Written answers

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Department of Justice and Equality

Visa Applications

Photo of Conor McGuinnessConor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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614. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when an individual (details supplied) who has been waiting eight months since the date of their application for a long stay ‘D’ visa, will receive the outcome of said application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33626/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 13 November 2024. The application and supporting documentation was received in the Hanoi office on 15 November 2024. The application was received in the Dublin Visa Office on 03 December 2024 where it awaits examination and processing.

My Departments business target for join family visa applications is 12 months. It must be made clear that these are business targets for the immigration service. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification.

While I acknowledge the personal difficulties an applicant might be experiencing, it is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt.

While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications, the possible need for the Immigration Service Delivery function of my Department to investigate, inquire into, or seek further information, and the resources available.

Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office can be checked at the following link which is updated each Tuesday:

The date published on the website is the oldest date of application currently being processed under a given category. However, it should be noted that the Visa team continue to process and make decisions on applications received after the published processing date. If a particular application takes longer to consider this may result in the published processing date remaining unchanged. I can assure you that this does not indicate the processing of these applications has halted overall.

I am acutely aware that join family applications are very important for the persons impacted. I understand that people are eager to have their families join them in Ireland and I am committed to improving the service my Department provides.

To provide greater clarity, officials in my Department are currently in the process of updating the Immigration Service website to provide processing times for decisions on visa applications at the Dublin visa office.

The person concerned can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s new Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at:

As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: , 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 Question process.

Photo of Conor McGuinnessConor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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615. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the length of time the average long stay ‘D’ visa application process takes from the date of application to the notification of final outcome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33627/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised the Deputy has clarified that he is referring to the processing of Type D Join Family visa applications.

I can advise the Deputy that there are currently seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. They are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade process certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated sanction from my Department.

I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants, and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible. In recent months, additional resources and staff have been assigned to my Department’s Visa Division which I expect will reduce the waiting times for all applications.

I can advise the Deputy that majority of join family visas receive a first instance decision within the 12-month business target. In 2024 the average processing time for all types of Join Family visa application was 72 calendar days.

Processing times for all applications are influenced by a number of factors and some applications may take considerably longer than average to progress to finalisation.. The time it can take varies depending on the type and complexity of application; individual circumstances; peak application periods; such as holidays or the start of the school year; and, crucially, the quality and completeness of the application lodged.

In 2024, approximately 201,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 21%, compared to 2023, with over 35,000 additional applications received. These increases have continued, in the first five months of 2025, my Department's Visa Division received approximately 88,400 visa applications and has issued over 76,900 decisions. This reflects an increase in applications of 14%, compared to the same period in 2024.

My officials are working to meet the increased level of demand, and over 5,400 additional visa decisions have issued in the first five months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.

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