Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 October 2016
58. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current and expected residency status and eligibility for long-term residency in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31386/16]
View answerI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person referred to by the Deputy entered the State on 21/02/2013 and was registered as a Student in the State on 26/03/2013 under Stamp 2 conditions. This permission expired on 20/01/2016, and the person concerned does not currently have any permission to remain in the State.
The person concerned does not have an application pending with INIS either. However, all non-EEA students resident in the State are subject to the student immigration rules set out under the "new immigration regime for full time non-EEA students" which was published in September 2010 and has been in effect since 1 January 2011. These rules stipulate that non-EEA nationals may reside in Ireland as students, subject to the provisions of the new regime, for a maximum period of seven years. The person referred to by the Deputy arrived in the State and registered in 2013. This person will have accumulated 7 years in March 2020 and, as such, it is open to them to make an application for further permission to remain in the State as a student.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility 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 from the INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
