Redundancy and work permits

[marialear]

Hey everyone,

I have a query about redundancy and work permits.

I currently have an unlimited WP with my employer & have my GNIB card and passport stamp issued until Jan 1/2010. Situation has arised at work where people are being issued redundancy (but so far I'm ok). Hopefully I will continue to be but one has to be prepared for these things.

I am wondering if anyone else has ever been made redundant and was on a WP? What's their story? I called Dept of Employ yesterday and was told that if I got made redundant, I would have to get a new WP (at the cost of €1000/2 years) for my new job and of course I can't work while I'm waiting for this new WP to be issued. He said it would only take a couple of weeks (but we all know that could mean ages!). Like most people, I really can't afford any "down time" while I'm waiting for the privilege to be allowed to work.

I am hoping that my LTR gets approved before this possible redundancy happens as then I can work freely. I hope to have my LTR in August (just waiting for the police check to come in) assuming that they do grant the LTR though I can't see why they would not, but until I actually see the paper, I have no faith in it.

Basically, does anyone have any reality stories of how long it took from being redundant to starting a new job with their new WP?

Thanks in advance.
Maria

[victor8600]

Basically, does anyone have any reality stories of how long it took from being redundant to starting a new job with their new WP?

Searching for a job: 2 months
Waiting for a job offer: 2 weeks
Processing for a new WP: 4 weeks

All in total from getting the redundancy letter to first day at a new job: almost exactly 3 months.

[mktsoi]

hi maria

well, i know how you feel about this. lets hope that you company wont let go of you before you get your LTR. this is what i have been telling you guys in this site. the whole immigration thing is hopeless in this country. i know you prolly worry sick if you dont get you LTR before(if) you got let go by your company.

it really depends on who you know. if you have friends in high places. it helps, i am not like some people in this site only tell you what the DOJ or DOE published in their so call policies. call me negative but they are pretty bad, doesnt matter DOE or DOJ. they have some good people working in the place but not too many.

i met this guy from my work few years ago. his dad has an irish passport by descent, but he is not qualify for an irish passport because his dad didnt apply for irish citizenship after he was born. he worked with me briefly. i kinda got to talk to him abit when he was working there for 2 months as a summer student. i guess everyone knows that in this site. unless you have a eu passport. otherwise you wont be allow to work until you been issued a work permit by the DOE. so i asked that guy how long it took my work to get him a work permit since he needed one to work in ireland. he told me it told the DOE 2 days to give him a brand new work permit and no question ask. guess what. his dad happened to be a friend of the us ambassador to ireland and he told me that he was in the us embassy having dinner with the ambassador in 4th of july! thats what he told me anyway. i am sure that the us ambassador had never made a call to the DOE. i guess you can figure this bit out yourself.

if i were you, if you know anyone works in the government that can help you. make the call now. or else, try to find a new job and get a new work permit before it gets to the last point you mentioned that you got let go by your company.

good luck. i hope it works out for you anyway

[kazinirl]

Hi,

I was made redundant last year.

It is half true that it would take only a couple of weeks if there was no error on your application. A friend of mine who was in the same situation as me, got new work permit in 2-3 weeks without any difficulty.

However I was so unlucky
My application wasn't completed, so they sent it me back, of course the post wasn't registered. The post went missing for 2weeks and was found in a post office (Lazy postmen!)
While I was waiting, I talked to a girl in DOE a few times to check how the process was, and this unhelpful girl just told me "I don't know, it's in the system, so you just have to wait". 3 weeks after I sent my application send time, I finally got a very nice lady to ask about the situation. She apologised for making me wait for such a long time, coz it should have been done much earlier. She promised that she would ring me back later the same day, and she did.
BUT! She told me that my application was gone missing in their office
Well, actually she was very very nice and I felt that she was trying what she could do the best. Then result was.... she asked me to come to DOE next day with some document I could bring with (Passport, GNIB Card, Redundancy letter and job offer letter from new employer etc).
Finally I got new work permit in DOE. The processing time was only 15min!!!!

I was one of unlucky ones, and took me about 6weeks to get the permit
Now I can laugh about this story, but at that time I was so stressed out and upset and angry

[marialear]

Thanks everyone for the replies, much appreciated.

I figured as much with the possible waiting times but it's helpful for me to hear actual people's stories - fingers crossed the long-awaited LTR comes in on time August/Sept 2008 & I don't get made redundant!

Cheers
M