Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
1223. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if procedures are in place to allow persons to continue to work on a stamp 4 visa that has expired; and if persons in this category will be issued with a temporary permission. [14400/21]
View answerTo ensure that people do not fall out of permission during the pandemic, six automatic extensions of immigration permissions have been provided, the most recent to 20 April 2021. The renewal of permission is on the same basis as the existing permission and the same conditions attach. In relation to persons with existing permission under Directive 2004/38/EC (Free Movement Directive), the automatic renewal is subject to the requirement that the person is complying with the requirements of the Directive.
Due to the public health restrictions currently in place under Level 5 of the Government's Framework for Restrictive Measures in Response to Covid-19, the Registration Office in Burgh Quay has been closed since 23 December 2020, until further notice.
All registration renewals in the Dublin area are being processed online only and the system has been available for all applicants since 20 July 2020 at https://inisonline.jahs.ie. Last December, the requirement to include a passport as part of an application was removed. This reduces the time taken to process the application and eliminates the associated cost of registered post when sending the passport as part of the application.
The online renewal system is available to people who:
- Are resident in Dublin City or Dublin County;
- Are currently in the State;
- Have previously registered with the Immigration Service;
- Are renewing one of the following stamps: Stamp 0, Stamp 1, Stamp 1A, Stamp1G, Stamp 2, Stamp 2A, Stamp 3, Stamp 4, or Stamp4EUFAM; and
- Have an IRP card that is expired or is due to expire within 29 days.
Further information on the operation of this service is available on our website at: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/renew-registration
Renewals of registrations for persons residing outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau through the Garda Station network. Information on the contact details for all the registration offices outside Dublin is available at: https://www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/office-of-corporate-communications/news-media/reopening-of-registration-offices.html.
For people whose last permission expired before 20 March 2020, when the first automatic extension of permissions was announced, they are advised to write to the Immigration Service of my Department and request to regularise their position in the State. When submitting their request, they should outline their current circumstances, the date of their arrival in the State. They should also enclose a copy of their passport, along with any documentation that they believe will support their case. The application should be submitted, via registered post, to Domestic Residence and Permissions Division - Unit 2, Immigration Service, 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, D02 XK70.
Domestic Residence and Permissions, Unit 2, do not issue temporary permissions but
endeavour to make a decision on all applications as soon as possible. The onus is on the permission holder to renew his or her permission before it expires.
I would encourage any person who is resident in the State without permission to contact the Department or their local immigration office and to take all appropriate steps to regularise their position in the state.
