Advice needed on inviting someone to Ireland

MGLman

Hi All,

I would really appreciate if you can help me with the problem that faced me when I invited my sister over to Ireland. I am Non-Eu student (Mongolian) and I am pursuing PhD degree at TCD.

My sister resides in te Stat university of Russia and studies on the Russian State scholarship that pays her tuition + living expenses. Obviously it is not a huge amount of money compared to Irish standard of living but it is enough for student to live on in Russia. I am also in a position of scholarship.

So the story is as follows:

I wanted my sister to visit me in Ireland over her winter break and we applied for a tourist visa. Unfortunately, she got refused based on the ground that she has no sponosr or someone to be responsible for her while she is in Ireland in Ireland. My small brain assumes that I am the person who is sponsoring her as I am and I am the person who will be responsoible for her while she is in Ireland. Also I want to mention that I invited my cousin from Germany and he got Irish tourist visa twice to visit me. He is a Mongolian citizen too.

Also I believe that my sister has enough evidence that guarantees her return to Russia. Because she is in her final year and the State exam and Final Projects are due in March and she is in a possesion of a scholarship from Russian government. What on earth someone would like to lose her 5 years of hard work and commitment.

My question is: Why I am not considered as someone in Ireland for Irish embassy in Russia while I am considered as someone for Irish embassy in Germany. Is there any legitimate ground (Irish or international) that can support our appeal again the decision that was made by Irish embassy in Russia.

Thank you very much for your help in advance.

seamus

MGLman wrote: »

My question is: Why I am not concidered as someone in Ireland for Irish embassy in Russia while I am considered as someone for Irish embassy in Germany.

My suspicion is that it has to do with the departure country more than anything. Someone coming from Russia to Ireland is subject to stricter regulations than someone coming from an EU country because the EU country is "trusted" to have vetted the person. In addition, if a non-EU citizen already has a visa for another EU country, it's reasonable to assume that they don't intend on overstaying their Irish visa.

Can't really offer much help in terms of what you can do.

MGLman

Thank you very much for you opinion. She had visited EU before and returned home on time. The Schengen visa that she had is still on her passport.

nesf

Moved from Politics.

undo

I can only second seamus' thoughts. Basically, authorities are paranoid that someone will make it to their country and then never leave again. I know many people from Eastern Europe try to go on short trips just to collect multiple visas in their passports, proving "trustworthiness" and allowing them to get longer-term visas. If they have strong ties to their country of residence, that should help as well. If the person sponsoring them is a well-of citizen of the country they want to visit, that will probably also help.

In your case, you are a non-EU citizen inviting another non-EU citizen who is currently residing outside her home country. As sad as it is, someone somewhere must consider that unusual enough to be uneasy about it and refuse the visa. It is a disgrace that what you can do and where you can go depends so much on where you were born and what passport you hold. But such is reality. I fear there is very little you can do. I guess if you knew some well-respected Irish citizen who would be willing to invite her over and vouch for her, that might help. But it does not have to. As far as I know, no embassy ever has to explain their decisions. It is up to them and you will never know what exactly it is they did not like.

ninty9er

I would imagine that it is the fact that you are a non-EU citizen also. If an Irish citizen were to invite her, I imagine the visa application would be considered in a different light.