Ireland Family Visa for Nigerian Citizen

Ireland Family Visa for Nigerian Citizens

An Ireland Family Visa is a long-stay visa that allows foreign nationals from non-EEA countries to reunite with their Irish-based family members for a stay of more than three months. 

If you only intend to visit your family member for less than three months, apply for the short-stay ‘C’ (Visit Family) visa instead.  

The eligibility requirements, visa application process, and immigration access granted for family reunification under the long stay ‘D’ (Join Family) Visa differ depending on your sponsor’s immigration status. For instance, if your relative has Irish citizenship, the conditions you must fulfil will differ from if they were a non-citizen. 

It’s important to note that the family visa is a pre-entry requirement. If your visa application is successful and you travel to Ireland, you must seek permission to stay in the country at your port of entry.

You’ll usually need to report to an immigration officer at the port or airport you came in through by submitting your visa application documents and answering some questions. If the officer is satisfied with your submissions, they’ll place a stamp in your passport, indicating the duration and conditions of your stay.

Then, you must register your immigration permission with the Department of Justice (Immigration Service Delivery) Registration Office or GNIB within 90 days of settling in the country to get an Irish Residence Permit (IRP).

Types of Ireland Family Visas Available for Nigerian Citizens

Irish Family Visas are categorised based on the immigration status of the Ireland-based family member or sponsor. As such, your chosen immigration pathway will depend on whether your relative is:

• An Irish national
• A UK national
• An EEA or Swiss national
• A non-EEA or non-Swiss national
• An internationally protected person.

General Eligibility Criteria for the Ireland Family Visa

To be eligible to apply for the long-stay Join Family Visa through any of the categories, you must meet the following requirements:

• You live outside Ireland 
• You are a non-EEA/non-Swiss national
• You are sponsored by an eligible Irish resident 
• You can show documentary evidence of your relationship with your sponsor
• You intend to live together permanently with your sponsor in Ireland
• You are of good character and good standing
• You have medical insurance from a company authorised by the Health Insurance Authority of Ireland. 

You’ll generally need to be a nuclear or dependent distant family member of your sponsor. However, not all family members have the same potential access to family reunification among the various categories of sponsors. For instance, de facto partners of internationally protected persons can’t apply for a family visa, whereas those of sponsors in the other categories can. 

Another difference is the age limit for children. Dependent children of Irish nationals can be 23. In contrast, children of EEA nationals must not be older than 21 unless they have a severe medical or psychological problem that makes them reliant on their parents. 

It’s essential to understand the specific criteria of each category before making your application. Consider discussing your situation with an immigration lawyer to better understand your options for family reunification. Call our Nigerian office at [tel_nra} to speak with a lawyer.

Criteria to Join an Irish National in Ireland

This category is designed for the non-EEA family members of Irish citizens. These family members include:

• Spouses and civil partners
• De facto partners
• Children under 18
• Dependent children under 23 who are in full-time education.
• Parent
• Other non-nuclear family members in certain conditions, such as a dependent grandparent. 

If your family member is an Irish national, you can apply through this category even if they do not reside in Ireland. In such a case, you must provide a copy of their passport showing evidence of their residency in another country.

Furthermore, if you are a nuclear family member, you will receive a Stamp 4 immigration permission that will allow you to work and operate a business without an employment permit. However, non-immediate family members must apply for employment permits to work in Ireland.

Criteria to Join a UK National

Following Brexit, UK citizens who began residing in Ireland after 31 December 2020 must sponsor an application for permission through a preclearance or visa scheme to have their family members join them in the country. 

The following categories of family members are eligible to join a UK national in Ireland:

• Category 1: Spouse, civil partner, or de facto partner
• Category 2: Dependent child of sponsor and dependent child of sponsor’s spouse, civil partner, or de facto partner.
• Category 3: Elderly dependent parents of the sponsor or of the sponsor’s spouse, civil
• partner, or de facto partner.

Requirements for Sponsors

To sponsor their non-EEA family members, UK nationals must:

• Intend to be a resident in Ireland or already be in Ireland.
• Be self-sufficient and not have been mainly reliant on benefits for at least two years before your application.
• Be able to support the applicant(s) financially without relying on public funds.
• Not have sponsored a spouse or partner in the seven years before the visa application (for partner applications).
• Have earned a gross income of €20,000 annually in the last three years. A sponsor with children will need to meet a higher income requirement. 

The net assessable income for families is shown below. Note that it is subject to continual changes: 

Requirements for Category 1 Applicants

Spouses and civil partners must prove their marriage or partnership is recognisable under Irish law. They must also show that they have a genuine relationship that includes face-to-face meetings or that they have resided together.

On the other hand, de facto partners must have cohabited for at least two years and provide proof of their relationship history. 

Requirements for Category 2 Applicants

Children under 18 living with their parents will be considered automatically independent. However, the sponsor or applicant must provide evidence of the child’s current location. 

If one parent has sole custody or there is a shared custody arrangement, the sponsor or applicant must provide a court order.

Furthermore, children over 18 must prove that they are dependent on their parents, for instance, because they are in full-time education, have a medical condition, or are unable to work.  

Requirements for Category 3 Applicants

Dependent parents must be 66 or older. They must be able to prove the following:

• They are not physically capable of living independently due to age or a medical condition  
• There are no family members in their country of residence capable of providing them with support.
• They have no financial resources to meet their essential needs in their home country.
• There are no other viable alternatives to them moving to Ireland.

Criteria to Join an EEA or Swiss National

Individuals from other EU/EEA member states and Switzerland who are residing in Ireland can sponsor their non-EEA or non-Swiss family members to join them under Directive 2004/38/EC (Free Movement Directive).

Eligible family members of EEA/Swiss nationals are divided into two categories: qualifying and permitted family members. 

A qualifying family member is usually exempt from paying a visa fee and will enjoy accelerated application processing. These family members include the following:

• Spouse or civil partner
• Child (under 21 years) of the sponsor or the sponsor’s spouse
• Dependent parent of the sponsor or the sponsor’s spouse.
• A dependent family member of the sponsor or the sponsor’s spouse in the direct ascending or descending family line, such as a grandparent or a grandchild.

Permitted family members include the following:

• De-facto partner
• Other family members dependent on or needing personal care from the EEA national based on serious health grounds.

Both qualifying and permitted family members must apply for a short stay ‘C’ visa. If they intend to live in Ireland for more than three months, they must apply for a ‘Residence Card of a Family Member of a Union Citizen’ (also referred to as an EU Treaty Rights application) upon arriving in the country. The residence card will allow them to live, work, and study in Ireland for five years.

Criteria to Join a Non-EEA or Non-Swiss National

Non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals resident in Ireland can sponsor their spouses, partners, dependent children and other dependent relatives to join them. The requirement for sponsoring family members will vary depending on the Irish resident’s immigration status, which is classified into three categories.

Category A Sponsors

Category A residents are eligible to have their family members join them immediately upon their arrival in Ireland. These residents include:

• Critical Skills Employment Permit holder
• Investors
• Entrepreneurs
• Business Permission Holder
• Researchers Approved Scholarship Programme Students
• Intra Corporate Transferees
• PhD Students (subject to conditions)
• Full-time non-locum doctors in employment
• Minister of Religion (provided they are maintained by the church)

Category B Sponsors

Category B residents will only be eligible to sponsor their family members after living and working legally in Ireland for 12 months. These residents include:

•  Non-Critical Skills Employment permit holders
• All Stamp 4 holders that are not covered by other more favourable arrangements.

Category C Individuals

Category C residents include all other non-EEA nationals with immigration permission not listed in categories A and B, such as non-PhD students and short stay visa holders. These individuals are not eligible to sponsor their family members. 

All family members of non-EEA and non-Swis nationals are only eligible for a dependent visa and must apply for a work permit separately if they intend to work or run a business.

Criteria to Join an Internationally Protected Person

Foreign nationals can have their family members join them in Ireland if they are beneficiaries of an international protection declaration such as:

• Convention refugee
• Programme refugee, 
• Subsidiary protection. 

The eligible family members include the following:

• Spouse
• Civil partner
• Child under 18.
• Parents (if the sponsor is under 18)
• Brother or sister under 18 and unmarried (if the sponsor is under 18).

Note that eligible family members must submit their applications within 12 months of the internationally protected sponsor receiving a protection declaration.

Required Documents for the Ireland Family Visa

If you intend to apply for family reunification, you must submit the original and photocopies of the following documents to support your application:

• Signed and dated application summary form
• Two coloured passport photographs not more than 6 months old
• Your current passport valid for at least 12 months from your proposed date of entry into Ireland
• A full copy of all your previous passports. 
• Evidence of visa application fee payment
• A signed letter of application
• Evidence of your relationship with your sponsor, such as a birth, marriage or civil partnership certificate. De facto partners or partners who have never resided together must provide a complete account of your relationship history with evidence of communication.
• Evidence of financial and social dependency on your sponsor with a bank statement showing proof of transfer to your accounts. You can also provide details of:
  • Any medical condition you may have
  • Why you are unable to work
  • Other family members in your country of residence.

• Medical or travel insurance
• Police clearance certificate not more than 6 months old.
• Details of any previous visa refusals.

You’ll also need the following documents from your sponsor:

• A copy of their current passport and any other passport they’ve held
• A letter of sponsorship 
• A signed legal undertaking that they will bear complete financial responsibility for you.
• Details of any past or pending criminal charges against them in any country
• Details of sponsorship of other family members in the past 7 years
• Evidence of suitable accommodation 
• Six months bank statements
• Evidence of employment or self-employment and tax returns.

Note that state-issued documents from non-EEA or non-Swiss countries, such as birth and marriage certificates, require an apostille or attestation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the issuing country. 

Additionally, if your documents are not in English or Irish you must provide a full and certified translation of them.

The Ireland Family Visa Application Process

The application process for an Ireland family visa will depend on the immigration status of your Ireland family member. 

Applying to Join an Internationally Protected Person

Your sponsor must submit an application in writing to:

Family Reunification Unit

Immigration Service Delivery

Department of Justice

13-14 Burgh Quay

Dublin 2 D02 XK70

Ireland

They will receive a questionnaire which must be completed and returned to Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) within 28 days. If the application is approved, your sponsor will be issued a grant letter with which you will use to apply for your visa online. 

General Family Visa Application Process

If you are applying to join an Irish, a UK, an EEA/Swiss, or a non-EEA/non-Swiss national or if you have gotten a grant letter from your internationally protected family member, you can submit an online application. 

Visit the Irish government website and complete the online application form. You must also choose your visa type and fill out the application questionnaire. Then, download the application summary sheet, sign it and date it. 

You’ll need to visit the Ireland Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Abuja or Lagos within 30 days of completing your online application to submit all documents and pay the visa application fee. At the VAC, you must also submit your biometric information.

Afterwards, your application will be sent to the Ireland Embassy Visa Office in Abuja for processing.

Processing Times for the Ireland Family Visa

The typical processing time for the Join Family Visa is 8 to 10 weeks. However, it can take up to 6 months if there is a high volume of applications at the Ireland Embassy or if you submit incomplete documentation. 

Cost of the Ireland Join Family Visa

The Join Family Visa costs €60 for a single journey and €100 for a multiple-entry journey. 

Note that you can get a multiple entry visa if you have been issued two single entry visas and shown compliant travel history to Ireland in the recent past. If you pay for a multiple entry visa without meeting the requirement, you will be granted a single entry visa without a refund in the cost difference. 

You may also be required to pay preclearance and consular fees at the VAC. Furthermore, when you arrive in Ireland, you must pay €300 to obtain your IRP card.

Duration of Ireland Family Visas

The immigration permissions granted on Join Family Visas are usually valid for 12 months. Upon expiration of your visa, you can apply to extend your stay for a further 2 years and thereafter for an additional 3 years. You may be able to obtain permanent residency after living in Ireland for 5 years.

Services Offered by IAS to Nigerian Immigrants to Ireland

At IAS, we have a team of immigration consultants with extensive experience assisting Nigerians with their visa application processes. We are experts in Irish immigration law and can help you obtain your Join Family Visa.

Our lawyers can provide you with tailored advice either via phone call or in person at any of our offices around the world. We will assess your eligibility for the visa and help you prepare all the documents you need to support your application.

During the application process, we will guide you in filling out the online form to ensure you submit a correct application. 

We also provide concierge services to help you easily migrate your family to Ireland, such as booking flights and moving personal or household items. If you need help finding suitable schools or housing arrangements for your family, we can help you with that as well. 

To get started on your visa application, call our office at +23413438882 to speak with one of our lawyers. You can also complete the online contact form, and we will respond to you.