The IPO no longer issues physical Temporary Residence Cards (TRCs). Instead, applicants receive a digital certificate in PDF form, known as an International Protection Applicant Certificate (IPA Cert). There is currently high demand for renewals, and the IPO is processing those as quickly as possible. Applicants with the current Temporary Resident Certificate cards will be phased out upon renewal and replaced with the IPA Certificate.
IPA Certificate (formerly TRC) Renewals for Employers – Employers, please note that, as an exceptional measure from 18/08/2026 to 27/11/2026, you can accept evidence that your employee has applied for a renewal of their IPA certificate. This evidence will come in the form of an acknowledgment from the Renewals Unit that the person has, in fact, applied for a renewal of their IPA certificate. This evidence must be supplied to the Labour Market Access Unit in your employer returns (LMA5 form).
However, a valid Labour Market Access Permission (LMAP) is required, encompassing the 4 week grace period from the date Labour Market Access permission has ceased. This means an employee can continue to work for 1 month after their LMAP has ceased, however, if they have not obtained a valid LMAP within this 4 week grace period, they will no longer be eligible for employment until the LMAP is renewed.
LMAP will be granted providing evidence of a IPA Certificate renewal application has been furnished and all other requirements under the 2018 Regulations are met.
If you are a Beneficiary of the Temporary Protection Directive, PLEASE DO NOT APPLY HERE. For information on how to renew your TP certificate, please email [email protected]. For information on renewing your registration, please register for or log into your Customer Service account.
Labour Market Access applications for International Protection applicants are now made online. You will need to create an Irish Immigration Service Online account to access this service. Please find Information on how to setup an online account.
We will only accept new applications on the online forms. If you previously submitted an application to the [email protected] email address, please do not apply online.
The unit is currently experiencing very high volumes of applications for Labour Market Access permission. As a consequence there is currently a delay in processing applications.
Starting from the 29th January 2025, all Labour Market Access Permits will be issued via email. It is crucial to ensure that you provide your email address accurately when applying through the ISD portal to receive your permit.
Processing time is approximately 6 weeks.
If you have received your first instance decision from the International Protection Office within 6 months of applying for International Protection, you are not eligible for Labour Market Access and your application will be refused. Please ensure you are eligible before applying for Labour Market Access.
Renewal Applications
Please submit labour market access renewal applications 6 weeks in advance of your current permit’s expiry date.
Renewals Notice: Applicants are granted a 4-week grace period after the permit expiry date. During this time, you may continue to work if you can show your employer proof that you have submitted a renewal application and that you have applied to renew your IPA Certificate .
IPA Certificate Renewals Notice: IPA Certificate renewals are currently experiencing significant processing times. As an exceptional measure, from 18/08/2026 to 27/11/2026, the Labour Market Access Unit will accept evidence that you have applied for a IPA Certificate renewal in your Labour Market Access Permit renewal application. This evidence can be the email you receive in response to applying for your IPA Certificate to be renewed. When evidence that you have applied for a IPA Certificate renewal has been provided, your application for Labour Market Access Permit application will be processed in line with all other requirements as soon as possible. Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions regarding your Labour Market Access application.
For IPA Certificate renewals, please contact [email protected]
In This Section
Introduction
International protection applicants can be granted a permission to access the labour market.
You may be eligible for this permission, if you have been waiting 6 months or more for the first decision on your international protection application. That is 6 months after the date shown as “Application Received” on your IPA Certificate.
If you have received this first decision within 6 months you are not eligible for a Labour Market Access Permission.
Please read the information below to find out more about this permission.
About this permission
You must be an applicant for international protection to be granted Labour Market Access Permission. This permission will allow you to access employment and self-employment. It will be valid for 12 months.
You can renew the permission if you have not received a final decision on your international protection application within the 12 months. A final decision means when you have completed all appeals procedures.
Am I eligible?
You are eligible to apply if:
If you have not received a first instance decision on your international protection application within 6 months of your “Application Received” date, a permit will be posted to you.
This is provided you meet the other eligibility criteria above.
How to apply for a first LMA Permission
To apply for your first labour market access permission, you should:
Where possible identity documents should be either a passport, national ID card or birth certificate.
How to apply for renewal
To renew your labour market access permission, two months before your permission expires you should:
If your application is successful
If your application is successful, the Labour Market Access Unit will you a permission letter. This will be emailed to the email address you have used on your ISD portal account.
Once you begin working, your employer (or you, if self-employed) must complete the declaration form LMA5 below. The LMA5 form must be returned to the following email address: [email protected]
Further Information
For Applicants:
Starting from the 29th January 2025, all Labour Market Access Permits will be issued via email. It is crucial to ensure that you provide your email address accurately when applying through the ISD portal to receive your permit.
For Employers:
To verify the validity of a potential employee’s Labour Market Access Permit, you can check whether the permit was sent from the following official email address: [email protected]. Additionally, please ensure that the permit details match those in the information provided by the applicant.
Digital LMA Permissions will also be verified on the submission of the required LMA5 form which must be submitted to the IPO at [email protected], within 21 days of the cessation of employment.