Ireland De-Facto Visa

Pablo Sanchez · 10-04-2012 7:21pm

My partners visa needs renewing next month, we received a letter from the Garda stating that Bray garda station should be the port of call for 'registration'.

Now it wasnt really that clear what they were saying in the letter but i assume that it means that we can visit that station to renew the visa rather then head to the GNIB in Burgh Quay to renew it, can anyone verify this is correct?

FalconXV · 10-04-2012 11:54pm

You won't get a response from the minister. It's best to go through your local TD to see what they can do.

Where is your partner from?

As for Pablo's question. I renew mine at my local Garda station with the immigration Gard who I know. If you have 150 quid in your account be prepared to pay for a new card.

tatli_lokma · 11-04-2012 9:22am

FalconXV wrote: »

You won't get a response from the minister. It's best to go through your local TD to see what they can do

My local TD is useless too. I've mailed him. But I just wanted an answer from the Minister as to why he made such blatant promises when there was no way he could keep them. They are nowhere close to clearing the backlog. And the irony is, for all their saying if you submit the correct docuements blah blah usually its the delay in getting to the applications that causes problems. My friend (Philippino) applied for citizenship, provided everything needed. It was 18 mths before her details made their way through the back log, by which time all her bills/bank statements were out of date and had to be resupplied. As soon as she got the letter she sent the most recent documents she had. 8 weeks later they replied again by letter saying that the bank statement she gave must be within three mths, but hers was 4 mths old - it was only 2 mths old when she posted it! So she had to send it again! its a joke.

FalconXV wrote: »

Where is your partner from?

its a non-EU country. So unfortunately we can't reapply via the local immigration Garda, have to go to Burgh Quay and prove that we are still married.
Last time we went we were expecting him to get 5 year residence, but he only got one year and when I asked how come the smug little twerp behind the counter replied 'well its at my descretion how long I give it for. Come back next year and if you're still married then we'll see'.:mad:

fortjames · 13-04-2012 3:01pm

I sent an email and got the exact same answer. After 2.5 months i sent the email again and guess what, I got the exact same answer you got.

it has been 1 year since i applied

befriend1 · 18-04-2012 8:03pm

Hey Guys

I'm pretty sure I forgot to update everyone on our visa status so here goes...

My boyfriend is Brazilian and I am Irish we have been together over two and a half years (we do not officially live together). We applied for the De-Facto visa last November and in the package I included:

an introduction letter
a letter from both of us
a letter from my mother
letters from my friends who know both of us
pictures from every stage of our relationship - dated and described
bank statements
his medical insurance form
photocopies of our passports
invitations etc that were addressed to both of us

(I think that was all)

I made it as easy for them to read through as possible by organising everything in two poly pocket style folders and we even included a table of contents. I figured the easier it was for them to read and navigate the better it would be. We send a letter asking for an update after about 6 weeks and just got a very brief response stating they had to acknowledge receipt of our letter but that was it. Then just after about 2 months or a little more we got everything except the letters (?) back in an envelope with a letter stating he had got the visa. We are delighted and it makes our life so much easier now.

Good luck to everyone applying!

befriend1 · 18-04-2012 8:05pm

Pablo Sanchez wrote: »

My partners visa needs renewing next month, we received a letter from the Garda stating that Bray garda station should be the port of call for 'registration'.

Now it wasnt really that clear what they were saying in the letter but i assume that it means that we can visit that station to renew the visa rather then head to the GNIB in Burgh Quay to renew it, can anyone verify this is correct?

Yes you can go to the Bray Garda Station from now on, that is what it said in our letter. Madness that you still get charged so much for them to stamp a form!

debz61288 · 02-05-2012 1:27am

Hi Guys,

I was hoping someone could give me some info regarding de facto visa's in Ireland. I am an Irish citizen and my partner is Australian. We are hoping to move back to Ireland next year Feb 2013. I have researched the visa requirements however I wanted to find out what other peoples experiences have been like applying for this visa?
Is it completely neccessary to apply while you are in Ireland? I am just concerned about this as if it does take the full 12months for approval then my partner does not have permission to work for those 12months, just seems like an awfully long time for somone not to be even able to seek employment?
Regarding the 2 year relationship requirement, we have been dating since May 2011 so it will be 2 years in May 2013, we also live together and have tenancy agreements in our name as well as a joint bank account, holiday bookings together, millions of photos of us together, invitations etc, we have the lot... do you think the shortfall of 2/3 months on the 2 year requirement will affect us?

Really appreciate anyone who can give me some feedback. Thanks

FalconXV · 03-05-2012 11:41pm

debz61288 wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I was hoping someone could give me some info regarding de facto visa's in Ireland. I am an Irish citizen and my partner is Australian. We are hoping to move back to Ireland next year Feb 2013. I have researched the visa requirements however I wanted to find out what other peoples experiences have been like applying for this visa?
Is it completely neccessary to apply while you are in Ireland? I am just concerned about this as if it does take the full 12months for approval then my partner does not have permission to work for those 12months, just seems like an awfully long time for somone not to be even able to seek employment?
Regarding the 2 year relationship requirement, we have been dating since May 2011 so it will be 2 years in May 2013, we also live together and have tenancy agreements in our name as well as a joint bank account, holiday bookings together, millions of photos of us together, invitations etc, we have the lot... do you think the shortfall of 2/3 months on the 2 year requirement will affect us?

Really appreciate anyone who can give me some feedback. Thanks

My advice is don't come back to Ireland too early and submit an application while you are short on the two requirement. They will reject it as they did with my initial application. You have to be in the country to apply so come back in May. It can take longer than 6 weeks to get an answer.

debz61288 · 03-05-2012 11:52pm

Thanks for your reply. How do you prove the full 2 years of your relationship? We met in May 2011 but didnt move in together until months later, the only proof of our relationship previous to tenancy agreements and bank statements etc is just photographs and itemised phone bills? Will this suffice?

Pablo Sanchez · 04-05-2012 7:24am

debz61288 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. How do you prove the full 2 years of your relationship? We met in May 2011 but didnt move in together until months later, the only proof of our relationship previous to tenancy agreements and bank statements etc is just photographs and itemised phone bills? Will this suffice?

Emails and photographs are acceptable.

FalconXV · 04-05-2012 9:05am

mobile phone records, emails (check your sent box). Date stamps on photos. Even take a screen shot of your photo folder on your computer that would have dates of when it was uploaded or even taken

tatli_lokma · 10-05-2012 11:49am

Pablo Sanchez wrote: »

Emails and photographs are acceptable.

FalconXV wrote: »

mobile phone records, emails (check your sent box). Date stamps on photos. Even take a screen shot of your photo folder on your computer that would have dates of when it was uploaded or even taken

while emails are a useful addition, do not rely on them solely. INIS are switched on to how easy it is to doctor an email header before you print it out. I recollect when we applied for spouse of Irish citizen, somewhere on one of the advisory forms we received it explicity said emails alone are not proof of the relationship. So make sure you have plenty of photos - and especially ones where you were with friends/family at specific occasions are good. The itemised phone bill would be good proof as well.

good luck with it all

Monife · 10-05-2012 11:53am

Little Ted wrote: »

while emails are a useful addition, do not rely on them solely. INIS are switched on to how easy it is to doctor an email header before you print it out. I recollect when we applied for spouse of Irish citizen, somewhere on one of the advisory forms we received it explicity said emails alone are not proof of the relationship. So make sure you have plenty of photos - and especially ones where you were with friends/family at specific occasions are good. The itemised phone bill would be good proof as well.

good luck with it all

Little Ted, do you mind me asking how long you were waiting for your decision on your spouse of Irish national application? We are waiting over 8 months now

tatli_lokma · 10-05-2012 12:11pm

Monife wrote: »

Little Ted, do you mind me asking how long you were waiting for your decision on your spouse of Irish national application? We are waiting over 8 months now

we applied on 26th May 2009, and got notice on 16th October 2009 that it had been approved. Went in the following week and his visa and GNIB card was issued from 21st October. So aprox 6 mths all in.
It was initially issued only for 12 mths and has been renewed only for 12 mths at a time since then. We are hoping that at the next renewal he will get 5 years, or at least 3, but it all depends on the issuing officer as it is at their descretion. The 12 mth restriction has been a right pain.

8mths is quite a long time, although we were advised that the average waiting time for applications was 9-12 mths.

I think what helps is if you provide everything imaginable first off - even stuff you aren't asked for but you think might help. We even included letters of reference from friends and family, statements from both of us, photos of family occasions, invitations to weddings we attended....all sorts of crap! and we labelled it clearly and had it all set out so it could be identified easily. Even in spite of this, because it took them a few months to even look at our application, by that stage the bank statements were out of date by a few weeks so we had to get them again.

I literally emailed them on a weekly basis, and kept on at them (politely)that my husband couldn't seek employment until he knew the status of his visa so we would appreciate it if they could assess his application as soon as possible. I think what finally clinched it was when my hubby was offered a short term job for a few weeks with a family friend, but of course couldn't take it cos he had no work permit. (We were petrified for him to take the job cash in hand just in case anyone found out and it would disqualify him for the visa.)

Instead we got the employer to write a letter to this effect and posted it in and also scanned it and emailed it. From that point on we got an email from one of the officers, so at least I had an actual person we could communicate with. About 4 weeks after that he was granted his visa. We probably would have been left waiting longer had he not had the job offer.

What was particularly annoying for us is that he initially applied for a visa to come to Ireland for the purpose of getting married. In this case we could have just presented ourselves to the local immigration officer after the wedding with our marriage cert and other documents and a decision would have made more or less there and then. However, the visa issuing officer in the Irish embassy in his country basically was misinformed and said that you cant have a visa to get married, you have to get a 'c visit visa' and then apply for spouse of Irish national visa in Ireland. It was only because he entered on this type of visa and subsequently got married that we had to go through all this palaver at all! :mad:

Monife · 10-05-2012 7:36pm

Little Ted wrote: »

we applied on 26th May 2009, and got notice on 16th October 2009 that it had been approved. Went in the following week and his visa and GNIB card was issued from 21st October. So aprox 6 mths all in.
It was initially issued only for 12 mths and has been renewed only for 12 mths at a time since then. We are hoping that at the next renewal he will get 5 years, or at least 3, but it all depends on the issuing officer as it is at their descretion. The 12 mth restriction has been a right pain.

8mths is quite a long time, although we were advised that the average waiting time for applications was 9-12 mths.

I think what helps is if you provide everything imaginable first off - even stuff you aren't asked for but you think might help. We even included letters of reference from friends and family, statements from both of us, photos of family occasions, invitations to weddings we attended....all sorts of crap! and we labelled it clearly and had it all set out so it could be identified easily. Even in spite of this, because it took them a few months to even look at our application, by that stage the bank statements were out of date by a few weeks so we had to get them again.

I literally emailed them on a weekly basis, and kept on at them (politely)that my husband couldn't seek employment until he knew the status of his visa so we would appreciate it if they could assess his application as soon as possible. I think what finally clinched it was when my hubby was offered a short term job for a few weeks with a family friend, but of course couldn't take it cos he had no work permit. (We were petrified for him to take the job cash in hand just in case anyone found out and it would disqualify him for the visa.)

Instead we got the employer to write a letter to this effect and posted it in and also scanned it and emailed it. From that point on we got an email from one of the officers, so at least I had an actual person we could communicate with. About 4 weeks after that he was granted his visa. We probably would have been left waiting longer had he not had the job offer.

What was particularly annoying for us is that he initially applied for a visa to come to Ireland for the purpose of getting married. In this case we could have just presented ourselves to the local immigration officer after the wedding with our marriage cert and other documents and a decision would have made more or less there and then. However, the visa issuing officer in the Irish embassy in his country basically was misinformed and said that you cant have a visa to get married, you have to get a 'c visit visa' and then apply for spouse of Irish national visa in Ireland. It was only because he entered on this type of visa and subsequently got married that we had to go through all this palaver at all! :mad:

Thanks. Yeah we have supplied every document imaginable and have asked them a few times what the story is. At first we were told processing times were 6-9 months and then the most recent time we asked, they said they hadn't even looked at ours yet (and that they were dealing with applications received in June, we married in August, sent our application first week of September) and that current processing times at that time were 9-12 months. I was thinking maybe because there are more weddings in the summer, that perhaps that's why ours is taking a bit longer.

My husband hasn't any job offers because he hasn't gone looking or anything for the same fearful reason as yourselves, but I was wondering, my Dad runs his own business. Do you think it would be of benefit to get my Dad to write a letter to the department stating that there is a job offer there but that he needs permission to work first?

tatli_lokma · 11-05-2012 2:07pm

Monife wrote: »

My husband hasn't any job offers because he hasn't gone looking or anything for the same fearful reason as yourselves, but I was wondering, my Dad runs his own business. Do you think it would be of benefit to get my Dad to write a letter to the department stating that there is a job offer there but that he needs permission to work first?

Its worth a punt, but just be really careful. I would only recommend someone do this if your dad genuinely could give your husband some work - even if it was only for a week or two. At least that way its not an outright lie. I'm quite a fearful person when it comes to things like this, and whilst in my rational brain I know that chances of INIS conducting any sort of in depth investigation are slim, I'd still worry that if they found out no job actually existed they would revoke the visa.

So for the sake of caution, perhaps ask your dad if he could honestly give your hubby a couple of weeks work. If he can then go for it. And just make sure you stress the fact that you are currently a one income household and that any work your husband can get, even for a short period would be very helpful financially. Put it all in a letter and send it with the job offer.

It would also be helpful from another point, because when your hubby does get his stamp 4 and starts looking for work, he will have an Irish referee on his CV. This is something that really does help. When my husband was looking initially he left our friend off his CV as a referee, because he only worked there as a casual labourer for a few weeks. He didn't get one interview and a few recruitment agents wouldn't sign him up because he had no Irish references. As soon as he put the casual job down, and an Irish referee he started getting interviews.

Best of luck

debz61288 · 22-05-2012 2:01am

Ok as we do not meet the 2 year requirement until May 2013, myself and my partner have decided that I will come back to Ireland in January (as I am starting a postgraduate course in March) and he will continue to work here until May when we can actually apply fot the visa. Does anyone know if the few months apart with no physical contact will affect our application in anyway?
I've never been much of a believer in long distance relationships but as I need to come back in time for my course we really don't have many options, plus it would be silly for my partner to be in Ireland unable to seek work for few months when he could be working and saving while we wait to meet the 2 years!

tatli_lokma · 22-05-2012 9:20am

Being physically apart shouldn't cause a problem as long as you have plenty of proof of the relationship prior to the separation. It is perfectly reasonable for one half of a couple to head to Ireland in advance of the other to get things sorted out.

Keep your phone bills and emails as proof of the ongoing relationship and all should be fine.

CommanderC · 22-05-2012 10:32am

I'm a New Zealander. Came over here with my Irish girlfriend on a WHV (she had been living with me in NZ for 3 years previous to that).

We sent off photos, emails, bank account statements, plane tickets, a lease and a few other bits. 6 weeks later I got a stamp 4. The whole thing was free also.

Couldn't have been happier with the service we got.

debz61288 · 22-05-2012 11:01pm

Perfect, thanks very much.
I know you have to apply in person back in Dublin, but do both people need to be present?

Commander C, when did you put in your application? 6 weeks would be great, they say up to 12 months on their website! :O

tatli_lokma · 23-05-2012 10:16am

debz61288 wrote: »

I know you have to apply in person back in Dublin, but do both people need to be present?

Only the person requesting the visa needs to be there in person, but to be honest I find it always best if both parties go. In our case the last time my husband and I went for his renewal, they specifically asked if I was with him. I was, I was just sitting waiting (those cubicles are very small!). They didn't ask me anything particularly, so I don't know why he wanted to know if I was there, but I don't think it does any harm to attend together if only just for the sake of appearances.

CommanderC · 23-05-2012 8:01pm

debz61288 wrote: »

Perfect, thanks very much.
I know you have to apply in person back in Dublin, but do both people need to be present?

Commander C, when did you put in your application? 6 weeks would be great, they say up to 12 months on their website! :O

We put ours in last November. Yeah, I suppose it could potentially take many months depending on the case, but I guess ours was straight forward enough that it only took a matter of weeks.

tatli_lokma · 24-05-2012 10:54am

CommanderC wrote: »

Yeah, I suppose it could potentially take many months depending on the case, but I guess ours was straight forward enough that it only took a matter of weeks.

Most people's cases are straight forward generally. You can see from people who posted here with many years together, plenty of proof and enough money to support them and it still took months. I think your case was certainly a one in a million chance to have been processed so quick.

summerstar12 · 31-07-2012 5:45pm

Finances for De-Facto Visa

Hi All

My boyfriend is Australian and I am Irish we are together nearly 3 years, 1 year me living in Australia with him and then 18 months long distance as he was trying to sort his stuff to move over to me. He arrived in Ireland the end of May this year on a 90 day holiday visa as he did not have the required amount saved to apply for a work visa when he was in Australia.

We are about to send in our application for the de-facto visa and the information on here has been so helpful in compiling all the info we need to send in with our application. But I am very worried that we are going to be refused on the basis that we have no savings! I lost my job a while ago and have so far had no luck finding something else I am working doing an unpaid internship at the moment but it is going nowhere so i can't put that down.

We are getting by on what I have at the moment although it is tough but if my boyfriend was granted the stamp 4, I really believe he will find some work.

I would just love to hear from anyone else who submitted their application but didn't have a lot of savings.

FalconXV · 31-07-2012 8:00pm

debz61288 wrote: »

Ok as we do not meet the 2 year requirement until May 2013, myself and my partner have decided that I will come back to Ireland in January (as I am starting a postgraduate course in March) and he will continue to work here until May when we can actually apply fot the visa. Does anyone know if the few months apart with no physical contact will affect our application in anyway?
I've never been much of a believer in long distance relationships but as I need to come back in time for my course we really don't have many options, plus it would be silly for my partner to be in Ireland unable to seek work for few months when he could be working and saving while we wait to meet the 2 years!

Even the end of May as you will have all the paperwork ready. It's a lot to put together.

FalconXV · 31-07-2012 8:11pm

summerstar12 wrote: »

Finances for De-Facto Visa

Hi All

My boyfriend is Australian and I am Irish we are together nearly 3 years, 1 year me living in Australia with him and then 18 months long distance as he was trying to sort his stuff to move over to me. He arrived in Ireland the end of May this year on a 90 day holiday visa as he did not have the required amount saved to apply for a work visa when he was in Australia.

We are about to send in our application for the de-facto visa and the information on here has been so helpful in compiling all the info we need to send in with our application. But I am very worried that we are going to be refused on the basis that we have no savings! I lost my job a while ago and have so far had no luck finding something else I am working doing an unpaid internship at the moment but it is going nowhere so i can't put that down.

We are getting by on what I have at the moment although it is tough but if my boyfriend was granted the stamp 4, I really believe he will find some work.

I would just love to hear from anyone else who submitted their application but didn't have a lot of savings.

It is impossible to get a work visa in the current economic climate unless there is a shortage of qualified people in your field.

As for finances in most cases you have to prove that aren't going to rely on the state to fund your partner but it is on a case by case basis when they decide. People dumping money in to your account might work if you leave it in their for a few months. That will show you have savings.

Thanks. Yeah we have supplied every document imaginable and have asked them a few times what the story is. At first we were told processing times were 6-9 months and then the most recent time we asked, they said they hadn't even looked at ours yet (and that they were dealing with applications received in June, we married in August, sent our application first week of September) and that current processing

That's why I am going to look at getting dual citizenship down the line so I don't have to deal with the GNIB again (and pay them €150.00 a year for a new card).

tatli_lokma · 01-08-2012 8:47am

FalconXV wrote: »

It is impossible to get a work visa in the current economic climate unless there is a shortage of qualified people in your field.

I may be wrong but AFAIK the de-facto visa is granted on the same basis as the spouse visa - in which case if they agree to residency they usually agree to stamp 4. I have heard a few cases where immigration gardai were a bit choosy about this and only gave residency with no stamp 4 permissions. However, I would say, the important thing is to prove that for however long it takes for him to get a job, you will be able to manage financially. This could even be something along the lines of a letter from your parents saying that they will assist you. Also things like health insurance is helpful as it shows you can access healthcare without a cost to the state. As Falcon says, perhaps ask someone to lodge money to your account just long enough for you to get a statement.

I think if your savings are limited it is also worth spending time writing a letter letting immigration know that you do not have a lavish lifestyle - so even though you don't have lots of money, let them know that you have a standard of living that is relatively easy to maintain (i.e no huge loans, or high rent, expensive cars etc) this will help show that although you only have a small amount of money, you can manage on it.

Hopefully they will give him de-facto and if they are giving that it makes no sense to prevent him from working. The main thing is to show that while you are waiting on him to get a job you will manage without social welfare or other state benefits. A letter from your parents or siblings would be a big help in this regard.

CommanderC · 01-08-2012 9:28am

summerstar12 wrote: »

Finances for De-Facto Visa

Hi All

My boyfriend is Australian and I am Irish we are together nearly 3 years, 1 year me living in Australia with him and then 18 months long distance as he was trying to sort his stuff to move over to me. He arrived in Ireland the end of May this year on a 90 day holiday visa as he did not have the required amount saved to apply for a work visa when he was in Australia.

We are about to send in our application for the de-facto visa and the information on here has been so helpful in compiling all the info we need to send in with our application. But I am very worried that we are going to be refused on the basis that we have no savings! I lost my job a while ago and have so far had no luck finding something else I am working doing an unpaid internship at the moment but it is going nowhere so i can't put that down.

We are getting by on what I have at the moment although it is tough but if my boyfriend was granted the stamp 4, I really believe he will find some work.

I would just love to hear from anyone else who submitted their application but didn't have a lot of savings.

Hey- we didn't have a lot of savings. However, we did already have a job ( I came over on a working holiday visa) and we lived with my GF parents for a while.

summerstar12 · 01-08-2012 10:32am

Thanks so much for the reply's, Thats a great idea about writing a letter about our finances and us not having a lavish lifestyle.

We are going to put our application in tomorrow just a few more letters to write and include in it. Going to be a nerve wracking wait then to see if they grant him the visa. I don't know what we will do if it is denied as I can't go back to Australia with him because I stupidly overstayed my visa back in 2010 and got a 3 year ban! Aside from the fact we just don't have much money at the moment.

I will keep ya's posted on the outcome.:)

summerstar12 · 08-08-2012 7:54pm

summerstar12 wrote: »

Finances for De-Facto Visa

Hi All

My boyfriend is Australian and I am Irish we are together nearly 3 years, 1 year me living in Australia with him and then 18 months long distance as he was trying to sort his stuff to move over to me. He arrived in Ireland the end of May this year on a 90 day holiday visa as he did not have the required amount saved to apply for a work visa when he was in Australia.

We are about to send in our application for the de-facto visa and the information on here has been so helpful in compiling all the info we need to send in with our application. But I am very worried that we are going to be refused on the basis that we have no savings! I lost my job a while ago and have so far had no luck finding something else I am working doing an unpaid internship at the moment but it is going nowhere so i can't put that down.

We are getting by on what I have at the moment although it is tough but if my boyfriend was granted the stamp 4, I really believe he will find some work.

I would just love to hear from anyone else who submitted their application but didn't have a lot of savings.

Just to update you all, I submitted the de-facto application on Friday, hand delivered the massive folder to the offices on Burgh Quay, and got a letter today to confirm they received it! We are shocked to have received a response so quickly, so hope that it is a good sign! Now the anxious wait to see if they grant him a visa to stay or not!

I spoke to someone in immigration a few weeks back and she advised that once we get the application in and receive the letter of acknowledgement, that it automatically extends his holiday visa and allows him to stay till a decision is made. Does anyone know if we have to go in and get another 90 holiday visa stamp on his passport? As his current holiday visa expires on the 18th of this month.

Also if they deny our de-facto visa, how long do they give a person to leave the country and can we appeal?

Sorry just so anxious and apprehensive, as it would be totally devastating if they refuse us, as we already had to do nearly 18 months long distance due to me over staying my visa in Australia so I got a 3 year ban and couldn't go over to him, and it took him so long to get to me due to finance issues!

Ireland De-Facto Visa

Comments