question re: Americans staying in Ireland

0ubliette

Hey all, just wondering if anyone can help answer a few questions here.

Basically my gf is American, and may be coming to stay in Ireland with me for a while. I know that she could stay on the standard 3 month travel visa, but just wondering if anyone had any experience of this? And is it the case that after 3 motnhs are up, she could just leave the countrey for a few days and come back? Is there any other kind of visa she could apply for, anybody gotten any workign visas, anything like that?

Sorry for possibly dumb questions, thanks

Berty

What do I do after my arrival if I wish to stay in Ireland for longer than 3 months?

Visit/holiday visas are only granted for short term stays and never exceed 90 days. It is not possible to extend your stay beyond 90 days. You must leave the State on or before the date which has been stamped on your passport by the Immigration Officer when you entered.

Source

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/travel-and-recreation/travel-to-ireland/visas_for_tourists_visiting_ireland

bluecell99

No way of staying beyond three months other than getting a student visa.This would be granted before arrival on the basis of studying in an approved college here.Allows for working twenty hours a week also.It can be extended beyond its initial one year .Usually granted to people from non- English speaking countries who are going to one of the language schools.

A tourist visa can be granted more than once but if a person left after three months and then returned a short time later suspicions would be aroused as to the visitors intentions and would ,at the very least attract an in-depth intervies with immigration who can refuse to grant another visa.

0ubliette

bluecell99 wrote: »

No way of staying beyond three months other than getting a student visa.This would be granted before arrival on the basis of studying in an approved college here.Allows for working twenty hours a week also.It can be extended beyond its initial one year .Usually granted to people from non- English speaking countries who are going to one of the language schools.

A tourist visa can be granted more than once but if a person left after three months and then returned a short time later suspicions would be aroused as to the visitors intentions and would ,at the very least attract an in-depth intervies with immigration who can refuse to grant another visa.

Aye i had guessed as much. I know a friend of mine was allowed stay in canada with his gf even thogh they werent married or anything, but cause they had been together for about 2 years. Anything like that here, or will i just have to marry her?

sfmonet

Well I am in the same situation as your gf. I did the whole leaving and coming back thing and then was told by immigration that this is an abuse of the tourist visa. However, that was after a couple of years. The only other course of action is requesting a permission to stay application that should be applied for immediately. It takes 18 months at times to get approval. I'm still waiting on mine, supposed to get my decision soon.

There is an immigration council for non-EU, etc in Dublin, extremely helpful. They have a website. Hope it helps.