Transitioning from a Stamp 2 in Ireland

If you’re in Ireland on a Stamp 2 student permission and want to stay on to work, you’ll need to move to a different immigration permission. Here’s how it usually works.

About Stamp 2

Stamp 2 is given to non-EEA students on full-time courses on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP). Students can work up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week in the holiday periods.

The usual next steps

• Stamp 1, if you get a job offer and an employment permit. This is the most common route. See Critical Skills and General Employment permits.
• Stamp 1G, for eligible graduates of Irish third-level programmes, which gives time to look for work.
• Stamp 3 or Stamp 4 through family: for example, as the dependant of a permit holder, or as the spouse of an Irish citizen.

How the change happens

1. Secure the basis for your new permission. For Stamp 1, that’s a job offer and an employment permit.
2. Gather your documents. We give you a checklist, or handle the application for you.
3. Register the change with Immigration Service Delivery. You’ll receive a new Irish Residence Permit (IRP) showing your new stamp.
4. Keep to your Stamp 2 conditions until the change is confirmed.

Not sure which route fits? Get a free assessment.