Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 November 2022
463. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice if nationality is granted to applicants who are successful to get the right to remain; and, if not, if their time in Ireland is taken into account in cases in which they make such an application in the future under the undocumented immigrants scheme. [56190/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe scheme for the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants closed on 31 July 2022. This once in a generation scheme was designed to give long-term undocumented people without a current permission to remain in the State, the chance to regularise their status, access the labour market and begin their path to citizenship. Those persons granted a permission under the undocumented scheme can have that permission considered as reckonable residence for the purpose of making an application for citizenship at a future date once they meet the criteria as set down in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. Each application is assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria attendant to naturalisation can only be made after an application is received.
Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the state prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is 3 years. In both cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 6 weeks allowed to facilitate foreign travel for business family or holiday purposes.
Detailed information on Irish citizenship and the naturalisation process, along with the relevant application forms and guidance notes, is available on my Department's Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/.
