Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 February 2025
214. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice the current processing times for visa applications; if he is satisfied with these timelines; if he is not, the actions he is taking to reduce processing times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8295/25]
View answerI 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 process certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated sanction from my Department. There are several different legal pathways available to individuals who wish to travel to Ireland. Processing times vary depending on the type of application made and it is also the case that processing times for visa applications may vary across the different visa decision making centres globally. The processing times are largely in line with the expected processing times published across the Immigration Service Delivery website.
Processing times and decisions at the Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/#decisions
This webpage is updated weekly for the Dublin Visa Office. Please note, the processing date published on the above page 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 prevent the published processing date from advancing.
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. I am acutely aware that visa applications, are very important for the persons impacted and I am committed to improving the service my Department provides. In recent months, additional resources and staff have been assigned to my Department’s Visa Division which I expect reduce the waiting times in the coming months.
