Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
352. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding a Chinese citizen and Irish visa holder that cannot return from China to get their visa stamped in July 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8622/20]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that, on 13 May 2020, I announced that immigration permissions due to expire between 20 May 2020 and 20 July 2020 will be automatically extended for two months. This includes any permission, which was renewed by the earlier notice of 20 March 2020 and which therefore has a new expiry date between 20 May 2020 and 20 July 2020.
This exceptional temporary measure also applies to non-nationals currently outside the State and provided the person otherwise meets the conditions set out in the notices. However, any visa required nationals currently overseas whose Irish Residence Permit card has expired will need to obtain a new visa prior to seeking to travel to Ireland.
While every effort is being and will be made to expedite applications, it is not possible to prioritise every category of applicant when there is a resumption of services. Applications are dealt with in chronological order and any request to prioritise an application will be considered by the Visa Office/Embassy on a case-by-case basis and will depend on identified priorities by Government regarding resumption of economic activity and circumstances in particular countries as restrictions are lifted.
The position as of now is that my Department intends to resume accepting visa applications and reopen Visa Application Centres as soon as safety concerns abate and travel restrictions are lifted. This will be decided in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) and Health Service Executive (HSE) guidelines both in Ireland and globally.
The Immigration Service of my Department has provided a Frequently Asked Questions document on the impact of COVID-19 on immigration and international protection on its website (www.inis.gov.ie). This document is regularly updated. Additionally any person intending to travel should also take note of the General COVID-19 Travel Advisory issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
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 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.
