Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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1365. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason a large percentage of Turkish students applying for visas to study English in Ireland are having their applications refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30751/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Ankara Visa Office has seen a more than 50% increase in visa applications received in the year to date to the end of May 2022 in comparison with the same period in 2019 (before Covid-19 related travel restrictions). Long stay study visas account for more than 60% of those being received in 2022. In addition to this increase in applications, the Ankara Visa Office has received an extremely high number of incomplete applications, which is also adding to the longer processing times, given the resources that have to go into examining these applications.

It should be noted that a large number of study applications are being withdrawn and returned to the applicants as they are incomplete and contain little or no supporting documentation. These applications are being withdrawn, instead of being refused, in order to be fair to the applicants and to give them an opportunity to resubmit their applications with all the necessary documentation.

It is also important to note that the office in Ankara is not refusing a large percentage of English Language study applications: in fact the refusal rate for applications in 2022 to the end of May is just under 5%. This compares favourably with a refusal rate in the full year of 2021 of 2% and in 2020 of 10%.

The central concern in deciding on visa applications, as with all visa services worldwide, is to strike an appropriate balance between protecting the country's vital national interests by maintaining an effective immigration regime while at the same time facilitating travel for those who meet the criteria.  Each visa application is therefore decided on its own merits taking all factors into account.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1366. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in the determination of applications in the case of persons (details supplied) who made their applications via the Embassy in Delhi a number of weeks ago; when applications are expected to be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30755/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The persons referred to by the Deputy created online Join Family (Irish national) visa applications on 23 April 2022. The supporting documentation and relevant fees were applied on 28 April 2022 in the New Delhi visa office. These applications are currently awaiting comprehensive examination and the applicants will be notified as soon as a decision has been made by a Visa Officer.

Processing of family reunification visa applications, such as these, may take up to six months to determine from the date documentation is received in the relevant Visa Office.

The Visa Office endeavours to have applications of this nature processed earlier than this, however, this is not always possible. In order to be fair to all applicants, as you will appreciate, applications are processed in order, by date received in the Office. 

Applicants are advised not to pay for airline or other travel tickets without having first been issued with a visa. 

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.