Ireland issued 30,981 work permits to foreigners last year. The visa approval rate remained 95% and the refusal rates counted to 5% (1,575) only. These visas were awarded to the citizens of 135 countries. Across 6,758 companies were awarded these visas as employers. Almost two-thirds of the total visas were awarded to Asian countries. Dublin (15,401) counted towards the most work permits as the county.
Indian nationals dominated the list where they were granted 11,893 work permits in 2023. Only 390 work visa applications of Indians were refused. Philippines remained at number two, surely famous for its nurses got 2,634 visas. Below are the top five countries whose nationals were given the most work permits in 2023:
- India: 11,893
- Philippines: 2,634
- Brazil: 2,632
- Pakistan: 1,533
- China: 1,488
Almost one-third of the work permits have been issued to the Health and Social Care sector. Information and communication activities sectors remained second in the list. Accommodation and food services activities remained in the third most visa-awarding sector. Following are the 5 top occupational sectors in 2023:
- Health and Social Care: 10,037
- Information and communication: 5,009
- Accommodation and food services: 2,606
- Finance and Insurance: 2,373
- Other Service Activities: 1,511
Countries List with Approval and Refusal of Work Permits in 2023
| Nationality | Issued | Refused | Withdrawn |
| Grand Total | 30,981 | 1,575 | Grand Total |
| Afghanistan | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| Albania | 30 | 5 | 1 |
| Algeria | 17 | 3 | |
| Angola | 1 | ||
| Argentina | 82 | 11 | 1 |
| Armenia | 6 | ||
| Australia | 114 | 7 | 3 |
| Azerbaijan | 4 | ||
| Bahamas | 2 | 1 | |
| Bahrain | 2 | ||
| Bangladesh | 158 | 11 | 5 |
| Barbados | 3 | ||
| Belarus | 39 | ||
| Belize | 9 | 3 | |
| Bolivia | 67 | 6 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9 | ||
| Botswana | 54 | 5 | 1 |
| Brazil | 2,632 | 253 | 40 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 11 | 1 | |
| Burkina Faso | 1 | ||
| Burundi | 1 | ||
| Cambodia | 1 | 1 | |
| Cameroon | 51 | ||
| Canada | 226 | 9 | 10 |
| Cayman Islands | 1 | ||
| Chile | 100 | 17 | 2 |
| China | 1,488 | 61 | 11 |
| Colombia | 76 | 3 | |
| Congo | 6 | 1 | |
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | 12 | ||
| Costa Rica | 42 | 2 | 1 |
| Cote d’Ivoire | 1 | ||
| Cuba | 2 | ||
| Dominica | 1 | ||
| Dominican Republic | 4 | ||
| Ecuador | 15 | ||
| Egypt | 234 | 2 | 2 |
| El Salvador | 26 | 4 | |
| Eritrea | 1 | ||
| Ethiopia | 7 | ||
| Fiji | 3 | ||
| Gabon | 1 | 1 | |
| Gambia | 6 | ||
| Georgia | 11 | 1 | |
| Ghana | 264 | 10 | 2 |
| Grenada | 1 | ||
| Guatemala | 7 | 1 | |
| Guinea | 1 | ||
| Guyana | 2 | ||
| Honduras | 27 | 3 | |
| Hong Kong | 39 | 2 | |
| India | 11,893 | 390 | 194 |
| Indonesia | 66 | 2 | 1 |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | 85 | 3 | |
| Iraq | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| Israel | 269 | 4 | 16 |
| Jamaica | 3 | 7 | |
| Japan | 235 | 7 | 2 |
| Jordan | 57 | 3 | |
| Kazakhstan | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| Kenya | 120 | 6 | 3 |
| Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of | 1 | ||
| Korea, Republic of | 106 | 4 | 1 |
| Kosova | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Kosovo | 7 | 2 | |
| Kuwait | 6 | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | 10 | 1 | |
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic | 1 | ||
| Lebanon | 63 | 2 | 3 |
| Lesotho | 14 | ||
| Libya | 12 | 1 | |
| Macao | 1 | ||
| Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of | 3 | ||
| Madagascar | 1 | ||
| Malawi | 15 | 1 | |
| Malaysia | 598 | 30 | 9 |
| Maldives | 1 | ||
| Malta | 1 | ||
| Mauritius | 44 | 8 | 1 |
| Mexico | 332 | 41 | 5 |
| Moldova, Republic of | 28 | 1 | 1 |
| Mongolia | 53 | 7 | |
| Montenegro | 3 | 1 | |
| Morocco | 83 | 6 | 2 |
| Mozambique | 1 | ||
| Myanmar | 16 | ||
| Namibia | 2 | ||
| Nepal | 228 | 14 | 8 |
| New Zealand | 52 | 4 | |
| Nicaragua | 3 | 2 | |
| Nigeria | 1,005 | 83 | 19 |
| North Macedonia | 5 | 1 | |
| Oman | 18 | 1 | |
| Pakistan | 1,533 | 93 | 48 |
| Palestine | 14 | ||
| Panama | 8 | 2 | |
| Paraguay | 14 | 1 | |
| Peru | 10 | ||
| Philippines | 2,634 | 85 | 36 |
| Republic of Serbia | 2 | ||
| Russian Federation | 224 | 8 | 2 |
| Rwanda | 3 | ||
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2 | ||
| Saudi Arabia | 30 | 1 | 1 |
| Senegal | 3 | 1 | |
| Serbia | 16 | 2 | |
| Seychelles | 3 | 2 | |
| Sierra Leone | 1 | ||
| Singapore | 74 | 2 | 3 |
| Somalia | 1 | ||
| South Africa | 1,346 | 91 | 53 |
| Sri Lanka | 468 | 37 | 14 |
| Sudan | 303 | 9 | 38 |
| Swaziland | 9 | ||
| Syrian Arab Republic | 23 | 2 | |
| Taiwan | 118 | 7 | 4 |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | 15 | 3 | 1 |
| Thailand | 216 | 39 | 10 |
| Tibet | 1 | ||
| Togo | 2 | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | 18 | 1 | |
| Tunisia | 47 | 2 | |
| Türkiye | 429 | 29 | 5 |
| Turkmenistan | 1 | ||
| Uganda | 40 | 1 | |
| Ukraine | 166 | 6 | 3 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3 | 1 | |
| United States of America | 1,020 | 33 | 11 |
| Uruguay | 15 | 7 | |
| Uzbekistan | 9 | ||
| Vanuatu | 5 | ||
| Venezuela | 33 | 1 | |
| Vietnam | 130 | 18 | 38 |
| Zambia | 25 | 3 | 2 |
| Zimbabwe | 579 | 38 | 9 |
Occupation-wise distribution of Work Permits in 2023
| Economic Sector | No. of visas |
| A – Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | 1,385 |
| B – Mining & Quarrying | 30 |
| C – All Other Manufacturing | 766 |
| C – Manufacture of Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals | 877 |
| C – Manufacture of Computers, Electronics & Optica | 845 |
| C – Manufacture of Food, Drink & Tobacco | 268 |
| C – Manufacture of Medical Devices | 281 |
| D – Electricity & Gas & Air Conditioning Supply | 371 |
| E – Water Supply – Sewerage Waste Management & Rem | 87 |
| F – Construction | 1,349 |
| G – Wholesale & Retail Trade | 294 |
| H – Transport & Storage | 907 |
| I – Accommodation & Food Services activities | 2,606 |
| J – Information & Communication Activities | 5,009 |
| K – Financial & insurance Activities | 2,373 |
| L – Real Estate Activities | 14 |
| M – All other Professional, Scientific & Technical | 1,010 |
| M – Professional, Scientific&Technical Activities | 283 |
| N – Administrative & Support Service Activities | 80 |
| O – Public Administration & Defence | 15 |
| P – Education | 246 |
| Q – Health & Social Work Activities | 10,037 |
| R – Arts , Entertainment and Recreation | 336 |
| S – Other Service activities | 1,511 |
| T – Domestic- Activities of Households as Employer | 1 |
| Grand Total | 30,981 |
County and area-wise distribution of Work Permits
| Issued | Refused | Withdrawn | |
| Grand Total | 30,981 | 1,575 | 641 |
| No County Entered | 75 | 9 | 16 |
| Carlow | 161 | 7 | 3 |
| Cavan | 312 | 18 | 5 |
| Clare | 496 | 30 | 6 |
| Cork | 2,613 | 123 | 49 |
| Derry | 1 | ||
| Donegal | 387 | 19 | 14 |
| Dublin | 15,401 | 752 | 265 |
| Galway | 1,387 | 85 | 35 |
| Kerry | 384 | 26 | 15 |
| Kildare | 1,734 | 53 | 29 |
| Kilkenny | 491 | 24 | 10 |
| Laois | 213 | 14 | 2 |
| Leitrim | 54 | 5 | 2 |
| Limerick | 1,600 | 84 | 34 |
| Longford | 120 | 13 | 2 |
| Louth | 649 | 20 | 6 |
| Mayo | 378 | 19 | 10 |
| Meath | 1,137 | 53 | 18 |
| Monaghan | 240 | 34 | 40 |
| Offaly | 328 | 10 | 7 |
| Roscommon | 138 | 8 | 2 |
| Sligo | 220 | 20 | 4 |
| Tipperary | 531 | 33 | 17 |
| Waterford | 660 | 16 | 10 |
| Westmeath | 391 | 21 | 10 |
| Wexford | 606 | 31 | 25 |
| Wicklow | 275 | 47 | 5 |