This project is co-financed by the European Commission under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2026 and is supported by the Department of Justice and Equality.
Immigration Updates
13 January 2022
The Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme will open for applications on Monday, 31 January 2022.
Applications will be accepted for six months until 31 July 2022 when the scheme will close.
The scheme will enable applicants, and their eligible dependents where the specific criteria is met, to remain and reside in the State and to regularise their residency status.
Principal applicants who are eligible under the scheme will:
- Have a period of 4 years residence in the State without an immigration permission, or 3 years in the case of those with minor children, immediately prior to the date on which the scheme opens for applications;
- Be permitted to include a spouse, civil partner or defacto partner and eligible children aged 18 – 23 years who must have been living with the principal applicant for 2 years immediately prior to the date on which the Scheme opens for applications;
- Be granted an immigration permission that allows for unrestricted access to the labour market; and
- Have years of residence with that permission reckonable for the purposes of pursuing citizenship by way of naturalisation.
Those with an existing Deportation Order can apply, if they meet the minimum undocumented residence requirement. Applicants must meet standards regarding good character and criminal record/behaviour and not pose a threat to the State. Having convictions for minor offences will not, of itself, result in disqualification.
People with expired student permissions will also be able to apply, if they meet the minimum undocumented residence requirement.
Further details regarding the qualifying criteria and the required documentation for the scheme are now available.
As previously announced by the Minister, international protection applicants who have an outstanding application for international protection and have been in the asylum process for a minimum of 2 years will have a separate application process. Applicants will be contacted directly with further details at the appropriate time.
- Applies to permissions due to expire between 15 January 2022 and 31 May 2022
- Extension applies to people with permissions extended under previous notices
- For permissions registered by the Immigration Service in Dublin and An Garda Síochána nationwide
17 December, 2021
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today announced a further temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions to 31 May, 2022.
This applies to permissions that are due to expire between 15 January 2022 and 31 May 2022 and includes permissions that have already been extended by the previous eight temporary extensions since March 2020.
Clare Immigrant Support Centre welcomes the launch of the long awaited Regularisation Scheme which will transform the lives of many individuals and families living here in Clare and all over Ireland.
The Regularisation Scheme will launch early in 2022 and be open for 6 months. The scheme proposes to regularise the immigration statuses of Individuals with dependent children after 3 years of being undocumented in the State and individuals living in Ireland undocumented for at least 4 years by the time the scheme opens in 2022. Succesful applicants will have the right to live, work engage in education and will also have a pathway to becoming Irish citizens.
Very importantly the scheme will also be open to individuals who have been in the international protection process for 2 years or more, this will be of great benefit to reducing the big backlog of asylum seekers living for years in the much-criticised direct provision accomodation system while awaiting decisions on their international protection applicatiions.
- Visa applications will now be accepted for essential family reunification
- Applications also accepted from people who have been granted an employment permit and are travelling for essential business or employment purposes
20 May 2021
The Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys TD, and the Minister of State for Law Reform, Youth Justice and Immigration, James Browne TD, have today announced that two new categories have been added to the priority/emergency list of visas being processed at this time.
Visa applications will now be accepted from people who are seeking to join their family members in Ireland, and from those who are travelling for essential business or employment purposes and have been issued with an employment permit by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
10 May 2021
Please see FAQs from ISD which may also apply to international protection applicants during this time, and can be found here
In light of the current Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions announced by Government, the International Protection Office (IPO) wishes to advise that the following arrangements will apply:
- Opening Hours: Reception at the International Protection Office, Timberlay House, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2 will be open between 09:00 and 13:00 by appointment and from 13:30 to 16:00 for walk-in service, Monday to Friday.
- Protection Interviews: Substantive interviews are resuming by video conference only until further notice in line with Government guidelines and public health advice. The IPO will contact applicants when their interviews are scheduled. Updates will continue to be posted on this site.
- IPO2 Questionnaires: Applicants with outstanding IPO 2 questionnaires are asked to complete and return the questionnaire as soon as possible please. In light of the current circumstances, the IPO will accept electronically completed questionnaires from applicants once they are signed and submitted in hard copy.
- Temporary Residence Certificates (TRC): Information on TRC renewals can be viewed here.
The International Protection Office continues to deal with correspondence received but due, to ongoing public health measures, may not be in a position to respond within normal timeframes.
Further updates will be provided in due course.
