Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

141. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and/or expected residency status/eligibility for long-term residency/naturalisation in the case of persons (details supplied) in Dublin 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6093/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the persons referred to by the Deputy currently do not have applications pending with INIS. The persons referred to by the Deputy arrived in the State on 30/12/2006 as students. Their most recent permissions on a "stamp 2" basis expired on 31/12/2013.

All non-EEA students resident in the State are subject to the student immigration rules set out under the "new immigration regime for full time non-EEA students" which was published in September 2010 and has been in effect since 1 January 2011. These rules stipulate that non-EEA nationals may reside in Ireland as students, subject to the provisions of the new regime, for a maximum period of seven years. The persons referred to by the Deputy arrived in the State at the end of 2006 and registered in January 2007. They have accumulated 7 years since 31 December 2013. As such they do not qualify for further student permission. They also do not qualify for long term residency and Stamp 2 is not reckonable for citizenship. They are advised to look at the "student pathway" on the Department's website www.inis.gov.ie to see whether there are any post study pathways available to them.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of Parliamentary Questions Process.

The Deputy may consider using the email service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.