Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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335. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the procedure to be followed to apply for family reunification in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30337/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Minister of State Browne

If a person wishes to come to Ireland to reside for longer than 3 months with a family member who is an Irish citizen or who is lawfully resident in Ireland they can apply for a long stay (join family) visa. The visa application can be made at any time using the Department's on-line visa application facility at: www.visas.inis.gov.ie/avats/OnlineHome2.aspx.

Upon creating an on-line visa application, the summary sheet must be printed and signed by the applicant and then submitted to the relevant Visa Office, along with supporting documentation and the relevant fee, within 30 days. Only upon receipt of the necessary documentation and fee, can the visa application be processed. The onus, as in all cases, is on the applicant to satisfy the Visa Officer that a visa should be granted.

The Priority/Emergency visa applications that are currently being accepted and processed at this time by my Department are set out below and include visa applications in the (long stay) Join Family category:

People travelling for business/employment purposes and granted an employment permit by Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment to meet an enterprise’s key business;

Patients travelling for imperative medical reasons;

Transport workers or transport service providers, including drivers of freight vehicles carrying goods for use in the territory as well as those merely transiting;

Pupils, students and trainees who travel abroad on a daily basis and Third-country nationals travelling for the purpose of 3rd level study;

Join Family applications;

Preclearance applications from De Facto Partner of an Irish National, De Facto Partner of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder, or of a non EEA Researcher on a Hosting Agreement and Family members looking to join a UK National in Ireland;

Persons travelling for imperative family or business reasons;

Persons entitled to avail of the provision of the EU Free Movement Directive;

Diplomats, staff of international organisations and people invited by international organisations whose physical presence is required for the well-functioning of these organisations, military personnel and police officers, and humanitarian aid workers and civil protection personnel in the exercise of their functions;

Passengers in transit;

Seafarers;

Journalists, when performing their duties.

It is important to note that all travellers arriving into Ireland must continue to comply fully with the public health measures required by law, including completing a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form, pre-arrival PCR test and quarantine in a designated facility or at home, as appropriate.