For Americans who want to move to Ireland

BEAT · 02-11-2005 7:26pm #1

I got a pm recently asking me how to do this, they had heard about me moving to Dublin and wanted some help.
I have had these questions before so I thought Id post up my advice and sticky it incase anyone else comes to baords looking for help.

Step #1 is the most improtant thing, if you can complete step#1 successfully then you will have nothing else to worry about...at all.
Having said that, it is the hardest thing to do and you will see why here.

You must secure a job before moving there. If you go there in an attempt to find work you had better have a load of money stashed first.

To find work you need one of the following:

A work visa, can only be obtained for the following professions:
Architecht
Medical profession
IT professional

A legal citizenship status, by marriage or by default from your parents or grandparnet having been born there. They will only go as far back as your Grandparent and you have to show thier birth certificate then apply for citezenship.

Student visa, you apply for this ahead of time and must be in school 20-30 hrs / week then you will be granted a student/work visa.

A work permit,
this is for everyone else. The only thing is you cant get one unless you know someone vey important. I got nearly 200 declinations and they all said I was what they were looking for but couldnt hire me because Im not part of the EU. You can only get a work permit if an employer hires you and applies for one for you, that employer must show reason on that application to the govt why you, an american... are more qualified for the position than an Irish citizen or someone who is part of the EU.
More than likely it isnt going to happen. I tried for over 2 years.

Now, if you have family that lives there you may luck out
I dont want to discourage you at all but as you can see its no easy task.
Unless you have loads of money and can live there for 5 years without working (which will gain you citizenship) you'l need to do one of the above to be able to work and live in Ireland legally.

If you get a pub/waiting job and are paid under the table that is cool but dont get caught or you will be deported and never again allowed to return.

I did extensive research and the only way I could get to stay was to get married, the only catch to that was in Ireland you cant get divorced for 5 years! so needless to say I came home even though I found someone who was willing to do it.

Good luck, and let me know how you get on!

Shortnose · 16-01-2006 7:44pm

Hmmm... things sure have changed since I was in Ireland. The EU has ruined it for the rest of us! LOL! It used to be one could travel to every country in the EU (prior to the union I mean) and stay for 3 months on a tourist visa. Now, one can only stay within all of the EU for 3 months!

How unfair is that?

At least, however, US citizens can remain in the UK for up to 6 months. And I don't know what the score is for Switzerland or other countries not a part of the EU (yet). I guess one could stay in Switzerland for 3 months and then pop over the border for another 3, but still...

And I guess if one had an e-commerce biz hosted offshore or maintained a biz in the US, that would help. I guess as long as resources are coming from outside the EU they wouldn't complain too much about it.

Geez. Portugal used to be a 'bargain' place, and now the Algarve properties are sky high - as are property values in Ireland. Celtic Tiger and all that....

There wasn't even a McDonald's in Dublin when I was there last (1973). I cannot begin to imagine how it all looks now. All the tech savvy peeps all over the country. It's a goldmine for businesses who wish to relocate to Ireland, that's for sure... what with all the well-educated work force, etc.

Pretty soon, US citizens aren't going to be able to go beyond our borders to enjoy the experience of working elsewhere around the globe. That is sad. One of the highlights of my life was working in Dublin - albeit for a short time. An experience I'll never forget!

Thank you, Dubliners!

Clinical Waste · 16-01-2006 7:46pm

1973!!!

Well we all have shoes now...

Shortnose · 16-01-2006 8:20pm

Clinical Waste wrote:

1973!!!

Well we all have shoes now...

LOL!! Love your user name!

Yeah, my stepmother wanted to know if they had 'sanitary supplies' for ladies (?!?!) Get real! My mother offered to send me Crest toothpaste (popular US brand). Uh... if I wanted to use US products, I'd have stayed in the US.

What I meant to say was, the typical US corporation hadn't sullied the appearance of Ireland with its garish golden arches or whatever fast-food logo (like Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc.) of the day is lately....

I wasn't trying to insinuate that Ireland was 'backwards' in 1973. Merely, nice and clean and pure. Why, I even watched a guy drink water straight out of a lake outside Galway (?!!) You couldn't do that in the US at that time, either!

toaster · 29-01-2006 4:51pm

anything in the medical profession, or is it just the most demanding fields in the medical profession ... like doctors, nurses, or what?

Sangre · 29-01-2006 4:56pm

I'd assume nearly any trained medical profession. We're really short of supply lately.

toaster · 29-01-2006 5:01pm

wwhee! knowing that, at least i have a slim shot.

FranknFurter · 04-02-2006 1:25pm

BEAT wrote:

as you can see its no easy task.
Unless can live there for 5 years without working (which will gain you citizenship) you'l need to do one of the above to be able to work and live in Ireland legally.

If thats the case, do you know if you have to do somthing every three months to have a "holiday" visa ""re-issued"? Or can u just stay for five years and THEN just apply for citzenship?

BEAT · 04-02-2006 8:20pm

all he has to do is register at the local gardai station within 30 dya of his arrival and let them know of his plans..they will instruct him on what he needs to do after that.

He will have to show proof of financial stability and the address where he is staying and need prob a letter of reference from whom ever he is living with.

Ruu_Old · 04-02-2006 8:24pm

I can confirm what beat said, when my wife moved from America. We just went into the local garda station. They just need proof that you arent going to be a "burden" on the state, so a bank account or something like that would be good.
You will then get an alien registration card and i think you renew it each year, as far as i can remember

Please post anything else you need to know as i experienced that when my wife moved here.

FranknFurter · 06-02-2006 1:15am

Thnx for the info,
Least we now know where to go from here

Looks like we're gonna have to go to the local station soon then if thats the case, been here 2.5 weeks already.

Ugh, gonna be difficult tracking that kinda stuff down to prove what needs to be proven apparently. His work is 100% net based, ugh

FranknFurter · 06-02-2006 5:49pm

hmm............
been onto 2 seperate stations now, clondalkin and harcourt square, neither seem to know what im talking about.

Embassy recommend contacting dept. equality & law reform, who recommend etc etc etc etc.........

*sigh

Ruu_Old · 06-02-2006 7:22pm

Did you ask for the immigration officer of each station?

FranknFurter · 07-02-2006 8:13pm

fraid so, an only got blank stares and guards asking each other "immigration officer?" ....in a "do we have one of those?" way

:rolleyes:

mickoneill30 · 28-02-2006 1:44pm

I'm in a similar situation. I'm Irish, living in Oz and moving back to Ireland next month. My girlfriend is 30 and Aussie so she is too old for the working holiday and she's doesn't have skills required by Ireland. I was looking at www.oasis.gov.ie and asked them what I can do. I got a reply back with the following

"your partner doesn't need a visa to travel to Ireland and can remain here for 3 months when she arrives. After this, she then needs to go to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (if living here in Dublin) or her local Garda station (if living down the country) and she can apply to extend her stay. It would help significantly if you accompanied her to the police to demonstrate that you know her, you are in employment and have the funds to support her. (Effectively, they just want to see that she is not a burden on the State).

Normally, such applications to extend her stay will be for 3 months (she can then apply again for another 3 months, etc.). If her application is granted she will get what is known as a Stamp 3 on her passport. This means that she can stay here for an additional 3 months at a time but unfortunately, it doesn't give her the right to work here at all."

So if the Garda are looking at you funny you could try the Garda National Immigration Bureau (http://www.garda.ie/angarda/gnib.html).

TiwstaSista · 05-04-2006 9:35pm

Shortnose wrote:

Hmmm... things sure have changed since I was in Ireland. The EU has ruined it for the rest of us! LOL! It used to be one could travel to every country in the EU (prior to the union I mean) and stay for 3 months on a tourist visa. Now, one can only stay within all of the EU for 3 months!

Are you sure? I thought the union meant you could stay and work in any EU country for as long as you like, visa free... thats why all the eastern bloc countries are ripping to get in.

Ruu_Old · 05-04-2006 9:52pm

Im almost sure if your country of citizenship is part of the EU, you are free to travel and live/work there as long as you wish without any restriction.

TheLostSaint · 30-05-2006 9:20pm

i have a question here ... maybe a loop hole or something

i been looking into buyin a house in ireland, havnt got all that far yet, but i figure that as i buy it now and have it paid off in say like 20 years and just use it as a vacation place/ or rent it or something..

and the question i have is this: does it count if you buy a house there as "legal residence" ??

Ruu_Old · 30-05-2006 9:50pm

Im not sure, but dont you get a first time buyers grant if you are a resident (or at least thats the way it is if you are Irish, I think)

TheLostSaint · 30-05-2006 10:39pm

im still in the works of the first time buyers thing, its fairly a new idea right now and soundin like a good idea anyway .. and i do plan on movin to ireland later down the road , just not to sure on the time frame, but if this does work then i would have the citizenship workin for me now .. and thats the main thing .. i wouldnt mind owning a pub either heheh

imirceach · 01-06-2006 2:02pm

Shortnose wrote:

I wasn't trying to insinuate that Ireland was 'backwards' in 1973. Merely, nice and clean and pure. Why, I even watched a guy drink water straight out of a lake outside Galway (?!!) You couldn't do that in the US at that time, either!

I know that guy... he's a fecking looper! :eek:

giggidtygig2 · 13-07-2006 12:07pm

imirceach wrote:

I know that guy... he's a fecking looper! :eek:

Drinking water from a lake is a pretty bad idea no matter when you do it! :eek:

Ruu_Old · 27-09-2006 6:30am

I wish there were some lakes in Illinois or anything for that matter, so boring! I can't wait to go back to the bumpy roads of Co.Meath.

iguana · 21-01-2007 11:18pm

I have an American friend who's grandparents were from Latvia so she was considering applying for a Latvian passport, so that she could get access to the EU. She never pursued it as she split up with her Irish boyfriend before Latvia joined the EU. Then she met her current American boyfriend and lost all interest in moving to Ireland so I don't know if it would have worked or not but it might be worth checking out if you have a European grandparent.

Oh and the FTB grant has been gone for a few years. Unless they brought it back?

BEAT · 22-01-2007 2:30am

if your grandparent was born there you can apply for citezenship with proof of thier birth certificate and a load of other paperwork... it only goes as far back as your grandparent....not great grandparents etc... (which was my case)

Xiney · 29-01-2007 2:26pm

Ruu wrote:

I can confirm what beat said, when my wife moved from America. We just went into the local garda station. They just need proof that you arent going to be a "burden" on the state, so a bank account or something like that would be good.
You will then get an alien registration card and i think you renew it each year, as far as i can remember Please post anything else you need to know as i experienced that when my wife moved here.

Hi Ruu,

I am in the same situation as your wife, having married an Irish citizen and moving to Ireland in about 6 months.

The citizens information site says that I can work in Ireland once married to an Irish citizen. How does that work, exactly, if you know?

BEAT · 29-01-2007 11:17pm

after you are married and move to Ireland you have to file sopme paperwork and they will give you what is the equivilant of a tax id number that you will need when applying for work. It will all be explained when you register

good luck!

Ruu_Old · 29-01-2007 11:24pm

Hi Xiney,

You will have to pop into the local Garda Station and get yourself registered there with an immigration officer on duty. You will get an alien registration card, a stamp on your passport and that has been renewed each year. After that just go into the local Social Welfare office and they will give a PPS (Social Security number in the US) number. Should be okay after that. Best of luck.
Actually now that I just thought of it, there are a few new rules on immigrants moving to Ireland, I think the government are bringing in a green card scheme. Will try and find out more for you.

Ruairi

Xiney · 30-01-2007 12:10am

BEAT wrote:

after you are married and move to Ireland you have to file sopme paperwork and they will give you what is the equivilant of a tax id number that you will need when applying for work. It will all be explained when you register
good luck!

Yes, that is what we've heard/read and so on. It's just that we anticipated the Canadian immigration process to be quite easy, (according to what we heard/read) and it turned out to be quite laughably difficult/impossible to navigate so you'll understand if "Land, register with the gards and get a number then look for some jobs" sounds a bit too good to be true. (Hubs waited for 15 months to be allowed to work here)

Thanks for the luck... who knows if we'll need it!

Ruu wrote:

Hi Xiney,

You will have to pop into the local Garda Station and get yourself registered there with an immigration officer on duty. You will get an alien registration card, a stamp on your passport and that has been renewed each year. After that just go into the local Social Welfare office and they will give a PPS (Social Security number in the US) number. Should be okay after that. Best of luck.
Actually now that I just thought of it, there are a few new rules on immigrants moving to Ireland, I think the government are bringing in a green card scheme. Will try and find out more for you.

Ruairi

Oh please do keep me posted. A green card requirement would really throw a wrench into everything, our savings are pretty low these days (anticipating this move is going to further deplete them) and I really do need to get work as soon as I land pretty much.

Ruu_Old · 30-01-2007 1:47am

Looks like you are safe enough.

There are new laws coming in February 1st but they don't apply to you.

Work permit not necessary

As a foreign national, you do not need a work permit if you are in one of the following categories:

* EEA/Swiss citizen and your spouse (whether he/she is a EEA/Swiss citizen or not) and your dependent children - except Bulgarian and Romanian nationals, see above
* Person who has been granted refugee status - whether through the normal process or as a programme refugee.
* Postgraduate student where the work is an integral part of the course of study being undertaken.
* Person who has been given permission to stay in the country because you are the spouse of an Irish citizen or the parent of an Irish citizen.
* Person who has been refused refugee status but has been granted leave to remain on humanitarian grounds.

g-punkteffekt · 30-01-2007 11:42am

yeah I'm married (seperated) to a canadian, and when we lived there I had to go through tonnes of paperwork, give them garda statements, pay over 1000 dollars etc. etc. so that I could work, get blood tests, medical exams, it took ages. I hear it's even harder in the states. When she came here? Stamp on the passport - here's your RSI number. It should be the same for us over there, it's seriously unfair.

For Americans who want to move to Ireland

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