Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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193. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide assistance to a person (details supplied) for a visa to re-enter Ireland with the rest of their family. [36587/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The person referred to by the Deputy created an online Long Stay Join Family (Irish national)(Spouse) visa application on 16 February 2022. The supporting documentation was received on 2 March 2022. This application was received in the Dublin Visa Office for further processing on 11 April 2022.

Long Stay Join Family visa applications are processed in accordance with the guidelines set out in the my Department's Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, which can be viewed at:

www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Policy-document-on-Non-EEA-family-reunification.pdf

The Policy Document has a business target of six months for the processing of visa applications for family reunification for immediate family members of Irish citizens and Category A sponsors, such as Critical Skills Employment Permit Holders.

The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification.

The Dublin Visa Office is currently processing applications of this type received on 28 February 2022. Applicants can keep up-to-date with the processing date by checking the following webpage on my Department's immigration website, which is updated weekly:

www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/

Applicants are advised not to pay for airline or other travel tickets without having first been issued with a visa. The person concerned will be notified as soon as a decision has been reached by a Visa Officer.

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.