Stamp 1G to Stamp 4: How Nepali Graduates Stay and Work in Ireland (Critical Skills Permit Explained)

For a Nepali graduate, the usual route from study to settling in Ireland is: Stamp 2 as a student, Stamp 1G after graduating, an employment permit once you have a qualifying job, then Stamp 4. Here is how each stage works.

Stage 1: Stamp 1G, the Third Level Graduate Programme

After completing an eligible programme you can apply for Stamp 1G: up to 12 months for Level 8 honours bachelors graduates and up to 24 months for Level 9 masters graduates, subject to overall time limits on the scheme. On Stamp 1G you can work full-time without an employment permit while you look for graduate-level work. You apply after receiving your final results.

Stage 2: the employment permit

Critical Skills Employment Permit

The Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) targets highly skilled occupations in shortage, listed on the Critical Skills Occupations List, including many ICT, engineering, natural science, health and finance roles. It requires a job offer of at least two years at or above a minimum salary threshold, with a higher threshold for some roles not on the list. Graduates often move to a CSEP from Stamp 1G.

General Employment Permit

The General Employment Permit covers a broader range of occupations not on the ineligible list, with its own salary threshold and often a labour market needs test. It is the route for roles outside the critical skills list.

Stage 3: Stamp 4

Critical Skills permit holders can generally apply for Stamp 4 after two years on the permit; General Employment Permit holders typically need a longer period of permitted employment. Stamp 4 lets you work for any employer without a permit and is the main long-term permission most graduates aim for.

Stage 4: long-term residence and citizenship

Time on certain permissions counts toward Irish citizenship by naturalisation once you meet the reckonable residence requirement. Student time on Stamp 2 generally does not count as reckonable residence; time on work permissions does. Nepal does not generally allow dual citizenship for adults, so becoming an Irish citizen can affect your Nepali citizenship. Check the current position with the Nepali authorities before applying.

The full pathway at a glance

Worked example: a Nepali MSc Data Analytics graduate

1. 1A BSc CSIT graduate from Nepal finishes a one-year Level 9 MSc in Dublin and receives final results in the autumn.
2. 2Moves onto Stamp 1G and works full-time in a junior analyst role while looking for a graduate position.
3. 3Within the first year of Stamp 1G, receives a two-year offer for a data analyst role on the Critical Skills Occupations List, at or above the current salary threshold.
4. 4The employer and graduate apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit, and the graduate moves onto Stamp 1.
5. 5After two years on the permit, applies for Stamp 4 and can then change employer without a permit.

Who this pathway suits

The route works best in ICT, data, engineering, life sciences, health and finance, where shortage occupations and salaries align with the critical skills rules. Graduates in other fields can still find work, but usually through the General Employment Permit with more conditions, or by moving into a related shortage role.

How to set yourself up while you study

1. 1Choose a course in a critical-skills field such as ICT, engineering, data or life sciences.
2. 2Do internships, projects or part-time work related to your field.
3. 3Use your careers service from the first month and target autumn graduate recruitment.
4. 4Build a portfolio of projects and network through meetups and LinkedIn.
5. 5Keep your immigration history clean: work-hour limits, registration renewals and attendance all matter.
6. 6Apply for Stamp 1G promptly after results, before your Stamp 2 expires, and keep applying while you work.

Common mistakes graduates make

• Applying for Stamp 1G late, after current permission has expired
• Accepting a job below the salary threshold and assuming a permit will follow
• Waiting until Stamp 1G is nearly over before starting a serious job search
• Not checking whether a role is on the Critical Skills Occupations List
• Breaking work-hour rules as a student, which can count against later applications

Keep your own immigration file: copies of every IRP card, permission letter, permit, payslip and annual employment summary. Stamp 4 and citizenship applications need a clear, continuous history, which is far easier to keep as you go than to rebuild later. Renew your Nepali passport well before it expires, since your IRP and permits are tied to it; check which Nepali embassy covers Ireland for passport services. If your situation is unusual (a gap in permission, a change of employer during a permit, or a spouse or family joining you from Nepal), take professional advice before acting.

Choose an Irish programme in a critical-skills field on Admission Bravo and apply online for free.