Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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708. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a student visa will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51213/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The person referred to by the deputy created an online study visa application on 19 August 2021. The supporting documentation and fee were received on 4 October 2021 in the Manila visa office. Following full consideration by a Visa Officer, the visa application was refused. A letter issued to the applicant on 14 October 2021, outlining the reasons for this refusal.

It is open to the applicant to appeal this decision, in writing, within two months of the date of the refusal. Appeals must be in written form and sent to the Visa Appeals Officer in the relevant Visa Office. Faxed or emailed appeals will not be considered.

All visa applicants are advised that the onus is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is necessary. Guidelines in this regard are posted on the Irish Immigration website (www.irishimmigration.ie). By following these guidelines, the applicant has a better prospect of receiving a positive decision at first instance.

When making an appeal, the applicant should take into account the reasons for refusal listed in the refusal letter. The appeal should include any further information or additional documentation they wish to have considered, and should be sent for the attention of the Visa Appeals Officer, in the relevant Visa Office, where the matter will be considered afresh. Full consideration will be given to any appeal received on behalf of the applicant, however the onus is on the applicant to satisfy the Visa Officer that a visa should be granted.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), 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 is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.  

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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709. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the healthcare sector is losing out on a number of healthcare professionals who are foreign nationals due to their visas expiring while they are waiting for their employee permits to come through; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that many of these healthcare professionals are having applications for extensions to their visas denied; if she has plans to examine the prospect of a bridging visa for such applications from healthcare professionals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51224/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Any person who is seeking to travel to Ireland for the purpose of employment, including in the healthcare sector, can only apply to my Department for a visa once they have applied for and been granted an employment permit by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Any healthcare workers who are currently in the State and with a permission that is due to expire, will have benefitted from the final temporary extension of immigration and international protection previously announced to 15 January 2022. They are legally permitted to remain until that date, even if their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card has expired and they are awaiting a new one. Renewal is on the same basis as the existing permission and the same conditions will continue to apply.

They should either register or renew their permission by 15 January 2022 to ensure that they have a qualifying permission to remain in the State after that date, if that is their intention.