Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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449. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of join family visa applications in the embassy in India; if additional resources will be assigned to assist in same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35665/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing times for Join Family applications received in the New Delhi Visa Office is currently around 12 months.

The Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification contains a stated business target that visa applications to join family members should be dealt with between 6 to 12 months of the application being made. This, however, is a business target and does not constitute a legal obligation. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification. Processing times for long stay visas invariably take longer and are generally determined by the volume of applications received, the particular merits of individual applications, their complexity, whether the need to investigate or enquire further, and the resources available.

The Deputy can be assured that every effort is made to keep processing times to a minimum, and a number of measures have been put in place generally to deal with the current caseload. This includes the assignment of additional staff to help process applications, and more generally the streamlining of visa processing where possible. The position in this regard continues to be kept under review.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department 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 the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

In addition, applicants may themselves e-mail queries directly to visamail@justice.ie.