 will continue to be processed.

The Registration Office, Immigration Services will continue to accept these support letters for applications to register a Stamp 4 residence permission.

Individuals who did not apply to DETE for a support letter prior to 30 November 2023 will be required to provide The Registration Office, Immigration Services the following evidence in support of applications to register a Stamp 4 residence permission:

  1. A copy of the biometric page of your current valid passport(s). This is the page that shows your photograph, passport number and date of birth
  2. A copy of the front and back of your current IRP card. This is the credit-card sized plastic card you received when you last registered your permission.
  3. Copies of the relevant Employment Permit/s or Hosting Agreement/s issued to you by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
  4. A copy of the most recent payslip
  5. A letter from the employer/s, dated within the last 3 months, confirming the job title, location of employment, and dates of employment
  6. Copies of ‘Employment Detail Summaries’ issued for each year of employment covering the duration of the Employment Permit/s, available on www.revenue.ie/myaccount.

Note: You must have been registered and in permission for a minimum of 21 months under a Stamp 1 on the basis of a Critical Skills Employment Permit and/or Hosting Agreement, or under Stamp 1H as a Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor on the basis of a Multi-Site General Employment Permit. To allow sufficient time for processing, applications for renewal of permission can be submitted up to 12 weeks prior to expiry of a current IRP card. However, only applications that meet the 21 months eligibility requirement will be processed.