You may be able to apply for long-term residency in Ireland if you have been a legal resident for at least 60 months, or five years. If approved, your application for long-term residency will allow you to live and work in Ireland for an additional five years, without the need for a work permit. Here, we reveal how the application process works and highlight the criteria and documentation required.
What do I Need to Qualify for a Long Stay Visa in Ireland?
In order to qualify for long-term Ireland residency, you need to evidence the following things:
- That you have legally resided in Ireland for the past 60 months
- That you have either Stamp 1 or Stamp 4 status in your passport or have an expired IRP card, also known as an Irish Residence Permit
Irish residency is calculated in accordance with the permit stamps in your passport. So, unfortunately, if there is a period that doesn’t have stamps, these won’t be taken into consideration for the 60 months.
How do I Apply for Irish Residency?
To apply for Ireland residency, you are required to fill out the official form on the Irish immigration website. It’s important that you fill it in accurately and send all of the required documentation. This includes:
- A colour copy of your passport or IRP card which shows all immigration stamps
- A copy of a letter or contract from your employer with start dates
- A colour copy of your work permit
- A copy of your current IRP or GNIB card
- Any documentation that evidences you’ve been living legally in Ireland such as bank statements, tenancy agreements or state-issued documents
You must then send the application to Residence Unit 3, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 D02 XK70. If it’s approved, you’ll receive a letter as well as an invoice for €500 which must be paid within 28 days. After this, you’ll receive another letter with your permission to stay. You then need to register this at your local immigration office and pay an additional administration fee.
If your application is refused, you’ll receive a letter outlining the reasons why. Unfortunately, there isn’t an appeal process for Irish residency. However, you can apply again at any time but it’s important to understand why your application was refused in the first place.
Can My Partner/ Spouse Remain in Ireland on My Long-Stay Visa?
If your spouse or partner is a non-EEA national, they are likely going to need to apply for a visa before travelling to Ireland. However, it must be the Join Family Visa which can be applied for online. If you’ve been granted long-term residence or have Stamp 4 status, your spouse and partner can also apply for long-term residency in Ireland.
The level of permission they receive will depend on the work permit that you had. For example, if you had a general work permit for five years, your partner or spouse will be granted permission for 3-5 years. If you had a critical skills permit, then your partner or spouse will be granted Stamp 1G for 5 years.
There are additional criteria that your spouse or partner must meet in order to apply for Ireland residency, though:
- They must have lived in Ireland, legally, as a spouse or dependent for at least the 60 month period
- They must be of good character
- They must not have broken any conditions relating to previous permissions to stay in Ireland
- They must be a spouse or partner of someone that has Stamp 4 status or Long-Term Residency at the time of application.
How Can McGinley Solicitors LLP Help Me with Irish Residency?
Whether you’re applying for Irish residency or just have another question about immigration law, the team at McGinley Solicitors LLP are best-placed to help you. You see, we cut through all of the jargon and keep up to date with industry news and regulations so that you don’t have to.
We’ll be there every step of the way and can support you with the likes of citizenship, work permits and stamp approval. That’s not even all of it as, over the past 50 years, we’ve helped hundreds of people just like you to enter, live and work in Ireland – safely and legally. So if you’d like to be next, contact our team today.
Long-Term Residency in Ireland FAQs
Which stamps are considered in Long-Term Residency applications?
When you have been given permission to stay in Ireland, an immigration stamp will be printed onto your passport. Certain ones count towards your Irish residency application. This includes Stamp 1 and 4.
I’ve lived in Ireland for five years, am I eligible for Long-Term Residency?
No, living in Ireland doesn’t automatically mean you’re entitled to long-term residency in Ireland. Instead, you must have also registered yourself at the local immigration office for at least five years.
What are the conditions of my Irish Residency?
If you want to remain in Ireland and legally have Irish residency, you need to obey Irish law, not become involved in criminal activity, reside continuously in Ireland and take great effort to stay employed and not become a burden on the Irish state.
What are my rights to remain if I’ve been staying in Ireland illegally?
Unfortunately, if you’ve lived or worked in Ireland illegally for a number of years you will have broken employment and immigration laws. As part of the eligibility criteria for a Long Stay Visa in Ireland, you need to prove that you’re of good character, so breaking the law goes against this. However, if you later got permission and have since worked and lived for five more years legally, your case will be reviewed individually. The immigration office will want to see proof of how quickly you tried to rectify your status, though.
Can my permission be revoked?
Yes, permission for Irish residency will only be granted if you meet the criteria. What’s more, after your application has been approved, if it’s discovered that you now no longer meet the residency criteria, or provided inaccurate information, your permission could be revoked. In worse case scenarios, this could result in deportation.