For people leaving the United States
Leaving the US — is Ireland a realistic option for you?
The short answer
Ireland has no single "move here" permission. There are a small number of defined legal routes — an employment permit, a place on a recognised course, joining a close family member, EU treaty rights through an EEA family member, Irish citizenship by descent, and temporary protection for people who fled Ukraine. Your status in the United States, whatever it is, does not by itself create a right to live in Ireland. The useful first step is to work out honestly which route, if any, is open to you, and then plan the practical move around it.
SettleDone is a relocation coordination service. We are not immigration advisers or solicitors. We do not assess eligibility, file applications or represent anyone before Irish authorities, and nothing on this page is immigration or legal advice. Rules change. Check the official sources linked below and take advice from a qualified Irish immigration solicitor before making any decision.
The routes
The legal ways people actually arrive in Ireland.
Each of these is a defined permission with its own criteria, costs and processing times. Most people who move successfully qualify under one clearly, rather than partially under several.
Employment permit
The most common route for working-age adults. A job offer from an Irish employer, at or above the required salary threshold, can support a Critical Skills or General Employment Permit. The Critical Skills route is tied to an occupations list and generally offers faster family reunification. The permit follows the job offer — it cannot be applied for speculatively.
Study
A place on an eligible full-time course, with proof of funds and private medical insurance, supports a student permission with limited part-time work rights. It is a genuine route into the country but not, on its own, a path to long-term residence.
Joining family
Spouses, partners and dependent children of Irish citizens or of certain permit holders can apply to join them. Criteria, income thresholds and waiting times vary considerably by the sponsor's own status.
EU treaty rights
If your spouse, partner or parent is an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen exercising treaty rights in Ireland, a separate and generally more favourable set of rules applies to you as their family member.
Irish citizenship by descent
If an Irish-born parent or grandparent gives you an entitlement to Irish citizenship through the Foreign Births Register, that is the strongest outcome available — an Irish passport carries the full right to live and work in Ireland and across the EU. Processing currently takes around a year, so it is worth starting early.
Temporary protection (Ukraine)
A separate emergency scheme for people who fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion. Eligibility is narrowly defined and was tightened from 5 August 2026. See our dedicated page below.
What to do first
A sensible order of work.
1. Establish the route
Before anything else, identify which permission you would actually be applying under, and confirm it with a qualified Irish immigration solicitor. Everything downstream — timing, budget, what you can sign — depends on this answer.
2. Gather documents early
Birth, marriage and civil documents, apostilles where needed, qualification records, employment history, school records for children. Ordering certified copies from US and other authorities is often the slowest part of the whole move.
3. Understand the money
Deposits, first rent, health insurance, school fees, shipping, and a realistic gap before Irish income starts. Ireland's rental market is tight and typically requires proof of Irish income or a substantial deposit.
4. Then plan the landing
Housing, PPS number, bank account, GP registration, school places, utilities and the first weeks. This is the part SettleDone coordinates, once your legal route is clear.
Being clear
What we do, and what we do not do.
What SettleDone does
- Coordinate the practical move: housing search, schools, banking, PPS number, GP registration, utilities and the first weeks on the ground.
- Give you one accountable point of coordination instead of a list of providers.
- Work alongside your own solicitor and tax adviser, and keep the sequence straight between them.
- Tell you honestly, on a free 30-minute call, if we do not think we can help you.
What SettleDone does not do
- We do not give immigration or legal advice, and we do not assess whether you qualify for anything.
- We do not file visa, permit, asylum or protection applications, and we do not represent anyone before Irish authorities.
- We do not promise anyone a right to move to Ireland, a job, a visa or a decision timeline.
- We do not charge for the consultation, and we do not ask for documents or payment before you understand what is involved.
Official sources
Check the rules for yourself.
These are the authoritative Irish government and public-information sources. Where anything on this page differs from them, they are correct.
- Citizens Information — Moving to Ireland
- Immigration Service Delivery — Visa information
- Department of Enterprise — Employment permits
- Immigration Service Delivery — Coming to study in Ireland
- Department of Foreign Affairs — Citizenship through descent (Foreign Births Register)
- Law Society of Ireland — Find a solicitor
- Immigrant Council of Ireland — independent information and support
Common questions
Leaving the US for Ireland — frequently asked.
- Only if you qualify under an Irish route in your own right. Irish permissions are assessed against Irish criteria — an employment permit, a course place, a family relationship, EU treaty rights, Irish citizenship by descent, or temporary protection if you fled Ukraine. The ending of a US status is not itself a ground for any Irish permission. A qualified Irish immigration solicitor can tell you where you stand.
Next step
One accountable point of coordination.
A complimentary 30-minute call to look at your situation and the order of work.