El Salvador
In
The United Kingdom and Ireland

According to the website "Citizens Information" , the amount of pay you receive for working in Ireland is a matter of agreement between you and your employer. These negotiations normally occur when you receive an offer of a job. However under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 most employees are entitled to a minimum wage. There are sub-minimum rates for some people such as those aged under 18.

National Minimum Wage Act 2000 provides that the minimum wage rate for an experienced adult employee from 1 July 2007 is €8.65 an hour.

If you receive food (known as board) and/or accommodation (known as lodgings) from your employer, the following amounts are included in the minimum wage calculation:

* €54.13 for full board and lodgings per week, or €7.73 per day

* €32.14 for full board only per week, or €4.60 per day

* €21.85 for lodgings only per week, or €3.14 per day

According to the sub- minimum rates in the National Minimum Wage Act, an employee who is under 18 is entitled to €6.06 per hour (this is 70% of the minimum wage). This amount will increase by 10% after the first year to €6.92 per hour and by an extra 10% after the second year to €7.79 per hour.

A trainee is entitled to €6.49 per hour on his First one-third of training. This amount will increase by 10% after the first year to €6.92 per hour whilst on the Second one- third of training course and by an extra 10% after the second year to €7.79 per hour whilst on the final one third of the training course. Note: Each one third period must be at least 1 month and no more than 1 year.

The type of visa required and the administrative procedures that must be followed by migrant workers coming to Ireland depend on the nationality of the migrant worker, and the nature and skill level of the work they will be doing. To find out more about this, please refer to the "Migrant Rights Centre Ireland"

The majority of non-EEA nationals working in Ireland do so on temporary forms of permission to work. There are currently four types of permissions: The Work Permit and the Green Card (previously the Working Visa/Work Authorisation scheme), spousal/dependant permit and intra- company transfer permit. There are other types of migrant workers in Ireland, for example overseas non-EEA students registered in certain approved courses can work up to twenty hours per week.

The Work Permit gives an employer permission to employ a non-EU/EEA national. The permit is a permission to work, not a type of visa, and the worker must still apply for a visa to enter the country, as well as permission to remain in the country for more than 3 months. For more information, please visit the "Irish Council for International Students"

The Employment Permits Act 2006 has been enacted and new arrangements now apply to all applications received by the "Employment Permits Section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment" (DETE) from 1st February 2007. These new arrangements include new employment permit schemes, application forms, fees and permits with additional security features. Permits can also now be issued for a period of up to two years. The employee can now hold the permit, however it is still issued for a specific job and employer. The same permit cannot be used to move to another job or employer. Both employer and employee must ensure that there is a valid permit and that this is renewed. To apply for a new permit, an employer has to first identify a vacancy that cannot be filled from within the EU/EEA, and then find a non-EU/EEA national to fill the vacancy. Please, see (DETE)for more details.

Irish embassies local to the non-EU/EEA national will issue them an entry visa to Ireland. In some circumstances a person can change jobs if they can find a new employer who is willing to apply for a work permit and is granted one. Non-EEA nationals with work permits also require the permission of the "Minister of Justice, Equality and Law Reform" to reside in the state and must register with the "Garda, National Immigration Bureau" (GNIB). Workers must present their documentation, including the work permit, to the GNIB to get a residence stamp on their passport. This stamp provides the worker with residency status for the duration of the work permit. The worker will also be issued with a Certificate of Registration or 'GNIB card' which shows they have permission to remain and reside in the country for a specified duration. Please refer to the article "Registration of non-EEA National in Ireland" on this website.

The Government decided in February 2006 to extend the current Spousal Work Permits Scheme to include spouses of all Employment Permit Holders. This will give greater access to employment for spouses who have come to Ireland under Family Reunification. In such cases certain conditions are waived: the employer does not have to advertise with FAS; the ineligible occupations do not apply so the spouse can apply for any job; the work permit application is given priority and there is no fee.