Irish Family Visas
If you have family members in Ireland, you might be able to apply for an Irish Family Visa and join them in Ireland.
Call our lawyers today on +1 844 290 6312 to receive assistance with your visa application.
What are the Irish Family Visas?
The Irish Family Visas are visas that fall under the Join Family Long Stay ‘D’ Visa category. Depending on your relationship with your Irish citizen family member, you can apply for one of the following visas:
- Family Reunification Spouse/Civil Partner Visa
- Family Reunification De Facto Partner Visa
- Family Reunification Adult Dependent Visa
- Family Reunification Child Dependent Visa
- Family Reunification Dependent of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder Visa
Regardless of which route you choose, if your application for the Join Family Member Visa is successful, you will be able to stay in Ireland for more than 90 days.
Our lawyers can assess your circumstances and advise you which of the Irish Family Visas is the right one for you.
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Faisal Mubeen
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Clarissa Abrams
Posted 3 years ago
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Who is eligible for an Irish Family Visa?
The Irish Family Visas are intended for non-EU/EEA citizens who have family members in Ireland. If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA member state, you do not have to apply for a visa to come to Ireland to join your relatives.
Non-EU/EEA citizens who want to apply for the Irish Family Visa have to have a valid passport and be able to prove that they are related to Irish citizens or people lawfully residing in Ireland.
As part of the application, you will have to submit documents such as birth or marriage certificates to confirm your relationship with the family members in Ireland. Moreover, your relative who is living in Ireland has to agree to become your sponsor and has to have enough funds to support you financially after you arrive in Ireland.
Finally, to be eligible for the Join Family Visa, you also have to provide evidence confirming your relative’s immigration status and their right to live in Ireland.
Depending on which of the Irish Family Visas you are applying for, there might be additional requirements that apply to you. For example, if you are applying as a dependent of the Irish sponsor, you have to provide proof of you being dependent on them financially.
It should be noted, that all family members from a Non-EU/EEA country will need to obtain immigration permission from Irish immigration authorities at the border even though they may already have a visa to enter Ireland.
What is the application process?
The application process for an Irish Family Visa is the same for all of the routes. The first step is to complete an online application form in which you have to state the reason for your journey to Ireland and indicate which of the Irish Family Visas you are applying for.
After you submit the form, you have to pay the visa application fee of either €60 for a single-entry permit or €100 for a multiple-entry one.
Once you make the payment you have to start gathering documents that prove your eligibility for the visa. The exact documents you need to prepare to vary depending on which of the routes you choose but evidence that all applicants need to submit includes:
- Your application summary sheet
- Application letter containing your and your family member’s personal details along with the personal details of any other family members who are in Ireland or the EU. In addition, this letter should contain the details and reasons why you want to come to Ireland.
- Valid passport
- Two passport size photographs
- Receipt for the visa application fee
- Evidence confirming your relationship with the family member in Ireland
- Proof of your relative’s finances
- Information about your accommodation in Ireland
Once you have all the documents ready, you have to send them for processing.
Our lawyers can explain to you in detail what documents you have to submit based on the type of Irish Family Visa you are trying to obtain. Thanks to their help you can avoid delays caused by you forgetting to submit some of the required evidence.
How can I prove my relationship with the family member in Ireland?
To be able to receive the Join Family Visa you have to provide evidence that proves your family relationship with the family member you want to join in Ireland.
If you are applying as a spouse or civil partner, you have to submit your marriage or civil partnership certificate. Those applying on behalf of dependent children will need to submit a birth certificate. Those applying as adult dependents can provide evidence showing that they are dependent on the person living in Ireland for financial support or assistance because of disability.
Nevertheless, each case is different so there might also be other ways to confirm your relationship history with the family member in Ireland.
Get in touch with our lawyers and they will assess your individual circumstances and tell you more about what evidence you should prepare. Thanks to their professional help you can be sure that the information you are submitting is sufficient and shows that you meet the eligibility requirements for your chosen visa.
What is the waiting time for the Irish Family Visa?
The waiting time for the decision varies as applications are reviewed chronologically on a case-by-case basis. How long you will have to wait depends on how complex your situation is. It also depends on the sponsor’s immigration status in Ireland.
If they are an Irish citizen, the processing should take 6 weeks on average. If they are a person lawfully living in Ireland but not an Irish national, the waiting time can take up to one year.
If your application is successful, you will receive an immigration stamp in your passport confirming your right to stay in Ireland for more than 3 months. You will then be able to start preparing for your move. If, however, your application is unsuccessful, you will receive a letter explaining the reasons for such an outcome.
It is possible to appeal the rejection but you should consult an immigration lawyer before taking action.
How can IAS help?
If you are a non-EEA national and you want to join a family member in Ireland, our lawyers can help.
They are committed to helping families avoid separation and they have helped many clients obtain Irish Family Visas.
If you hire one of our lawyers, they will guide you through each step of the application process and will answer any questions you might have. They will also go over your application to make sure that there are no mistakes and that you provided all the necessary information.
Thanks to their expert legal advice, the process of applying for your Irish Family Visa will be stress-free and straightforward.
Call us today at +1 844 290 6312 to find out more about our services.
Last modified on September 8th, 2023 at 7:28 am
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Frequently Asked Questions
All documents that you submit as part of your visa application have to be originals. If you submit photocopies, an immigration officer will most likely request that you send originals over. In some cases, however, your application might automatically be rejected.
The original documents you provide will be returned to you once immigration officials review them. Certain documents such as bank statements or application letters are not normally returned but, if you need them back as well, you can indicate that in your application.
Generally speaking, if you have been refused a visa to Ireland in the past, you can still apply for another Irish visa and your application will not be rejected right away. Nevertheless, you must provide details of the refusal and explain the circumstances surrounding it. Whether or not your new application will be accepted depends on your case.
Keep in mind that if you fail to disclose any previous visa refusals and immigration officials find out, your application will be refused.
For the purpose of Irish immigration, a de facto relationship is a relationship that meets the following requirements:
- You and your partner are in a committed relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership in practice but not in law
- Your relationship is genuine and ongoing
- You and your partner have been living together for at least 2 years
- You and your partner intend to stay and live together after you join them in Ireland.
In simple terms, a de facto relationship is when you and your partner are a couple and you live together and want to stay together long-term but you are not legally married.
To be able to obtain the Join Family Visa to Ireland, your family member in Ireland has to agree to become your sponsor.
As part of the application process, you have to provide evidence showing that your sponsor has enough funds to support you after you join them in Ireland. Documents you can use to prove their finances include:
- Bank statements for the period of 6 months prior to the application
- Letter from your sponsor’s employer confirming their salary
- Evidence of earnings as a self-employed person.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to apply for the Join Family Visa without a sponsor in Ireland.