Spouses and partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) holders no longer need a separate employment permit. Effective March 6th, eligible applicants can attend their local GNIB immigration office with their spouse/de-facto partner who is the holder of a CSEP to obtain a permission to reside on Stamp 1 conditions, which provides direct access to the labor market. Beginning April 1st, a new pre-clearance policy will be introduced for non-EEA de facto partners of CSEP holders. Both visa-required and visa-exempt nationals will be required to seek permission to live in Ireland as a dependent of a CSEP holder prior to arrival in Ireland.