Student Visa (related)

braindead09

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the right place to post this, but here goes.

There is a possibility I'll be studying in an Irish University (postgraduate, few years at least). Being a Canadian I have a general idea of what I need (no visa needed, but registration with Garda required for longer stay which requires proof of admittance, insurance, finance etc).

However, I have immediate family (not only spouse) which might like to stay longer than the 3 months usually allotted, how would that work? Do they need a visa? They won't need a job or anything like that, and won't be a drain on the Irish system if that's a concern.

Thank you.

blueythebear

braindead09 wrote: »

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the right place to post this, but here goes.

There is a possibility I'll be studying in an Irish University (postgraduate, few years at least). Being a Canadian I have a general idea of what I need (no visa needed, but registration with Garda required for longer stay which requires proof of admittance, insurance, finance etc).

However, I have immediate family (not only spouse) which might like to stay longer than the 3 months usually allotted, how would that work? Do they need a visa? They won't need a job or anything like that, and won't be a drain on the Irish system if that's a concern.

Thank you.

Student visa / permission doesn't allow for other members of your family to come here (unless you're doing a phd) , however, in your circumstances, the best thing to do is to have your family member come here (presuming thy're not visa required) and to apply to the Department of Justice for Stamp 3 permission to remain. Proof of financial stability is the most impoortant thing to bear in mind.

braindead09

blueythebear wrote: »

Student visa / permission doesn't allow for other members of your family to come here (unless you're doing a phd) , however, in your circumstances, the best thing to do is to have your family member come here (presuming thy're not visa required) and to apply to the Department of Justice for Stamp 3 permission to remain. Proof of financial stability is the most impoortant thing to bear in mind.

Thanks for the info.

I won't be in Ireland for a PhD but for a medical degree (Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery etc). Would you happen to know the time frame it would take for a decision about the Stamp 3 permission?

"If you have a stamp 3 you will not be entitled to work or engage in any business or profession while in Ireland. The length of time that this stamp is valid will depend on your circumstances."

It indicates the time they can stay can be variable, would a bank account statement with sufficient funds to sustain themselves (they don't need to work or anything) usually be grounds for a the right to a longer stay? I realize you might not know this (the proof required), in any case thanks. I'll look into this.

blueythebear

braindead09 wrote: »

Thanks for the info.

I won't be in Ireland for a PhD but for a medical degree (Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery etc). Would you happen to know the time frame it would take for a decision about the Stamp 3 permission?

"If you have a stamp 3 you will not be entitled to work or engage in any business or profession while in Ireland. The length of time that this stamp is valid will depend on your circumstances."

It indicates the time they can stay can be variable, would a bank account statement with sufficient funds to sustain themselves (they don't need to work or anything) usually be grounds for a the right to a longer stay? I realize you might not know this (the proof required), in any case thanks. I'll look into this.

You would need to set out more information than just Bank Statements although it is a good start. Set out the reasons for the person wishing to stay and make it clear that they do not intend to remain in Ireland. I presume that this person intends on staying for the duration of your studies so obviously give details of your own situation also. If in doubt, you could always consult a solicitor with experience in this area, who would be able to provide you with more specific advice.

Victor

braindead09 wrote: »

It indicates the time they can stay can be variable, would a bank account statement with sufficient funds to sustain themselves

It would need to be more than that, e.g. comprehensive health insurance, not looking like a kleptomaniac junkie, etc.

Eliste

From personal experience, if you can get a visa while out of the country for longer, do that. It's a faster response time.

For me, I mailed the Min of Justice three months (minimum) prior to expiration of my Stamp asking for extensions. I usually would not hear back until after my visa would have expired- having received sometimes multiple 1month extensions from the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

It is a painful, stress inducing process that I went through for five years as they no longer like to give out Visas longer than 1 year. I still get jittery walking by the GNIB and I can't go inside without bursting into tears- and that was me who had full-time employment over here, no issues with the Garda, and complete tax records.

If at all possible, get them a job or a course to do before they come over. Even a part time course will get them a student visa and they'll learn something in the process. Otherwise, prepare yourselves for a long drawn out battle and come prepare with any documents regarding your relationship, bank statements that not only show current standing but usually they like it to be prior as well, birth certs, copies of passports, and write to the minister the minute you land for permission.

braindead09

Eliste wrote: »

From personal experience, if you can get a visa while out of the country for longer, do that. It's a faster response time.

For me, I mailed the Min of Justice three months (minimum) prior to expiration of my Stamp asking for extensions. I usually would not hear back until after my visa would have expired- having received sometimes multiple 1month extensions from the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

It is a painful, stress inducing process that I went through for five years as they no longer like to give out Visas longer than 1 year. I still get jittery walking by the GNIB and I can't go inside without bursting into tears- and that was me who had full-time employment over here, no issues with the Garda, and complete tax records.

If at all possible, get them a job or a course to do before they come over. Even a part time course will get them a student visa and they'll learn something in the process. Otherwise, prepare yourselves for a long drawn out battle and come prepare with any documents regarding your relationship, bank statements that not only show current standing but usually they like it to be prior as well, birth certs, copies of passports, and write to the minister the minute you land for permission.

Well, that sounds rough. I'm not too worried about the spouse, but my retired parents might like to visit longer than the 3 months given. They aren't really interested in taking a course or working. Worst comes to worst, can they just leave the country after three months and come back in a week or two for another 3 months? They aren't kleptomaniac junkies as someone put it. We're all Canadian, so it's not like we're coming from a 3rd world country looking for work (although who knows what the future holds for Canada, hehe).

Dandelion6

braindead09 wrote: »

can they just leave the country after three months and come back in a week or two for another 3 months?

They can try, and depending on how vigilant a Garda immigration officer they encounter on their return, they might get away with it (they wouldn't be the first to do so). But Immigration are also perfectly entitled to deny entry to someone who is obviously trying to use the letter of the law to circumvent the 90 day limit.

Their best bet is to come here for a visit and then, before their 90 days expire, apply for an extension. There isn't a clearly set-out policy for retirees as it is all done on a case-by-case basis, but at a minimum they would have to have documentation to prove that they are self-sufficient. If they wanted to live here that would generally entail showing that they had enough on deposit to afford to buy a home; it might be less than that if they only want to stay a couple extra months or so, but as I said the policy hasn't been formalised in this area.

braindead09

Dandelion6 wrote: »

They can try, and depending on how vigilant a Garda immigration officer they encounter on their return, they might get away with it (they wouldn't be the first to do so). But Immigration are also perfectly entitled to deny entry to someone who is obviously trying to use the letter of the law to circumvent the 90 day limit.

Their best bet is to come here for a visit and then, before their 90 days expire, apply for an extension. There isn't a clearly set-out policy for retirees as it is all done on a case-by-case basis, but at a minimum they would have to have documentation to prove that they are self-sufficient. If they wanted to live here that would generally entail showing that they had enough on deposit to afford to buy a home; it might be less than that if they only want to stay a couple extra months or so, but as I said the policy hasn't been formalised in this area.

Would official documentation that they own real estate (fairly sizable by certain standards, for now anyway) in Canada help this in anyway? With the worth of the property etc? Just to illustrate the point they don't intend to stay. I should e-mail the proper Irish authorities about this, but I'm still in fairly early stage that I don't want to initiate some process without certainty that I'm going (waiting for a few things to make a final decision).

Thanks to everyone who helped out.

Victor

braindead09 wrote: »

can they just leave the country after three months and come back in a week or two for another 3 months?

Its 3 months in, 3 months out or something similar.

Your posts perhaps come across as slightly too probing. GNIB may be suspicious of a student who has to have their whole family with them.

Eliste

As someone else said, they dont look too kindly on people who try to circumvent the intention of the law. I believe they would have to leave for 3 months+ before they could safely return without permission from the authorities.

And don't be too confident on your spouse. I know plenty of people who have had much trouble getting their spouse over as they had getting their own visa. Student visas don't give you all that much in terms of rights.

It should be noted that one of the requirements of a student visa is that you intend to move back to your original country when the course is finished. Bringing tons of family members over herer who wall want to stay for longer than the visitor's 90days may jeopardize your own visa.

braindead09

Thanks for the info everyone.

If I'm going, I have no intention of staying in Ireland. I'm not even sure if my family (save spouse) will want to come over for a period of time while I'm there. I'm just trying to get a feel on how hard it will be to have that happen if they want to (I gather it won't be easy).

Anyway, I get the idea. Thank you.