Employing an asylum seeker
- Can asylum seekers work in Ireland?
- Who can employ asylum seekers?
- What documents do I need to check when employing an asylum seeker?
- Your responsibilities when employing an asylum seeker
Can asylum seekers work in Ireland?
Yes, international protection applicants (also known as asylum seekers) can work in Ireland if they have Labour Market Access (LMA) permission.
This page provides information for employers who want to hire an asylum seeker.
If you are an asylum seeker, you can find more information in our page on asylum seekers and work.
Who can employ asylum seekers?
Most employers can employ asylum seekers who have Labour Market Access (LMA) permission (see exceptions below).
However, you cannot employ an asylum seeker with LMA permission, if more than 50% of the staff you already employ are nationals from outside the EEA or Switzerland.
Employers excluded from employing asylum seekers
Organisations that may not employ LMA permission holders, include:
- Civil service
- Government agencies
- Local authorities
- Any statutory body
- The Defence Forces
- An Garda Síochána
- Any organisation or entity established by a government minister; or with a majority of shares held by a government minister; or controlled by a government minister
- A higher education institution that receives public funding
What documents do I need to check when employing an asylum seeker?
If you are employing an asylum seeker, they must present their Temporary Residence Certificate (TRC Card) and Labour Market Access (LMA) permission letter to you before they start work.
Job applicants under the age of 18 do not have to present their TRC card as they may not have one.
Temporary Residence Certificate
The Temporary Residence Certificate (TRC Card) must be valid and not have expired.
Labour Market Access permission letter
A Labour Market Access permission letter is a double-sided document printed on watermarked paper issued by Immigration Services Delivery (ISD).
It has the person’s photograph and the date their permission is valid until.
How long does Labour Market Access permission last?
The LMA permission is valid for 12 months. The asylum seeker can apply for a renewal to continue working.
You should allow a grace period of up to 4 weeks after your employee’s LMA permission has gone out of date for their new permission to be issued. They should show you an email from ISD confirming that they have applied to renew their permission.
Your responsibilities when employing an asylum seeker
If you employ an asylum seeker who has LMA permission, you must complete an LMA 5 declaration form (pdf) and send it to lmauapplications@justice.ie within 21 days of employing them.
You must also keep a record of:
- The type of work they are doing
- How long they have worked or will be working for you
- Details of their LMA permission
- How much you are paying them
You must keep these records for 3 years after the employee has stopped working for you. You must keep separate records for each individual permission holder you employ.
People who are employed using LMA permission letters are protected by the same employment laws as other workers in Ireland.
More information about your employer responsibilities can be found in the LMA8 booklet (pdf).
When the employment ends
If you no longer employ the LMA permission holder, you must inform Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) within 21 working days by emailing lmauapplications@justice.ie.
More information about hiring asylum seekers
You can find more information on employing asylum seekers in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s (IHREC) guide to Employing International Protection Applicants (pdf).