Long Stay ‘D' Visas Ireland

If you would like to come to Ireland to work, you need to apply for an Irish Work Visa. First, however, you have to obtain an employment permit. Depending on your qualifications and field of expertise, you might be eligible for one of the following permits:

• General Employment Permit
• Critical Skills Employment Permit
• Contract for Services Employment Permit
• Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
• Reactivation Employment Permit
• Internship Employment Permit
• Sport & Cultural Employment Permit
• Dependent/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit
• Exchange Agreement Employment Permit.

Only after you have successfully applied for an employment permit can you submit your application for the Irish Work Visa, which is another type of Ireland Long Stay Visa.

To be able to obtain this Irish Work Visa, you have to have a job offer from an Irish employer who is in Ireland at the time of submitting your visa application. You also have to meet certain visa requirements regarding your salary.

If you have family members who are Irish citizens or foreign nationals who are lawfully residing in Ireland, you might be eligible for the Join Family Long Stay Visa. If your visa application is successful, you will have the right to come to Ireland to join them and stay there for more than 3 months.

Depending on the type of your relationship with the person in Ireland, there are several routes that you can venture down when applying for an Irish Family Visa. These are:

• Spouse/Civil Partner Visa
• De Facto Partner Visa
• Adult Dependent Visa
• Child Dependent Visa
• Dependent of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder Visa.

As part of the visa application process, you will have to submit documents proving your relationship with your family member in Ireland. If your application is successful you will be able to stay in Ireland for more than 3 months where you will be able to study or work there.

If you are thinking of coming to Ireland as an international student to complete a long-term study program, you should apply for the Irish Study Visa, which is another type of Ireland Long Stay Visa.

To be eligible for the Irish Study Visa, at the time of applying, you have to be enrolled in a full-time study course featured on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes published by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.

Sometimes, if your study program in Ireland lasts one semester or less, the Short Stay ‘C’ Visa might be a better choice. Our lawyers can take a look at your chosen course in Ireland and advise you on whether a Short Stay Visa is enough, or whether you need to obtain the Ireland Long Stay Visa.

Long Stay Visa applications are first submitted online through the Online Irish Visa Application Service (AVATS). After completing the initial application online, you will be shown a summary form which you will need to print out and keep for later use.

You must submit this form along with some additional supporting documents to the designated visa application office. The required accompanying documents must be submitted within 30 days of submission of your online AVATS application. The designated office could be an international visa application agency, the Dublin office, or a local Irish Embassy or Consulate in the applicant’s country of residence.

If approved, the applicant can then travel to Ireland. Once at Border Control, the applicant must request permission to stay. To do this, the applicant must submit their visa, passport (or another valid travel document), along with any relevant documents to the immigration officer at Border Control for inspection.

If approved by the immigration officer, the applicant will receive a stamp in their passport that details the number of stays in which the passport holder can stay in Ireland. Once in Ireland and past Border Control, the applicant will then need to register with a local immigration office and apply for an Irish residence permit before their stay expires. Appointments for registration at the immigration office can be made up to 10 weeks in advance.

Specific documents will need to be submitted depending on the type of Ireland Long Stay Visa you will be applying for. However, most visa applications will require the following documents:

• Signed online visa application form summary
• A valid passport
• Two passport-sized photographs that meet Irish visa standards
• Copies of your previous passports, if available
• Details of previous visa refusals (if applicable)
• An application letter stating your reason for visiting Ireland and other information that is specific to your visa category
• Proof of sufficient funds
• Proof of medical insurance or another insurance policy covering expenses due to illness or injury whilst in Ireland

All documents submitted must be in their original form. Any documents not in English or Irish will need to be accompanied by certified translations.

On average, applications for Long Stay Visas are processed within 8 weeks. Nevertheless, applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis so the waiting time can vary depending on the complexity of your situation.

You also have to be aware of the fact that the processing of applications for the Join Family Visa tends to take longer, usually between 6-12 months. Of course, more complicated applications can take up to a year to process.

If you fail to provide some of the required documents, if you make mistakes in your application or if the immigration office request additional documents, then the processing can be delayed. That is why it is advisable to hire an immigration lawyer who can make sure your application is complete.

As for the cost of your Long Stay ‘D’ Visa, a single entry permit costs €60, and a multiple entry visa costs €100. You have to pay this visa fee before you send your supporting documents for processing and you need to include the receipt in your portfolio of evidence. This visa fee is non-refundable so you will not get your money back even if your application is rejected or withdrawn.