Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The application for an Extension of Student Conditions (ESTC) permission from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.

To be fair to all applicants, applications are dealt with in chronological order by date received. My Department endeavours to process applications as quickly as possible. However, processing times may vary due to a number of factors, such as the number of applications on hands, individual circumstances, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and the resources available.

Where a non-EEA student has completed their studies in Ireland and gained an award at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or above, that person may qualify for a Stamp 1G for 12 months. Where an individual receives an award at Level 9 NFQ, they may qualify for a Stamp 1G for up to 24 months subject to the overall limit of 8 years on student conditions that applies.

The person referred to by the Deputy was granted a Stamp 1G immigration permission that is due to expire on the 19/11/2023. The period on the Stamp 1G immigration permission is to provide the Graduate and any prospective employer the opportunity to make an application to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an employment permit, before the expiry of the Stamp 1G permission. If the application for an employment permit is successful that applicant can register that permit and will be granted a Stamp 1 immigration permission and be allowed to remain in the state. If unsuccessful, the student is required to make arrangements to leave the State.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by email 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 email service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.