Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005
746 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will be examined to establish the reason they have been refused permission to re-enter the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1357/05]
View answerBy way of background, it should be noted that a visa is not itself a guarantee of entry into the State. It is instead only a form of pre-entry clearance issued in order to assist with the immigration process. The decision to grant or refuse permission to enter the State rests with the immigration officer at the port of entry. The dates specified on a visa refer only to the period during which the visa is valid for presentation, and does not refer to the length of time the bearer may remain in the State, which is determined by the Garda national immigration bureau when the bearer presents for registration.
In the case of the person referred to by the Deputy, the person in question was granted a single journey visa on 24 November 2004 by my Department. This visa was for use by the bearer, before 22 June 2005 for a single entry into the State only. A person in possession of a single journey visa, who intends to leave and subsequently re-enter the state at a later date, must apply for a re-entry visa to the visa office of the Department of Foreign Affairs, prior to their departure from the State. Failure to apply for and obtain a valid re-entry visa, as happened in the case referred to by the Deputy, will result in re-entry into the State being refused by the immigration officer at point of entry.
