Help with Freelance and long term residency

[Bruein]

Just because I really need some kind of clarity can we just assume I don't know anything?

Working as a freelance translator, what kind of permits/visas would I need to remain in Ireland until I can become naturalized?

Apparently it would count as being self-employed, so i'm both the employer and the employee.

Would this mean I have to create a business or a company? If so the laws for work permits say I can't hire someone if it'll make the employment more than 50% non-EU. So I'd have to register a company, then hire someone else, then hire my own self?

I really need help here

I don't even know what else to type, I've been looking information up for so long I have gone light headed.

[Brigid from Ireland]

What citizenship do you/ your spouse/children hold? (just want to know if you are non-EU, not to know the actual nationality).

The short version is that if you both spouses are non-EU (or if you are unmarried and non-EU) then you have limited options.

1. Get a student visa - this does not confer any entitlement to citizenship, no matter how long you hold it. It may confer entitlement to a work visa at the end of your studies, and then 5 years on a work visa result in citizenship,usually. This is the simplest option in the short term, as it is the cheapest and it allows you to work part time - self employed translator would be perfect for someone on a student visa.
2. Get a job which pays over 60,000 euro per year, and your employer gets a visa for you. Obviously if you intend to establish a company and hire yourself, this will be an expensive option, as the salary requirment is very high, and tax on this salary is automatically deducted.
3. If you manage to be in Ireland at the time when your Irish citizen child is born, you can apply to remain, to care for the child. Obviously this requires you to have a child who is entitled to Irish citizenship through their other parent, so it is not a realistic option for most people. It is the route to legalisation for many of those who are currently illegal immigrants here, and to permanent residence/citizenship for many non EU students.

[Bruein]

Non-EU, unmarried. I'm an American citizen. I was wondering if freelance would need you to create a business, and it kind of looks like it with self-employment and such.

[Bruein]

If I moved to Ireland and continued doing Freelance work, would I need a permit or would my work still be based in America?

Would I even be given permission to stay? I would have a way to support myself and I could still pay taxes, I just wouldn't be holding a job in Ireland, right?

[Wanderer]

If I moved to Ireland and continued doing Freelance work, would I need a permit or would my work still be based in America?

Would I even be given permission to stay? I would have a way to support myself and I could still pay taxes, I just wouldn't be holding a job in Ireland, right?

I think you'd need a work permit if working in Ireland, irrespective of whether the work is remote or not.

Also I think you can stay in Ireland as a tourist for six months but I'd suspect the authorities, like in UK would take a dim view of effectively living on tourist visa and thereby not being a 'genuine visitor'.

[New App]

Freelance work is classed as self employed.

To do freelance you will need to obtain business permission which is v hard to get. you will need to show 300,000euro investment.

best option is to obtain a work permit then arrive in ireland

[Brigid from Ireland]

Hi Bruein,

You could not legally pay tax as a self employed person in Ireland, unless you had a work permit or relevant stamp that gives you permission to work in Ireland, as you are a non-EU citizen.

The tax office never seems to check to see if you have a right to work in Ireland, their job is to deduct tax and they do that. But when you applied for citizenship, education, social welfare benefits, healthcare, old age care or any other state service that costs money to provide, they would check your right to reside and tell you that you had no rights to healthcare/ social welfare/ education /housing. So you would basically be an illegal resident, and could be deported.

The student visa is actually the cheapest option, as it makes you a legal resident and you could get a proper work visa at the end of your study. It is cheaper than a 300,000 investment, but it does still cost money.

I don't suppose you have an Irish grandparent? Or an ancestor from any EU country who would confer EU citizenship on you? That would solve your problem easily.

[New App]

Hi Bruein,

You could not legally pay tax as a self employed person in Ireland, unless you had a work permit or relevant stamp that gives you permission to work in Ireland, as you are a non-EU citizen.

The tax office never seems to check to see if you have a right to work in Ireland, their job is to deduct tax and they do that. But when you applied for citizenship, education, social welfare benefits, healthcare, old age care or any other state service that costs money to provide, they would check your right to reside and tell you that you had no rights to healthcare/ social welfare/ education /housing. So you would basically be an illegal resident, and could be deported.

The student visa is actually the cheapest option, as it makes you a legal resident and you could get a proper work visa at the end of your study. It is cheaper than a 300,000 investment, but it does still cost money.

I don't suppose you have an Irish grandparent? Or an ancestor from any EU country who would confer EU citizenship on you? That would solve your problem easily.

The woman wants to engage in freelance (self employed) work...... Advising a person to enter as a student is not smart and frankly irresponsible Because this will not allow the person to do what they want.

".....The student visa is actually the cheapest option, as it makes you a legal resident and you could get a proper work visa at the end of your study. It is cheaper than a 300,000 investment, but it does still cost money"..... this is crazy advice!!!!!! Why would you suggest a person pay for a 4 year degree costing thousands as a student and state might get a work permit at the end of their study when they can apply for a work permit RIGHT NOW!!!??

BAD ADVICE

[Latintraveller]

Brigid is an excellent contributor to the forum and very well respected. She thinks out of the box and often comes up with ideas that no one else has thought of. Maybe it is useful for Bruein to become a student, maybe not. There is nothing wrong with putting forth a suggestion and of course it is up to her whether or not she goes down that route.

[jeupsy]

Having said that, from what I understand the ultimate goal of the OP is to obtain Irish citizenship and to be able to work here in the meantime.

I am not sure coming in on a student visa will help much in the case, since unless I am wrong a student visa will restrict work to 20h per week and the time spent on a student visa wouldn't be taken in account for a naturalisation application (correct me if I am wrong).

Maybe bruein you can help us understand what your priorities are and if just coming to Ireland and being able to work part time helps?

[Brigid from Ireland]

The difficulty with a work permit is that for most people it is not possible. So therefore they need to look for another option. I have a lot of cousins who are non-EU, and most of them would not be able to get a work permit. If the OP can get a work permit RIGHT NOW this is obviously the best option, but for many people it is not an option at all. If it is not an option then you can look at other options.

Most people are able to get a student visa. It is a long route to citizenship now, because you must study first, and it is only when the study is completed that you can get a proper work permit that counts towards citizenship. I would consider it a ten year rather than a 5 year route to citizenship.

The reason I recommend it is that I know from personal experience it works. I put up the money for one cousin to come here on a student visa, around the time the economic boom started. When he paid me back we used that money for another cousin - the original money has now brought 17 cousins to Ireland. Each person who came here as a non-Eu student has brought at least one sibling/cousin, so there are now more than 50 relatives here. Some got permanent residence within a year (Irish citizen child pre 2005) others have needed 10 years, but they will all get citizenship eventually.