De Facto Visa and College Fees

sotommy

Hi all,

I've been on these forums quite regularly over the past few months reading the helpful contributions on de facto visa applications etc., and I'm happy to say that myself and my partner finally submitted our de facto application a few weeks ago, after a lot of preparation, so we're just waiting to hear back now.

I'm wondering if someone has any advice on a related issue. We have been together for almost 3 years and for the past two years my partner has been paying international student fees to attend college here for the past two years, as well as working night shifts etc. to meet the fees which are really crippling if I'm to be honest.

I'm wondering if we are hopefully successful with our application, would this have any impact on college fees - in that, would my partner be then liable for Irish fees, or EU fees, or am I wishful thinking?

I'd really appreciate any advice here

Thanks

Tommy

Anita Blow

I think it's wishful thinking unfortunately! In order to qualify for free fees you must have been living in an EU/EEA country for 3 of the last 5 years prior to starting college and also must fulfil one of the following criteria:
"
Be a citizen of an EEA member state (see above) or Switzerland or
Have official refugee status or
Be a family member of a refugee and have been granted permission to live in the State or
Be a family member of an EU national and have permission to live in the State, with a stamp “4EUFAM” on your residence card or
Have been granted humanitarian leave to remain in the State or
Have been granted permission to remain in the State by the Minister for Justice and Equality, following a determination by the Minister not to make a deportation order under Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999."

sotommy

Thanks for your reply,

In the mean time I've found a thread on another site which seems to say that if a non-EU has been living and paying taxes in an EU country for 3 years or more, then they should be entitled to EU college fees.

Anyone have anything more on this?

Thanks

Tommy

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=79947&sid=ada547775e861b7473ec40e2bc39774e

Anita Blow

She would qualify for EU fees if she had been resident in an EU country for 3 of the last 5 years before she started her study