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The Five Steps to Working in the UK or Ireland

The Five Steps to Working in the UK or Ireland: A Candidate’s Roadmap

If you are a tradesperson, driver, or skilled professional from the Philippines, South Africa, Bangladesh, Colombia, or elsewhere considering a move to Ireland or the UK in 2026, this article is the practical roadmap. It walks you through the five distinct stages of the journey from your first application to your first month in your new country.

This is not a marketing piece. It is the actual sequence of events you will go through, the realistic timelines for each stage, and what you should expect at each step.

The big picture

End-to-end, the journey from accepting a job offer to your first day at work in Ireland or the UK takes between 12 weeks and 22 weeks, depending on the visa route. Here is the breakdown:

  • Ireland, General Employment Permit: 16 to 22 weeks
  • Ireland, Critical Skills Employment Permit: 12 to 18 weeks
  • UK, Skilled Worker visa (with established Sponsor): 10 to 14 weeks

These are realistic, not optimistic, timelines. Any agency promising significantly faster is misleading you about the system, not beating it.

The five stages below cover both Ireland and UK routes. Stage-specific differences are flagged where they apply.

Stage 1: Application and Vetting (Weeks 1 to 3)

This is where you make first contact with the agency and they assess whether you are a fit for the roles they have open.

What happens:

  1. You apply. Either through a specific open role on samatalent.com/jobs or by registering your general interest with jobs@samatalent.com.
  2. First conversation. A recruiter from our team in Manila, Johannesburg, Dhaka, or another local office contacts you within one week of your application. This is a 20 to 45 minute call where they ask about your experience, qualifications, English, family situation, salary expectations, and timeline.
  3. Skills assessment. If the initial conversation suggests a fit, we move you into formal assessment. This covers role-specific competencies. For drivers, this includes verifying your licence and CPC. For mechanics, it covers diagnostic ability. For office-based roles, it covers software proficiency and a written test.
  4. English assessment. Both spoken and written, calibrated to the visa route you are targeting.
  5. Video interview. A recorded interview that we and the prospective employer can review.
  6. Background check. Identity verification, employment history confirmation with previous employers, and police clearance.

What to do:

  • Have your CV ready, with employment dates and previous employer contact details.
  • Have your existing passport ready, or apply for one immediately if you do not have one.
  • Be honest about your experience, English level, and family situation. Hiding things creates problems three months later.
  • Be available for video calls during reasonable hours. Slow responsiveness slows the entire process.

Common timeline: 2 to 3 weeks from first application to completion of all assessments, depending on your responsiveness and document availability.

Stage 2: Trade Test (Weeks 3 to 4)

For trades roles specifically, the trade test is the most important assessment. It is also the one most candidates fear unnecessarily.

What happens:

You attend our test centre in Manila (for Filipino candidates) or Johannesburg (for South African candidates) for a practical assessment in a working workshop. The test is calibrated to your trade:

  • Mechanics: Diagnose a fault, complete a service procedure, demonstrate tool competence.
  • Welders: Complete weld samples that are inspected against industry standards (CSWIP or equivalent).
  • Panel beaters and sprayers: Complete sample panel work assessed for finish quality.
  • Electricians: Demonstrate competence in safe wiring, fault diagnosis, and reading schematics.
  • Carpenters and joiners: Complete a sample piece of joinery or framing work.
  • Scaffolders: Erect and dismantle a sample scaffold to specification.
  • Drivers: Practical driving assessment in the appropriate vehicle class.

The trade test is not designed to trip you up. It is designed to verify the skills your CV claims. Candidates who pass go forward at higher confidence and often into better-paid roles. Candidates who fail are told honestly what the gap is.

What to do:

  • Bring your own work gear if relevant (safety boots, gloves, etc.).
  • Treat the test like a real job. Arrive early, prepared, and focused.
  • If you have not done the specific task in a while, say so. Examiners are not testing your willingness to bluff; they are testing your skills.

Common timeline: Trade test happens within 1 to 2 weeks of completing initial assessment.

Stage 3: Employer Interview and Job Offer (Weeks 4 to 6)

Once you have passed our internal vetting, we introduce you to one or more employers in Ireland or the UK who are actively hiring for your role.

What happens:

  1. Shortlist presentation. The employer reviews your CV, trade test results, video interview, and background check.
  2. Employer interview. A direct conversation between you and the employer, typically by video call. This is your chance to ask questions about the role, the team, the working conditions, and the location.
  3. Job offer. If the employer wants to hire you, they issue a formal job offer. This sets out the role, salary, hours, location, start date, and any benefits.
  4. Offer acceptance. You review the offer, ask questions if anything is unclear, and either accept or decline. We will help you understand any terms you are unsure about.

What to do:

  • Ask questions in the employer interview. Employers want candidates who are engaged and curious, not silent. Ask about the work, the team, the city, the hours, the equipment, anything that matters to you.
  • Read the offer carefully before accepting. Pay attention to the role description, salary, working hours, holiday entitlement, and any probation period.
  • Do not feel pressured to accept on the spot. Take 24 to 48 hours to consider. Any reasonable employer will allow this.

Common timeline: 1 to 2 weeks from shortlist presentation to signed job offer.

Stage 4: Employment Permit and Visa (Weeks 6 to 18)

This is the longest stage and the one most outside your control. The agency and employer manage most of it, but you have specific responsibilities.

For Ireland:

  1. Employment permit application. The Irish agency or employer submits your General Employment Permit or Critical Skills Employment Permit application to the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. First-time General Employment Permit applicants face end-to-end timelines of nine to eleven weeks. Critical Skills Employment Permit cases average five to six weeks from receipt to decision. Lazada
  2. Visa application. Once your permit is granted, you apply online for the Irish work visa at the Irish Immigration Service portal (AVATS). The visa application processing time is 8 weeks. The visa application fee is €60 for single-entry or €100 for multiple-entry. Western
  3. Biometrics and supporting documents. You attend a visa application centre to provide biometrics. You submit supporting documents online: passport, employment permit, employment contract, qualifications, medical certificate, police clearance, evidence of accommodation.
  4. DMW pre-departure orientation (Filipino candidates only). All Filipino workers deploying overseas must complete a pre-departure orientation seminar through the DMW and receive their Overseas Employment Certificate.

For the UK:

  1. Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). Your employer issues you a Certificate of Sponsorship through the Sponsorship Management System. This is a virtual reference number, not a physical document.
  2. Skilled Worker visa application. You apply online at GOV.UK within 3 months of receiving your CoS. Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK. In practice, most applications are processed within 3 to 8 weeks. FX Exchange Rate
  3. Biometrics. You attend a visa application centre to provide fingerprints and a photograph.
  4. Immigration Health Surcharge. You pay the IHS as part of the visa application, which gives you access to NHS services.

What to do:

  • Get your documents organised early. Passport, qualifications, employment certificates, police clearance, medical certificate. Every missing or unclear document delays your application.
  • Respond promptly to any requests from the agency, employer, or visa authority. Slow responses extend your timeline directly.
  • Do not book flights or give up your current accommodation until the visa is granted. Visa refusals are rare for well-prepared applicants but they happen, and you should not be financially exposed.

Common timeline: 8 to 14 weeks from job offer acceptance to visa granted, depending on the route.

Stage 5: Travel, Arrival, and Settling In (Weeks 18 to 22)

Once your visa is granted, you can travel. The final stage is short but important.

What happens:

  1. Flight booking. Your employer or the agency typically books your flight. For Sama Talent placements, the employer covers the flight cost as part of the deployment package.
  2. Arrival. You land in Ireland or the UK and complete immigration formalities at the airport. You are typically met by a representative from your employer or the agency.
  3. Accommodation. You move into your initial accommodation. This is usually shared accommodation for the first one to three months, arranged by the employer or agency. You then find your own accommodation as you settle in.
  4. PPSN (Ireland) or National Insurance number (UK). You apply for your personal tax number, which is needed before you can be added to payroll. This typically takes 2 to 4 weeks.
  5. Irish Residence Permit (Stamp 1) (Ireland only). You attend an immigration registration appointment to receive your IRP. Once in Ireland, the worker must register with Irish immigration and receive a Stamp 1 Irish Residence Permit before beginning employment. Western
  6. Bank account. You open a local bank account for your salary to be paid into. Some banks require proof of address, which can be a chicken-and-egg problem in your first few weeks. Agencies typically help with this.
  7. Phone, transport, and induction. You get a local SIM card, sort out transport to work, and complete your employer’s induction process.
  8. First day at work. Usually within 7 to 14 days of arrival, once paperwork is in order.

What to do:

  • Pack appropriately for the weather. Ireland and the UK are significantly colder and wetter than the Philippines, South Africa, Colombia, or Bangladesh, especially from October to April.
  • Bring enough money to cover your first month before your first salary lands. €2,000 to €3,000 (or £1,800 to £2,500) is a reasonable buffer.
  • Connect with the Filipino, South African, or Latino community in your area. They will help you settle faster than anyone else.
  • Take care of your mental health. The first three months are hard for most overseas workers. Stay in touch with family, eat properly, sleep, and ask for help if you need it.

Common timeline: 1 to 2 weeks from arrival to first day at work, with full settling-in completing over 4 to 8 weeks.

What this looks like on a real calendar

If you accept a job offer today (May 2026) and use the General Employment Permit route into Ireland, your realistic milestones are:

  • June 2026: Employment permit application submitted
  • August 2026: Permit granted, visa application submitted
  • October 2026: Visa granted
  • Late October to early November 2026: Arrival in Ireland
  • November 2026: First day at work

For the UK Skilled Worker route with an existing Sponsor, the same timeline compresses to roughly August or September 2026 for first day at work.

Ready to start?

The journey from application to a new life in Ireland or the UK is long but the path is well-established. Working with a regulated, ethical agency, you can do it without paying anyone a placement fee, without taking out a loan, and without putting yourself at risk.

Sama Talent has open roles in trades, driving, and engineering across Ireland and the UK. Visit samatalent.com/jobs or email jobs@samatalent.com to register your interest. We will tell you straight what is realistic for your specific situation and what your timeline looks like.

About this article: Citations are drawn from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Ireland), Irish Immigration Service, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK, and the Department of Migrant Workers (Philippines). Sama Talent is a regulated Irish employment agency, EA 5649, placing skilled trades and professionals into roles across Ireland, the UK, and Europe.

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