De Facto / Unmarried Partner Visa Ireland

What is the De Facto / Unmarried Partner Visa in Ireland?

For immigration purposes, a de facto relationship is a relationship that meets the following criteria:

• You and your partner are in a genuine and ongoing relationship
• You and your partner have lived together for at least two years
• You and your partner are not related
• You and your partner intend to live together in a way similar to marriage or civil partnership in practice but not in law.

The De Facto / Unmarried Partner Visa is intended for foreign nationals, in either homosexual and heterosexual relationship, who want to come to Ireland to live with their partner who has Irish citizenship or permanent residency in Ireland.

If your application for the Unmarried Partner Visa is successful, you will be able to come to Ireland and remain there for more than three months. Nevertheless, your permission to live in Ireland will be conditional and will expire if your relationship ends.

Who can apply for Ireland Unmarried Partner Visa?

If you are a UK citizen, you can come to Ireland to join your de facto partner without having to apply for a visa first. Additionally, there are certain non-visa required countries, for example, Canada and the US.

Nevertheless, if you are a citizen of any other country, you need to obtain the Unmarried Partner Visa before arriving in Ireland. The visa is one of the Join Family Long Stay D Visas, which means that once you get it, you can stay in Ireland for a period longer than 3 months.

To be able to receive the De Facto / Unmarried Partner Visa, you have to be able to prove that your relationship with the Irish citizen or permanent resident is genuine and that you have been living together for at least 2 years.

How to apply for Unmarried Partner Visa Ireland?

Before you can join your partner in Ireland, you first have to apply for Irish Immigration Preclearance. After your preclearance has been granted you can submit your visa application online. Once you submit the form, you will see an application summary sheet with information regarding the immigration service registration office you have to send your application to.

The next step is to pay the application fee of either €60 for single-entry or €100 for multi-entry visa. Make sure to keep the receipt as you will need to submit it with other supporting documents.

After you have paid the fee you can start gathering documents that prove your eligibility for the visa and you can send them to the office mentioned on your application summary sheet. You will have 30 days from completing the online application to submit the required evidence.

Once you have entered Ireland you will need to apply for permission to remain in the country.

Supporting documents for Ireland Unmarried Partner visa application

When applying for the Irish Unmarried Partner Visa, you have to submit the following documents that prove your eligibility for it:

• Valid passport
• Two passport size photographs
• Signed letter of application where you state the reason for your journey to Ireland
• Proof showing that your relationship with the Irish citizen or permanent resident is genuine
• Evidence that you and your partner lived together for at least two years
• Full account of your relationship history, including information how and when you met
• Information about your finances.

Depending on your individual circumstances, you might also have to submit additional documents. If you hire one of our immigration lawyers they will help you put together a complete portfolio of evidence.

What is Irish Immigration Preclearance?

Those who want to come to Ireland on the Unmarried Partner Visa have to go through preclearance and all Unmarried Partner Visa applicants have to apply for it, regardless of their country of origin.

If your application for preclearance is accepted, you will receive a preclearance letter, valid for 6 months, that you will need to show to an immigration officer when you arrive in Ireland. If you fail to enter Ireland within 6 months of receiving the letter, you will have to apply for preclearance one more time.

If your application for preclearance is not approved, you will be notified of reasons for this decision and you will be able to appeal it.

What financial information is needed for the Irish De Facto Partner Visa?

As part of your application for the De Facto /Unmarried Partner Visa, you have to provide information about your and your partner’s finances. The evidence you need to submit includes:

• Bank statements from of your bank account from the last six months
• Bank statements from of your partner’s bank account from the last six months
• Your partner’s P60s for 3 years prior to the application (if they are resident in Ireland)
• Your partner’s 3 recent consecutive payslips.

Keep in mind that you have to submit original documents and that photocopies will not be accepted.

How much does the Ireland Unmarried Partner Visa cost?

When applying for the Ireland Unmarried Partner Visa, you will have to pay either €60 or €100 depending on whether you are applying for a single-entry or multiple-entry visa. This fee is non-refundable even if your application is unsuccessful.

What is the waiting time for the De Facto Partner Visa Ireland?

There is no specific timeframe for the processing of applications for the Ireland De Facto Partner Visa. As they are processed chronologically, however, how long you will have to wait depends on how many people applied at a similar time to you.

On average, applications for Join Family Visas to Ireland are processed within six months of them being received by the visa office. If you are applying during busy periods, the waiting time can be longer. Similarly, if you make mistakes in your application or forget to include some of the required documents, you can expect delays.

How can IAS help?

At IAS, we are committed to helping our clients avoid being separated from their loved ones for too long. We have helped many foreign citizens successfully apply for various Long Stay ‘D’ visas to Ireland, including the De Facto Partner Visa.

If you hire one of our immigration consultants, they will help you complete the application to the highest standard and gather all the required documents. They will answer all your questions and clear any doubts you might have.

Even if your application for the De Facto Partner Visa is unsuccessful, our experts can find a solution. They can help you appeal the decision or find a different visa to Ireland you might be eligible for.

Call us today on +44 (0)333 414 9244 to find out more about our immigration services and find out how our consultants can help.