For CNC machinists, Donegal
CNC machinist jobs in Donegal with the permit handled
Who in Donegal is already hiring on employment permits, the roles open now, what the permit requires and how the trade test works. You never pay us anything.
Open now
CNC machinist roles we are filling
Official figures
The biggest permit users in Donegal this year
Each of these got employment permits this year, so they know the process. Open one for its monthly pattern and how to approach it.
The county
Permits issued in Donegal by year
Employment permits issued to employers in Donegal, all sectors. Full figures.
The sector
C - All Other Manufacturing
Employment permits issued in this sector by year, nationally. Full figures.
What is required
What you need
- A job offer and a contract of employment signed by you and the employer before anything is submitted. Applications must reach the Department at least 12 weeks before the start date.
- The right permit for the job. Most trades and driving roles go through a General Employment Permit, which is issued for 2 years and can be renewed. Roles on the Critical Skills list use a Critical Skills Employment Permit.
- Pay at or above the minimum for the permit. For a General Employment Permit the Department currently lists it as generally EUR 36,605 a year, with lower figures for meat processing, horticulture, healthcare assistants and home support. Check the official figure for your role before you rely on it.
- A Labour Market Needs Test in most General Employment Permit cases: the employer advertises the job first, and only then can the application go in.
- The 50:50 rule: at least half of the employer's staff must be EEA nationals at the time of application, with exceptions for start-ups and sole employees.
- Your passport, your qualifications, references, and a medical and background check where the employer asks for them.
Summarised from Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Employment permits, checked 9 September 2026. The rules change, so the official page is the one that counts, and we confirm the route in writing for every offer.
The trade test
How we test CNC machinists
Setting and running a part from a drawing, assessed on the finished piece.
Tested in Johannesburg, Manila or a partner centre near you before anyone gets on a plane, so you land in a job that matches what you can do.
What happens on the day, step by step
The process
Send your CV
A recruiter goes through your experience, your licences and where you want to work. No fee, no obligation, and you can stop at any point.
Interview and trade test
You meet the employer, in person or by video, then a practical test with a qualified assessor so you land in a job that matches what you can do.
Offer and paperwork
A written offer with the salary and hours in it, before anything else happens. Then the medical and the background checks.
Permit and visa
The employer applies for your employment permit and we handle the visa with you. This is the long stage, and the one nobody controls.
You land
Flight, accommodation, PPSN, bank account and phone sorted, and somebody checking in with you after you arrive.
Keep an eye out
New jobs go up there first
Roles are posted as they come in, with the trade and the country, and there is usually a fortnight between a job appearing there and the applications closing.
Register with Sama
Tell us your trade and we will tell you what we have
Five fields, under a minute. We read every one. You never pay us anything, at any stage.
Free, at every stage
Ready to apply?
Register above or send your CV. Nothing to apply, nothing to be placed, nothing for your visa or your documents. Employers pay us.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment Permit Statistics. Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. A permit issued to a company is a record of a past application. It is not a vacancy and not a promise of sponsorship.
Is this your organisation? To update what is shown here, or for more information, email us. The figures come from the published register; we cannot change the register itself, only how it is presented here.