Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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1157. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of non-EU student visas issued in 2019 and 2020; the average length of time it has taken to process these visas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31897/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The number of Stamp 2 student registrations processed in 2019 and 2020 is set out in the table below.

Unfortunately, information concerning the average length of time taken to process these registrations/renewals is not available. However, my Department has continued to work steadily throughout the pandemic to deliver improvements to our immigration services.

Improvements made so far include the introduction of an online process for the renewal of registrations (with over 78,000 renewals processed since July 2020); pre-clearance schemes to allow customers to apply for residence permissions prior to travelling; the introduction of online forms and payments; renewed focus on eliminating processing delays in key areas; and working towards the delivery of a new more user-friendly website for our customers.

A tender has also recently been awarded for a new Immigration Service appointment and scheduling system, which will streamline and further improve the registration process. The new system is expected to be in place in the coming months.