On 1 October 2026, IrishTalents listed 36 open roles in County Galway with "software" in the job title, from employers including Cisco, Genesys, Medtronic, Ministry Brands, Fidelity and SOTI. A handful were aimed at graduates and interns. The rest asked for experience.
This guide is for international graduates who want to start a software career in Galway specifically: who hires there, what the graduate ads actually say about sponsorship, and how the timing of Stamp 1G and the Critical Skills Employment Permit fits together. For the national picture on salaries and permit fit, read our software developer jobs in Ireland guide. If you are still choosing a city, our Dublin, Cork and Galway comparison covers rent and lifestyle.
Before you read on: a permit record shows that DETE issued an employment permit for a role with that employer. It does not show a current vacancy or a promise to sponsor you. This article is informational and is not legal or immigration advice.
How big the Galway market is
Galway is the sixth-largest county for employment permits this year. It recorded 1,214 permits between January and September 2026, already more than its 1,104 for the whole of 2025, according to the DETE county figures in our September 2026 permit insights. Those totals cover every sector, and DETE does not publish them by occupation.
In IrishTalents permit records, built from DETE's published files, 237 employers with a Galway address recorded at least one permit in 2025. The four with the most permits that year were Galway University Hospital (72), Boston Scientific Ireland (49), KPMG (44) and Supermac's (44). Tech employers sit further down the list, with smaller and less regular numbers.
Galway tech employers with recorded permit activity
These employers are based in Galway in IrishTalents records and work in software, communications or payments technology. The counts include every permit the company received, for any role.
| Employer (legal name in DETE records) | Permits January to September 2026 | Permits in 2025 | Permits since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Systems Internetworking (Ireland) Limited | 21 | 2 | 59 |
| Planet Payment Group Holdings Limited | 14 | 2 | 43 |
| Wayfair Stores Limited | 3 | 4 | 66 |
| Genesys Cloud Services Ireland Limited | 1 | 1 | 33 (since 2022) |
| Sindice Limited | 1 | none | 15 |
| Romero Games Ltd | none | 4 | 9 (since 2023) |
Source: IrishTalents permit records, built from DETE's published files, checked on 1 October 2026.
Cisco stands out this year. 17 of its 21 permits in 2026 were issued between July and September, after only two in 2025. Genesys recorded 19 permits in 2022 and one or two a year since. A pattern like this tells you when an employer last had permits issued, so read it next to the employer's current ads.
A second group advertised Galway software roles on 1 October through an Irish company registered elsewhere. Their permit totals cover all of Ireland, not only Galway:
| Employer advertising in Galway | Legal entity in DETE records | Permits in 2025 | Permits January to September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medtronic | Medtronic Vascular Galway Unlimited Company | 17 | 10 |
| SOTI | SOTI Ireland Ltd | 10 | 4 |
| Fidelity | FISC Ireland Limited (spelled FISC-Ireland Limited in the 2026 file) | 29 | 42 |
| Ministry Brands | Ministry Brands Limited | 3 | 1 |
What the graduate ads say
Of the 36 software roles open on 1 October, most asked for senior or mid-level experience. The entry-level ones were:
| Role | Employer | What the ad said |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Software Engineer | Cisco | A pool ad for future openings. It states that Cisco will consider only candidates who will not need visa sponsorship now or in the future. |
| Graduate Software Cloud Engineer | Cisco | Also a pool ad for future openings, in the Webex engineering group. The ad excerpt does not mention sponsorship. |
| Software Engineer Intern | Cisco | A pool ad for internships. |
| Software Development and QA Intern Opportunities 26/27 | SOTI | Internships for the 2026 to 2027 intake. |
The first row shows why the ad itself matters. Cisco has recorded 21 permits this year, and one of its own graduate ads still rules out sponsorship. Permit history shows that an employer has used the permit process before, while the ad states what this hiring manager will accept for this role. Read the eligibility line of every ad before you tailor a CV. Our guide to reading Irish job ads for sponsorship signals covers the wording to look for.
Cisco runs its Galway graduate and intern ads as pool ads, which say the exact role may not be open today. Applying puts you in a candidate pool for roles that open later, so apply early in your search and keep a note of the date you applied.
How the permit route works for a software graduate
Software developers sit on the Critical Skills Occupations List under SOC 2136, "Programmers and software development professionals", with no narrowing wording on that entry. That makes the Critical Skills Employment Permit the usual target for a graduate software role. The DETE Critical Skills page set these conditions on 1 October 2026:
| Condition | Figure on the DETE page |
|---|---|
| Minimum annual pay for a listed occupation | €40,904 (DETE's minimum annual remuneration table lists €40,909) |
| Minimum annual pay for a recent graduate | €36,848 (the table lists €36,849), where the qualification was received in the 12 months before the application |
| Length of the job offer | At least 2 years |
| Processing fee | €1,000 (90% refunded if refused) |
Two dates matter more than any other number. The first is the date you received your qualification, because the €36,848 graduate rate applies only to a permit application made within 12 months of it. The second is the end date of your Stamp 1G, because you need the job and the permit application in place before your permission runs out.
Using your Stamp 1G window in Galway
If you are a non-EEA graduate of a Level 8 or higher award from a recognised Irish awarding body, the Third Level Graduate Programme can let you work full time for up to 12 months (Level 8) or 24 months (Level 9 and above) without an employment permit. It applies if you meet its conditions, mainly a current Stamp 2, an application within six months of being told you passed, and time left under the seven-year student limit. We explain the rules in What is Stamp 1G in Ireland?
That gives a Galway graduate a practical advantage. You can take a software role on Stamp 1G, show your employer what you can do, and then ask them to apply for a Critical Skills permit once they offer you a two-year contract. At that point the employer is deciding whether to keep someone already on the team, which is a different question from hiring an unknown applicant from abroad.
A sensible order of work for a new graduate:
- Note your award date and your Stamp 1G end date, and count the months between them and today.
- Shortlist the Galway employers above plus any you find in the companies directory filtered to Galway.
- Apply to the pool and intern ads first, because they collect applications before the roles open.
- For each experienced role you apply to anyway, check the eligibility line before you spend time on the cover letter.
- When an offer arrives, check the salary against the graduate and standard Critical Skills rates and the contract length against the two-year rule.
If Galway is too small for your shortlist
36 open software roles is a short list, and most of them are senior. If Galway is your first choice, add remote-friendly roles with Irish employers and roles in Limerick and Cork to the same search, so it does not depend on a handful of local openings. The software and IT sector page shows where permit activity in the sector is recorded across Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Do Galway tech companies sponsor graduate software engineers?
Several Galway tech employers have recorded employment permits, including Cisco with 21 between January and September 2026. That shows they have used the permit system before, not that a given graduate role is open to sponsorship. On 1 October 2026, Cisco's own graduate software engineer ad ruled out candidates needing sponsorship, so check each ad's eligibility line.
What salary does a graduate software job need for a Critical Skills permit?
On 1 October 2026, the DETE page set €36,848 for a recent graduate whose qualification was received in the 12 months before the application, and €40,904 otherwise for listed occupations such as software development. The job offer must be for at least two years. Thresholds change, so check the DETE page on the day you apply.
Can I work in a Galway software job on Stamp 1G?
Yes, if you have been granted graduate Stamp 1G. It allows full-time work without an employment permit for up to 12 or 24 months, depending on your degree level. To stay after it ends, you need a job that qualifies for an employment permit and an application made before your permission expires.
Where this information comes from
- Critical Skills Employment Permit (DETE): salary thresholds, two-year offer, fee
- Critical Skills Occupations List (DETE): SOC 2136
- Minimum annual remuneration thresholds (DETE)
- Third Level Graduate Programme: Immigration Rules for Non-EEA students and programme page (ISD)
- Permits issued to companies 2025 and Employment permits issued to companies 2026 (DETE), for the FISC Ireland figures
- Employer permit counts: IrishTalents permit records, built from DETE's published files
- Open roles: IrishTalents job listings for County Galway on 1 October 2026
Checked on 1 October 2026.
The Galway list changes every week, and the graduate pool ads come and go with the intake cycle. Browse software jobs in Galway to see what is open today, then open each employer's profile to check its permit history before you apply.