De Facto Visa for US Boyfriend to live in Ireland

Belmonte

Hi,

I would love to hear from anyone who has applied for the De Facto Relationship in Ireland. I am Irish and have been going out with my American boyfriend for over 4 years, the first 2 of which he lived with me in Dublin when he was attending college here. The original plan was for me to go to the USA but due to a promotion we have decided that it is best for him to come back. I have only recently heard of the De Facto Relationship Visa and have lots of questions. There is actually very little information on the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) website - http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/WP07000278.

It appears that the only stipulation is that we need to provide evidence of a durable attested relationship of at least 2 years which will be absolutely no problem. However, it is unclear if he needs to be in Ireland to process the application. The ideal situation would be for him to apply from the States and continue working until it is processed and then move to Ireland if it is approved. Does anyone know if this is possible? If not, can he just enter as a tourist for 3 months and apply then, but should processing the application extend beyond these 3 months what happens then?

The INIS accepts calls every Thursday morning between 10am and 12:30pm. For the last 2 Thursdays, I have called repeatedly but have never gotten an answer which is incredibly frustrating. If anyone could share their experience with us and throw some light on the process it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

silja

Be sure to read this thread in the Living Abroad forum with personal experiences, especially recent posts as laws have changed in the last few years: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055529883

h57xiucj2z946q

We were in same scenario, other half moved over from Arizona. He would have to be in Ireland to apply. My girlfriend came over as a tourist. He is legally allowed to remain in Ireland while the application is processing, even after the 3 months. What we did was we went to our local immigration officer who put her on the system and extended her visitor stay to facilitate her application. It wasn't really needed but its good to have if you include it in your defacto application. It also is an easy method to prove you didn't overstay in the airport if your application isn't successful.

Americana

Hi there. I am an American living here in Dublin. My Irish bf and I were approved for the De Facto visa in April. We put together a huge binder of basically EVERY SINGLE thing that proved we had been together for over two years. From front to back (and this is from memory, because when after they receive your stuff they keep some of it and only send some back)...
- table of contents
-photocopies of every page of our passports
- bank statements from both of us, as well as a joint bank account
- reference letters from our friends and family attesting to our relationship
- a letter of intention of the relationship, one from each of us
-tenancy agreement in both our names
- proof of flights, accommodation...anything to show we took holidays together
- wedding invites, Christmas cards anything of that nature addressed to both of us
- screen shots of our email inboxes over the course of our relationship
- photographs (I think around 80) of us together, with dates written on the back

Basically anything that can prove your relationship is legitimate. Let me know if you have any questions.

Belmonte

Thank you all for the helpful responses. Can I ask how long it took for them to process the application?

Also, a big concern is the fact that he will not be able to work during the processing period. Is it at all possible for him to travel to Ireland to submit the application, and return to the States until he gets an answer?

Thanks again!