Family Reunification for Work Permit Holders, Green Card Holders and Scientific Researchers

Visa Requirements

NOTE: These requirements are intended to act as a guideline only and do not limit the discretion of the visa officer in determining individual applications.
They are subject to change as we continue in our efforts to provide a more efficient service to our customers. You should therefore regularly check for the most recent version.

Please also see the link to 'Documents Required to Accompany a Visa Application'.

The following information outlines the minimum documentation you must submit with your application for a visa for the purposes of family reunification with a sponsor. Please read it carefully.

Where an original document is required, this is indicated. The document must be in ENGLISH or accompanied by a notarised translation of same.

Photocopied documents must be clearly legible. The Visa Officer will need to easily identify what they are and to whom they refer.

Any unsigned declarations, false information, forged or fraudulent documentation will result in the refusal of your application and no appeal will be permitted.

The onus is on you, the applicant, to satisfy the Visa Officer that a visa should be granted.

  1. In applying for a Visa for the purposes of family reunification you must be able to show that:

    • You are the spouse of a qualifying sponsor whose marriage is subsisting on the date of your application

      OR
    • You are the dependent unmarried child of the sponsor under the age of 18 years

      AND
    • That the qualifying sponsor fulfils the minimum income requirement where relevant

      Definition of a qualifying sponsor

      A qualifying sponsor is a non-EEA national who has a valid work permit and has been in employment for at least twelve months prior to the date of application. He/she must be in full time employment on the date of application and have an income above the threshold which would qualify the family for payment under the Family Income Supplement (FIS) Scheme administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs –www.welfare.ie

      OR
    • a Green Card Permit Holder see link- www.entemp.ie/labour/workpermits/guidelines.htm

      OR
    • a Researcher (Scientific) who holds a Hosting Agreement with an accredited research organisation for the purpose of carrying out scientific research  www.entemp.ie/science/technology/accreditation.htm and www.inis.gov.ie/Scientific Researchers

    Please note family members (i.e. spouse and dependants) may accompany a Green Card holder or a Scientific Researcher on admission into the State or join later subject to normal immigration rules.  For visa required nationals please click on www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Irish Visa Information for Visa application details.  Family members and dependants who are granted permission to be in the State under these arrangements may only remain for a maximum period equal to the Registration of the Green Card holder/Scientific Researcher.
  2. There now follows an explanation of what will be accepted as evidence for the above requirements. Please ensure you read this carefully and submit ALL documents with your application. Again, it is important that these are originals (where indicated) in English, or accompanied by a notarised translation. They should clearly indicate what they are and to whom they refer.

    Evidence of Relationship to the Qualifying Sponsor

    Where you are the spouse of a qualifying sponsor you must provide the following documents:

    • Marriage certificate

      If the marriage took place after the qualifying sponsor took up residence in Ireland please provide the following details/documents
    • Evidence of your spouse having travelled to your country of residence on a number of occasions, and any other information you can provide to support your application
    • If, while your spouse was residing in Ireland, you married by proxy, it will be necessary for you to obtain a declaration from the Irish Courts under Section 29 of the Family Law Act 1995, to confirm that the marriage is recognised in this State.
    • Where the applicant is the dependent child (under 18 years) of a qualifying sponsor you must provide evidence of the relationship such as a birth certificate, adoption papers or the like
    Parental Consent
    • Where both you and your spouse are the parents of this child, but only one of you will be residing in Ireland, the written consent of your spouse, permitting your child to join you, will be required
    • If you wish a child (under 18 years) from a previous marriage or relationship to travel with you, or join you in Ireland, evidence that you have been given full custody and access rights to this child must be shown.
    (Court Order)
    • Where the other parent of this child has custody or access rights, a sworn affidavit by this parent consenting to the child being removed from their home country is required

  3. Sponsors and Family Members may be required to present DNA evidence, obtained at their own expense and certified to the satisfaction of the Minister, in support of their claims to be related. Such evidence will not be sought unreasonably.

    Evidence of Finances

    If the qualifying sponsor is the holder of a work permit and has been resident in Ireland for 12 months, they must show they have sufficient funds to support you and any dependent family members, without recourse to the Family Income Supplement. However, in all cases your application must be accompanied by:

    • A copy of spouse’s current Work Permit
    • A copy of the contract of employment of the qualifying sponsor of at least one year from the date of entry of the family member(s).  The contract must also give the annual salary of the sponsor
    • Copy of P60 and 3 recent consecutive payslips
    If the above documents are not provided the application cannot be considered

    Passport
    • Current passport valid for at least one year from proposed entry date to Ireland
    • If you held a previous passport, you should also submit this with your application
    • Clear and legible copy of all pages of the qualifying sponsors passport
    • Copy of sponsors Certificate of Registration (document issued by the Irish Immigration Authorities)
  4. Decisions
    • The processing times for Visa Applications vary depending on the volume of applications lodged and the time it takes for an application to reach the Visa Section in Dublin from the Embassy in which it was lodged. You should allow as much time as possible when applying for a visa but a minimum time of  8 weeks is recommended
    • Visa applications from Researchers and their family members will be decided by the Embassy or Consular Office at which the applications are lodged
    • Visa decisions are published weekly on our website –www.inis.gov.ie. You can check a decision by entering the Visa Reference Number that issued to you
    Right of Appeal
    • If you are refused a visa you may appeal this decision within 2 months
    • Appeals must be submitted in writing and posted to:

      The Visa Appeals Officer
      INIS, 13-14 Burgh Quay,
      Dublin 2.

      If your application was made to the Visa Office in Abuja, Beijing, Cairo, London, Moscow or New Delhi you should submit your appeal to the relevant office

    • Your appeal should fully address all the reasons for which your application was refused. Any additional supporting documentation should be submitted with your appeal for consideration.

    • You must quote your Visa Reference Number on your appeal, along with your name and nationality

    • There is no fee payable for appealing a visa refusal decision

    • There will be no appeal allowed if you are found to have given false or misleading information in any part of your application, or submitted false, forged or fraudulent documentation

  5. If you are granted a Visa for the purposes of Family Reunification please note:

    • A visa is a form of pre-entry clearance to the State only, and does not guarantee that you will be permitted to enter or remain in the State
    • Immigration Officers at the point of entry are entitled to question any person on arrival. If they are not satisfied with the bona-fides of any person, or their reasons for wishing to enter the State, they have the right to deny entry to any such person, despite the fact they hold a valid visa
    • It is recommended that you have supporting documentation related to your reason for wishing to enter the State available to present to the Immigration Officer on disembarkation from your flight.
    Registration and Permission to Remain

    • All non-EEA nationals who wish to remain in Ireland for longer than 3 months, or beyond the period granted by an Immigration Officer at an Irish Port of Entry are required to register and obtain a residence permit. The Registration Authority is the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). http://www.garda.ie/gnib.html 
    • Residency is granted by means of an endorsement stamp on the person’s passport, and a residency document- a Certificate of Registration - is also issued. Under current Irish Immigration Laws children under the age of 16 are not required to register and obtain permission to remain
    • There is a charge of €150 payable each time you register, therefore it is advisable that your passport is valid for at least 12 months on arrival in the State
  6. Re-entry Visas
    • Before a re-entry visa can be issued, you must be registered with the Garda National Immigration Bureau
    • It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa (where relevant) for the country you intend travelling to
    • NOTE: A visa must be obtained from the UK authorities prior to travelling to Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland consists of Counties Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone)
  7. Eligibility for Employment
    • A family member of a worker or a Scientific Researcher who is the holder of a Hosting Agreement, issued a visa for the purposes of family reunification will be entitled to work subject to the issuance of a work permit by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, once they are legally resident in the State. See link –The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment - http://www.entemp.ie