The Department of Justice have recently updated the application process for Irish Travel Documents. To make the process more seamless, applications for Irish travel documents have been moved online. Applicants can access the form through the ISD portal. They advise that applicants use the online application process, this allows the form, copy documents and fee of €55 to be submitted online. However, applicants are still required to post an original Identity Verification Form (signed in the presence of a guard), passport photographs and Passport/ Travel Document (if applicable) to the Travel Do ..read more

The Department of Justice have recently changed the eligibility requirements for a Stamp 4 upgrade for employment permit holders. Please note that Stamp 4 support letters are no longer required for this upgrade, and your Stamp 4 permission can be registered at your registration office. Effective from 3rd April 2024, employment permit holders with a Stamp 1 or 1H permission who have completed 21 months of employment are eligible for a Stamp 4 upgrade at their registration office. The eligible categories include Critical Skills Employment Permit holder, individuals resident on the basis of a Hos ..read more

On the 4th of March 2024, the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced that, effective from 7th March 2024, nationals of Dominica, Honduras and Vanuatu will now be required to obtain a visa before travelling to Ireland. A transit visa will also be required for nationals of these countries if they are travelling through Ireland on the way to another destination. The Minister stated that this decision was made to bring Ireland into closer alignment with the visa regime in the UK and Schengen area. Transitional arrangements will be put in place for nationals of the affected countries who have ..read more

Berkeley Solicitors have recently received a number of successful naturalisation decisions for clients resident on Stamp 0 permission. In approving the applications for our clients, the Department of Justice have accepted that Stamp 0 is reckonable residence for the purposes of naturalisation. These decisions are significant given that the Department have previously maintained that Stamp 0 residence permission is a low-level immigration status which is granted for a limited and specific stay in Ireland. There are three main types of persons eligible for Stamp 0:   Elderly dependent relat ..read more

The Immigration Service Delivery have published a notice in response queries of Non-EEA nationals who await the issuance of an EU Passport, of their status and obligations in the State. The notice has clarified that Non-EEA nationals, who are in receipt of court documents stating that they are citizens of an EU country, must hold a valid immigration permission to remain legally resident in the State. Individuals in this position therefore must ensure to contact their national embassy to keep their Irish immigration permissions up to date while they await their EU passport. Court documents stat ..read more

On the 20th of December 2023, the Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retails announced significant changes to Ireland’s employment permits system. These changes include an increase in salary thresholds for permit holders and an additional 43 occupations becoming eligible for employment permits. Minister Richmond stated that the changes have been introduced to reflect both inflation and economic growth in the State and the necessity and of the skills, experience and cultural diversity that Migrants bring to Irish society. From 17th January 2024, the minimum salary for new General Em ..read more

The Minister for Justice recently published a notice on their website to facilitate customers who may wish to travel over the Christmas and New Year period. The Travel Confirmation Notice states that Non-EU/EEA residents who have submitted an application to renew their permission in advance of its expiry, may use their current recently expired IRP card to travel between 6th December 2023 and 31st January 2024. The notice has been introduced in consideration of the current backlog in processing renewals.   The notice only applies to persons who have submitted an application to renew their ..read more

Late last year, Ms Justice Bolger of the High Court delivered a judgement in the case of S v Minister for Justice [2022] IEHC 578, which we discuss in detail in our blog post available here: https://berkeleysolicitors.ie/recent-high-court-judgement-refusal-of-travel-visa-for-employment-permit-holder/   The case concerned an Indian citizen who was granted a work permit to take up a position as a tandoori chef. The Applicant then applied for a visa to enable him enter Ireland to take up this employment position, but his visa application was refused. The Applicant appealed against this ..read more

The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has commenced the majority of the provisions of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023. This Act has introduced significant amendments to immigration, citizenship and naturalisation law in Ireland, to take effect from 31st July 2023. The major changes are outlined below: The Act contains amendments to a number of provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts. Children born in the State who are not entitled to Irish citizenship by birth, will now be eligible to apply for naturalisation after three years of reckonable reside ..read more

Berkeley Solicitors would like to congratulate our clients who have received a positive judgement from the High Court today in their Judicial review proceedings. The applicant, a minor Somali citizen, issued proceedings through her aunt and next friend challenging a decision of the Minister for Justice to refuse the her visa appeal to join her aunt and family in Ireland following the death of both her parents in Somalia. We argued on behalf of our clients that the Minister acted in breach of fair procedures on a number of grounds. In refusing to grant the visa, it was submitted that the Minist ..read more