Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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151. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for a visa to join a spouse by a person (details supplied); if the application is processed as quickly as possible due to extenuating circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30333/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the visa applications referred to were received by the Visa Office in New Delhi on 25 January, 2016. The applicant was informed in May, 2016 that the application could be expected to be processed in six months.

While INIS has set a business target of 12 months for long term 'join family' applications where the spouse is a non-EEA national, this time-frame is subject to the receipt of all required documentation as set out in the Family Reunification Policy Document published on 1 January, 2014. The Visa Office endeavours to have applications of this nature processed earlier than this target but this is not always possible. As you will appreciate, in order to be fair to all applicants, applications are processed in order by date received. It is expected that the processing of this application will be completed by the end of November, 2016. Both the applicant and the sponsor will be informed as soon as a decision is made.

The Deputy may wish to note that 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 the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited. In addition, applicants may themselves e-mail queries directly to the INIS Visa Office (visamail@justice.ie).

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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152. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will expedite the visa for a person (details supplied) in view of the fact they have experienced an eight-month delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30352/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the visa application referred to was received by the Visa Office in New Delhi on 2 February, 2016. Further documentation was requested from the sponsor, and received on 13 October, 2016.

While INIS has set a business target of six months for long term 'join family' applications where the spouse is an Irish national, this time-frame is subject to the receipt of all required documentation as set out in the Family Reunification Policy Document published on 1 January, 2014. The Visa Office endeavours to have applications of this nature processed earlier than this target but this is not always possible. As you will appreciate, in order to be fair to all applicants, applications are processed in order by date received. Both the applicant and the sponsor will be informed as soon as a decision is made.

The Deputy may wish to note that 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 the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited. In addition, applicants may themselves e-mail queries directly to the INIS Visa Office (visamail@justice.ie).