In 2012, Ireland brought in the concept of Ireland Investment Immigration Programme for both non-EU/ EEA nationals and their family members to receive citizenship in Ireland. A substantial amount of investment has to be contributed to Irish businesses for obtaining citizenship. This programme helps in creating jobs opportunity and developing the Irish economy.

Officially, Ireland investment visa does not grant Irish citizenship by investment. It offers a long-term residency in Ireland, used to support citizenship application under the country's Naturalisation rules. Ireland investment visa generally referred to as Ireland Golden Visa. Acquiring Ireland Golden Visa is the only way or possible conduct for Ireland citizenship by investment. An individual must have legally assembled minimum net worth of € 2 million approximately Rs 14, 62, 40,100.00 to be fit for the Irish Investment visa. The individual to be eligible for visa also must have a good character with no criminal background or convictions anywhere around the world. The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) with an evaluation committee set rules about which investments are eligible for the Ireland Investment Programme and whom all can apply or get Ireland Investment Visa.

Irish Immigrant Investor Programme will certify investment options that will qualify an individual for residence in Ireland. These qualified investments are:

• Enterprise investment- At least € 1 million into certifying Irish enterprise for at least three years.
• Approved Investment fund- At least €1 million into a certifying investment fund for at least three years.
• Real Estate investment trust- At least €2 million into one or more certifying REITs for at least three years.
• Endowment (donation option) - Donate at least €500,000 to a certifying philanthropic project in arts, sports, health, culture or education.

IMMIGRANT INVESTOR PROGRAM IRELAND PROCESS
Step 1- Find a certified Ireland immigration lawyer.
Step 2- Check Ireland Investment immigration and citizenship by investment options with a lawyer.
Step 3- Assist with Irish Immigration lawyer to obtain all supporting documents.
Step 4- Submission of Application to Ireland immigration officials depending on one of the four available investment options with supporting documentation. A non-refundable fee of € 1,500 must be paid for the applicant and accompanying family members if any. Application is accepted only during official intake “windows” which occurs approximately five times a year and last about 25 days each.
Step 5- Acquire approval of Ireland Golden Visa application from the Immigration Ireland evaluation committee. The committee has been authorised to recommend Investment visa applications for approval by the Minister for Justice and Equality.
Step 6- Once the application gets approved by the Minister for Justice and Equality, the applicant must make the recommended investment and submit the proof of it.
Step 7-Provide evidence of sufficient private medical insurance.
Step 8- Submission of a certificate of good character by the licensed lawyer in Ireland. This requirement is different from the statement of good character given by the police in the initial application.
Step 9- Once the investment is officially confirmed, the applicant will be granted an initial residency of two years in Ireland with the eligible family member mentioned in the application.

LONG TERM RESIDENCY IN IRELAND
After two years, investors can renew their residency permit by submitting evidence that their investment has been maintained for the holding period, depending on the investment option selected by them. Considering, that person's investment still qualifies, is financially stable, of good character and has not been charged with any criminal activity the residency permit can be extended for another three years.

IRELAND CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT
The Ireland Immigrant Investor Program is formerly a residency program and not a citizenship program. However, one is entitled to apply for Irish citizenship on the same rules. The resident permit can help immigrant investors in meeting the residency requirements for Irish citizenship. The criteria for applying for Irish citizenship by investment is that the immigrant investors must have been resident in Ireland for at least twelve months immediately preceding to their application date, and must have been resident in Ireland for four of the immediately preceding five years before the application date The term “residency” here means actual physical presence in the country. Although, a person will be considered a resident if they leave the country for business trips and vacations. The criteria are that the participant must spend most of the time being physically present in the country to be considered a resident in Ireland.

DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Ireland recognises dual citizenship. The country does not force citizenship applicants to disregard their current citizenship to obtain Ireland citizenship through investment. Ireland Golden visa is of particular interest to high net worth individuals (HNWI) interested in obtaining a second citizenship.

INVESTOR VISA IRELAND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

1. Required documents for Enterprise Investment option:
   • A detailed description of the business plan should disclose how the business will create or maintain employment in Ireland. The investor has to explain how he intends to ensure financial return on the investment made by him. Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) website has or provides a template business plan.
   • The investor has to provide details of recent audited accounts of the existing company depending on whether an investment has made in Irish or non-Irish enterprise. 
2. Required Documents for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Option:
   • Once the Minister for Justice and Equality approves the Irish Investor Visa Application, the investor needs to submit a share certificate and letter from their broker mentioning the number of REIT shares purchased. Purchase date, share price and the total amount of investment should be there in the letter. The applicant will not be permitted residency until these documents have submitted.
3. Required Documents for Endowment Option:
   • Statement on how the donated funds are used by the beneficiary and how it will benefit the public. The available business template accessible on (INIS) website can be used or the purpose.

ADVANTAGES OF IRELAND GOLDEN VISA

1. EU Residence and consequent citizenship
2. An appealing tax regime
3. Dual citizenship
4. High standards of living
5. Travel benefits
6. Access to the U.K
7. Access to the Irish educational system
8. Political and economic stability
9. The comfort of  the European Union
10. Minimal residence requirement

DISADVANTAGES OF IRELAND GOLDEN VISA

1. One would not be able to travel in the Schengen area freely.
2. RBI program has no residency requirement, yet it requires that the applicants and residents visit Ireland at least once a year even for one day.
3. One can be a Non- domiciled tax resident of Ireland if one spends less than roughly 140 days a year in the country, that gives the benefit of spending time in the country without paying taxes. However, if one wants to apply for Irish citizenship one, has to spend six weeks in a year to qualify. Thus, disqualifying one from the non-domiciled status. So one has to choose between taxes or citizenship.

With the coronavirus ravaging the entire globe, crippling even the world’s biggest economies, each and every country is trying to mitigate the effects, which in turn, allows economic growth to get back on track. Now, as part of the combined effort to deal with the pandemic in Ireland, the Ministry of Justice and Equality, Department of Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) came up with a number of measures that were aimed at ensuring the safety of its citizens. The majority of these measures did have a direct impact on businesses operating in the country that employed non-EEA nationals. As of April 2020, the following measures were implemented:
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Employment permits
The good news is, DBEI is still processing employment permit applications, but now, it is prioritising permits for individuals working in the health sector. This change didn’t result in as much delay as it was anticipated – there were just minor delays. Currently, the department takes about 5 weeks to process permits for trusted partners and about 12 weeks for standard applications. What’s more, starting April 2020, to try and prevent further spread of the deadly virus, DBEI temporarily started issuing permits as PDF soft copy documents, which were sent through email, instead of the usual hardcopy papers that used to be delivered by post. It was agreed that immigration authorities will be accepting these printed work permits whenever a foreign national enters the country for work purposes.

It was required of all employers that, where the employment permit holders are working from home, as a result of the coronavirus, written notification must be submitted to DBEI. The business immigration team will then lay out further guidance on how the process should be carried out. When the employee finds him/herself in a situation where they have to work from home but they live outside the country, both the employee and the employer should know that an extended absence or frequent absences are in no way considered grounds for the revocation of the permit. What’s more, for the employment permit holder to be considered employed in Ireland, he or she must work for at least 183 full calendar days in the country.

Noting how difficult life is during the pandemic, millions of people around the world lost their jobs or were temporarily laid off or got a reduction on the number of hours they had to work, and that happened even in Ireland. So, for such situations, it was laid out that if the employment permit holder either gets a reduction of working hours or is laid off temporarily during the period of the permit, the department of business should be noticed immediately so as to record the same of the permit file. In case of any redundancy, the department should be notified within four weeks from the date of the redundancy. The permit holder will then be allowed a period of 6 months to seek and apply for any eligible occupation in Ireland.

Visas
Starting 20th March 2020, the department of Immigration temporarily stopped accepting new visa applications, due to the increasing travel restrictions that were being enforced by governments all around the world in an attempt to interrupt the spread of COVID-19. What this means is that there are some visa required employees who may not be able to travel. But like we mentioned above, this is only temporary, because as soon embassies re-open, visa applications will be submitted online. Most countries in Europe had started to open, which only lasted for a few weeks before a majority of them re-imposed the restrictions due to the second wave of coronavirus that hit most of these countries. But with the vaccines on the verge of being secured, we can say that things might get back to normal real soon. So, if you are planning to apply for a visa, just stand-by.

Residency permission
Starting March 20th, 2020, all immigration offices, which includes the ones in An Garda Siochana as well as Burgh Quay, were all closed temporarily, and all the scheduled appointments were canceled. These closures forced the Ministry of Justice and Equality to automatically renew all the immigration residence permits that were expiring or were due to expire between 20th March and 20th May for a period of two months. The basis for this renewal is the same as the existing permission and similar conditions attach. As the fight against coronavirus continues, employers will rely on the individual’s previous immigration permission as an indication of their ongoing permission to remain in Ireland and can therefore continue working in the country. As for those permits that had expired before 20th March, they will have to be reviewed once the registration office re-opens, and that’s after the virus has been contained. There are those individuals whose entry into the country was subject to an employment permit and, therefore, were required to register with the immigration department within 90 days of their arrival. For these individuals, they will have to wait until the registration offices reopen.
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To wrap it all up, the Government of Ireland has really done a lot to fight COVID-19 and based on all the measures that were put in place to safeguard the public, things aren’t that bad. The country is still determined to keep the cogs turning as they are allowing electronic applications thus eliminating the need for hard copies, which plays a key role in managing everything during the pandemic. Due to the extension imposed by the government, employers can still hire those individuals who had their residence permits expiring between March and May. Lastly, with proper notification made to DBEI, employers can hire foreign employees, and can go further to allow them to work from home.      

When it comes to matters of bringing a family member who is not of EEA or Switzerland origin to live in Ireland, Irish nationals don’t have an automatic pass to do so. What this means is that if you are planning to return to Ireland with a spouse or a civil partner who is not from the EEA region, they will have to get permission from INIS (Irish National Immigration Service) for them to be allowed to live in the country with you. For this reason, here is a step by step guide on how to bring your significant other to live with you in the country.

Step 1: check if your spouse requires a visa to enter Ireland – so, if your partner is non-EEA national, then they need to apply for a visa for them to be allowed into the country. Visa application processes have been simplified these days, so the spouse will only need to make the application online. In case the application gets rejected, they can always appeal.

Step 2: be ready for border control – even with a visa or not, all non-EEA nations must go through border check at the point of entry – the airport – after they arrive in the country. This is the point where all the partner’s documents are examined by an immigration officer, who then decides if the spouse is allowed into the country or not. At this step of the process is where the partner or spouse informs the immigration officer about their plans to apply for permanent residency in Ireland once they are allowed in, and it will be based on your relationship with them.

The spouse or partner is expected to produce the following documents to the immigration officer; a valid passport, a visa (i.e if they need to have one), and a civil partnership or marriage certificate. Once they are allowed into the country, the immigration officer stamps their passports, giving them permission to live in the country for the indicated period (mostly up to 3 months).

Step 3: Register with the Immigration department and apply for residency – you and your non-EEA spouse have to be in Ireland if you are applying for residency permission. If granted this permission, you together with your non-EEA partner are allowed to live together in Ireland. Remember, the non-EEA spouse has to register with the immigration department within 3 months after arriving in the country.

Registering – if both you and your non-EEA spouse happen to be living the capital, Dublin, you should make an appointment with INIS online, and you should make sure that both of you present yourselves to the agency. But if you reside outside Dublin, then both of you can visit the local Garda District Headquarters. To register with immigration and apply for residency, you need to bring the following:

• The civil partnership or marriage certificate
• Your partner’s original passport
• Your original passport
• Evidence of your joint address in the country
• And a 300 euro registration fee

During the appointment, your partner’s photo and fingerprints will be taken.

So, once the permission for residency is granted, the immigration officer then puts a Stamp 4 of your partner’s passport, which means that he or she can live and work in Ireland for the period stated on the stamp. But if the application for residency is disapproved, then it means that the stamp 4 won’t be granted. Now, these may be because the partner needs to clarify a few issues with regards to his or her identity, relationship history, or even criminal history. In this case, the partner will be required to make a written application, clarifying all the issues in question. This is the only way the spouse could get a stamp 4, otherwise, he or she won’t be able to live or work in Ireland.

Step 4: After being granted residency permission – as earlier stated, when the non-EEA spouse or partner is granted residency permission, he or she gets a stamp 4 on their passport, allowing them to live and work in Ireland. Also, he or she will be issued with an Irish Residence Permit (IRP), which is a registration certificate. It has the size of a credit card and it displays important details about your partner.

Also, after being granted permission to reside in Ireland, any changes of address should always be communicated to INIS within 7 days of moving. Still, in case there is a strain in your relationship, and you probably decide to split up, you should always inform INIS of the change.
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Please remember that your partner’s residence status is supposed to be renewed after 3 years – which is the validity period of the stamp 4. So, before this period expires, your partner will be needed to renew the permission for him or her to continue living in the country.  
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The Immigrant Investor Visa Program in Ireland was initially established in 2012, aiming to allow wealthy non-EEA individuals and families to obtain residency in the country in exchange for investing in the Irish economy. Even though this program doesn’t offer a permanent residence, once the applicant meets the appropriate set conditions, residency permission is extended every couple of years for an indefinite period.
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The Irish Investor Immigration Program may not provide citizenship officially to these individuals through investments, but, residing in the country for a long time can be used to support the application for citizenship under the naturalisation rules in the country.

Eligibility of the Ireland Investor Visa in 2020
If you are looking to obtain citizenship through investment in Ireland, then the first thing you should do is to obtain a “golden visa” through the investor program. For you to be eligible for this visa, you must have accumulated a minimum of two million Euros net worth and must have done so legally. You must also have good character, with no criminal records.

Before being granted the EU Investor Visa officially, the applicant has to provide evidence to INIS (Irish Naturalisation and Immigration service) that he or she has made adequate investment in Ireland successfully, and is in accordance with the rules and guidelines of the program.

Available Investment Visa Options
Enterprise investment – in this option, the candidate must have at least a one million Euros investment in a qualifying Irish enterprise for a minimum period of three years. This enterprise can be a new business that the investor started or can be an already existing business. Another requirement is that the enterprise has to be registered in Ireland, has to have its headquarters in the country, and must be able to help the country’s economy through the creation of jobs to the local community.

The investors have to register the business in their own name and are not allowed to purchase publicly traded shares or rental properties that they intend to rent out to tenants. This may be applied in an individual capacity or as partners. If it’s the latter, all the individuals in that partnership have to qualify independently under the program. Also, as a partnership, the total contributions have to amount to one million Euros and above.

Approved investment fund – under this option, the candidates must make an investment of one million Euros into a qualifying investment fund for a minimum period of 3 years. This fund has to be approved by the immigration office for the program, and it must be a venture capital fund or private equity mostly focusing on SMEs. The minimum target for the fund is twenty million euros.

Only private-owned shares are traded under this option. The funds and everyone else involved must be subject to regulation by the central bank of Ireland, in order to ensure that everything is within the jurisdiction. For an investment fund to be approved, the immigration officer looks at its potential to create jobs for locals in the country, rather than its ability to generate profits for the investor.

Real estate investment trust (REIT) – for this option, the candidates are required to invest in an Irish REIT. Basically, a REIT holds the rental property in a way that prevents investor risk but also protects the investor from double taxation. A REIT also minimises risks by investing in a diversified pool of properties, and profits from the fund are distributed annually.

Candidates under this option must invest a minimum of two million euros in one or more REITs for a minimum period of 3 years. For the first 3 years, the investors are required to maintain the same number of shares they originally purchased. After the 3 years, the investor can divest a maximum of fifty percent of his/her shares. And after one more year, they are allowed to divest an additional 25%. The investors can fully divest after a total of five years.

Endowment – under this option, applicants are required to donate at least half a million euros to a philanthropic project in areas like health, culture, sports, arts, or education. The investors are not allowed to receive any financial return coming from their contribution. And since there are no investments required under this option, there is no minimum holding period.

The process of application
Step 1: the very step for all aspiring immigrant investors in Ireland is to find an exceptional immigration lawyer.
Step 2: evaluate immigration investment as well as citizenship by investment options available to you with the help of the lawyer
Step 3: collaborate with the immigration attorney in Ireland to obtain the required supporting documentation and evidence.
Step 4: visit the immigration offices to submit your application, based on the available options mentioned above, together with all the relevant documentation. At this time in the process, the investment isn’t required, but you are required to pay a non-refundable fee of 1500 euros.
Step 5: obtain the golden visa application approval from the immigration evaluation committee. This committee is the one that recommends immigrant investor visa applications for approval in the ministry of justice.
Step 6: once the application is approved, the candidate is required to make the prescribed investment in full, and must submit proof of the same.
Step 7: supply evidence of your medical insurance.
Step 8: provide an affidavit of good conduct issued by the attorney general in Ireland. Remember that this is separate from the certificate of good character from the police department.
Step 9: After the investment is confirmed officially, the applicants will be granted a 2-year residency term in the country, which will apply to all their eligible family members.
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This is basically what you need to do if you are an immigrant and you are looking to invest in Ireland. The process is a bit lengthy but it is worth it.
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The truth is, there are so many non-Irish citizens working and living in Ireland. The families of the majority of these citizens are still in their native countries. It will come to a point where they will consider bringing their families to Ireland. Now, when it gets to that, there are a lot of things that will have to be considered before bringing them to the country. For instance, based on their relationship to you and also their citizenship, they may be required to apply for permission to work or live in Ireland, and may also need a visa before they come into the country. Now, don’t let anyone fool you, this process can be daunting at times, especially if you don’t have the right information on what is required. That’s why in this article, we will attempt to explain the processes that need to be followed to make it easier for you to find your way through the processes of immigration.

Bringing a spouse or civil partner
By being a civil partner or a spouse, your relationship is acknowledged legally and it’s also registered with a civil registration office in the country in which you became civil partners or were married. If your civil partner or spouse is a citizen of an EEA country, then he/she doesn’t need permission or a visa to work or live in Ireland. All one needs to have is an EEA passport for them to enter the country.

And if your civil partner or spouse is a citizen of a non-EEA country, then they may have to apply for a visa before traveling to Ireland. And once they are in the country, they will be required to register with the local Immigration Officer, who will grant permission to work or live in Ireland based on your relationship. The same case applies to spouses or civil partners that don’t need a visa and are from non-EEA nations (such as Australia, Canada, USA, New Zealand, etc.)
 
This is a straightforward and quick process, but it needs a lot of preparation to be put in. You will need to have everything that you require for the registration process, otherwise, you might be requested to make a written application that takes 12 months to be processed. So, to avoid all these troubles, ensure that you have all the required documents, and the immigration process will be easier for you.

Bringing a De Facto partner
In case you don’t know, a de facto partnership is a relationship that’s similar to marriage but yet to registered or recognised legally. To elaborate further, for your relationship to be regarded as a de facto relationship, it must meet the following requirements:

• You must have lived together for not less than 2 years, also known as cohabitation.
• You will have to prove the co-habitation status using things like shared tenancies, joint bank accounts, or any other evidence that would prove beyond any reasonable doubt that you are in a lasting and durable relationship.

So if your de facto partner is from an EEA country, then he/she will not require permission or visa to live or work in Ireland. All that he will need is an EEA passport, and he/she will be allowed into the country. And if your de facto partner is a non-EEA citizen, then he/she will have to apply for a pre-clearance before coming to the country.

What this means is that, before returning to the country, your de facto partner has to have had applied for and been granted ‘pre-clearance’ by the INIS (Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service). If the partner has been granted the ‘pre-clearance’ then you can go ahead and apply for a visa – that is if the visa is required. With ‘Pre Clearance,’ the visa should be processed and granted very quickly. But if your de facto partner doesn’t require a visa to enter Ireland, they can travel immediately after getting pre-clearance. After they arrive in Ireland, all that’s required of them is to register with a local Immigration Officer for them to be granted permission to work or live in the country based on your relationship.

Bringing children or other family members to Ireland
So, when we talk about children here, we refer to minor dependents who are under the age of 18 or dependents who are in full-time education up to 23 years of age, of either an Irish citizen or the civil partner, non-EEA spouse or the de facto partner. If the child or the family member is an EEA citizen, then they won’t need a visa to enter the country or permission to work and/or live in Ireland, only an EEA passport would be required.

Children from non-EEA states can easily join their Irish family members in Ireland. But, there are few considerations and criteria that have to be met, which includes financial, visa and immigration requirements. If the de facto partner from a non-EEA country is undertaking the pre-clearance application process, then their children have to be included in it.

Note: if the child was born abroad, and at the time of their birth, you were an Irish citizen, then the child may be Irish, either by birth or through application to the Foreign Birth Register. So, we may recommend that before returning to the country, you may want to contact your Consulate or Irish Embassy to enquire information on Irish passports as well as Foreign Birth Registration.

Other family members may include adult dependents or elderly parents. Obviously, this group doesn’t have an automatic entry status to Ireland, but there are some circumstances where they can be granted permission.

To make the entry of your family members to Ireland easier, ensure that you get help from people who are well-versed with the country’s immigration process. Our solicitors can guide you through the entire process and will give you all the information that you need.
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According to INIS (Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service), there are an estimated 250000 immigration applications every year. And this includes residence permissions, visas applications, non-EEA nationals’ registrations, citizenship, and international protection. Additionally, it is expected that over 16 million passengers will be migrated by INIS through Dublin Airport. Moreover, the labor market in Ireland has significantly strengthened over the last few years, which is as a result of strong job growth and an improving economy. 

In order to make sure that the government continues to respond effectively to customer needs and the changing labor market, it came up with the INIS Service Improvement Plan which clearly states a number of recommendations that need to be addressed in the next two years. What’s more, with the hope of improving the immigration service in Ireland, the government has put forward specific strategies that they will adopt so as to tackle the inefficiencies in the delivery of public service. As the improvement plan seeks to promote the principle of tailoring immigration services based on the customer needs, the developments were pretty much welcomed in the country. 

So, the government identified the main pillars that will help in shaping the focus areas that will need improvement. The pillars include:

• Mission, legislative context and purpose
• Establishing and maintaining a secure and reliable immigration system
• Effective and efficient service delivery
• Services that are tailored based on the needs of the customer
• Investing resources in delivering change  

The government is committed to ensuring that these pillars have been fulfilled, and to ensure that happens, it has committed to undertake the following actions:

• The legislation underpinning the Irish immigration sector was considered in the improvement plan 2018-2020. Even though the legislation regarding international protection was reformed comprehensively in 2015, there are a few other immigration aspects that haven’t been looked at for years. It’s due to this particular reason that the government is hoping to modernise the migration policy by introducing an Immigration and Residency Reform Bill. In 2018, the review of the legislative landscape in Ireland commenced, and it is expected that the process will continue throughout the plan’s lifetime.  
• The government wants to enhance the cooperation with several other state agencies in order to ensure that a cohesive approach to protection and immigration-related matters has been established as well as ensuring that the rights and the needs of the immigrants are met and respected. In line with this, the government also wants to ensure that the immigration system reflects the policies of the public at large. 
• The government also wants to combine the Public Services Card with the latest Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card and integration of re-entry visas with functions of registration. 
• The government also aims to implement advanced technologies in order to boost service delivery to customers. This includes enhanced communications and online service capabilities done through communication channels as well as websites. 
• Procuring an appointment and queue management system for the immigration registration offices so as to move from paper-based processes of application to a more technologically advanced decision-making process.
• The improvement plan also seeks to strengthen border security and work together with the United Kingdom to boost the security of the Common Travel Area (CTA). It will include the following; installing 20 eGates with CCTV at Dublin Airport, additional eGates for airport news transfer facility and watch list integration. 
• The other thing the improvement plan seeks to do is to continue cooperating with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) to carry out investigations through Operation Vantage. These investigations are aimed at catching individuals who are suspected of participating in marriages of conveniences (marriages done for immigration purposes only), particularly individuals who are facilitating such activities. 
• Also, the improvement plan aims to eliminate all the processing backlogs in key areas of business, particularly the applications for residence and international protection based on EU Treaty Rights. One way to eliminate these backlogs that the government is considering is to increase the number of staff members in all the relevant immigration offices. 
• The government also hopes to prepare a list of skills and competencies that the staff needs to undertake the work in the immigration department.
• It seeks to translate all the relevant information on the immigration website into other languages and also to translate signage in key immigration offices into major foreign languages. 
• In the improvement plan, there is also a plan to come up with a Brexit strategy in relation to the CTA. The government is considering a further roll-out of the British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS) and is also preparing a plan on how the registration of UK citizens will be conducted. 
• More fundamentally, in order to incorporate service design thinking into the processes, the government saw it fit to start measuring the views of the customers with regards to the services provided. The government hopes to develop mechanisms to gather and assess the feedback from the customers in a more efficient and continual basis, which will be then used in iterative developments of the country’s processes and systems.  
• Moreover, as the Irish Government recognises and values the commitment and expertise of all the staff members, it seeks to ensure that training and development opportunities are directed in a strategic manner. This will be achieved by creating a skills matrix that will benefit the individuals and the organisation. The matrix will be prepared in consultation with the staff members.

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Now, after analysing the improvement plan report, it is clear that it aims to encourage a renewed focus on matters relating to immigration and also to achieve greater cooperation among all the relevant government agencies. The improved processes hope to meet customers’ demands and also are also seen as the key in the context of increasing immigration into Ireland. Moreover, the level of flexibility and foresight from the naturalisation and immigration department of Ireland is, for sure, unprecedented and incredibly progressive, with the implementation of key milestone changes – such as the abolition of re-entry visas – already in progress.  

From 1st January 2020, there will be several changes that will be introduced to the salary thresholds for critical skills work permits as well as Labor Market Needs Test for contracts of Service Employment Permits and General Employment Permits. So, here are the changes to the salary requirements for the Critical Skills Permits:

So, generally, these permits are separated into two classes:

1. Jobs on the Critical Skills Occupation List, where the salary is over 30000 euros per year and any applicants to this job group must have a third level degree or higher.
2. Jobs that aren’t on the Critical Skills Occupation List or in the Ineligible Occupations List – in this job group, the annual salary is 60000 euros and above. Also, if the applicant is able to prove that they are experienced enough for the role, then it is not a must they have a third level degree.

Now, starting January 1st, 2020, the following changes will be applicable to the above salary thresholds:

• For all jobs on the Critical Skills Occupations List, there will be an increment of 2000 euros, making it 32000 euros per year, up from the previous 30000.
• For all the jobs in the second category, there will be an increment of 4000 euros, meaning that the annual salary will increase to 64000 euros, up from the previous 60000.

The applications made by 31st December 2019 will be accepted pursuant to the previous thresholds, while those made from 1st January will follow the new salary requirements, failure to which will lead to their disapproval. So, it is important that the employers budget accordingly for the above requirements, and especially if they are planning to hire non-EEA citizens requiring a Critical Skills Permit. Note: there will be no exceptions, these changes must be followed if you want to work in Ireland.

General Employment Permits as well as contracts for services employment permits
Now, subject to a few limited exceptions, applications for these permits are subject to the Labor Markets Needs Test. What this means is that the employer is expected to advertise the position with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Employment Services or EURES network for a minimum period of two weeks. This should be done in a national newspaper for a period not less than three days and also in a job website or local newspaper for 3 days. What’s more, from January 1st, all employers must advertise the job position with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Employment Services/EURES network for a period not less than 4 weeks (28 days). Note: applications that were submitted on or before 31st December 2019 will be subjected to the previous 14-day advertisement period.

Employers should adhere to and be mindful of the above requirements, especially since it will add two more weeks to what already is a lengthy application process. And anybody who wants to apply on any of the above roles, just know that you will be subjected to the new requirements, but if you submitted your application on or before 31st December 2019, your application will be subjected to the previous requirements. One good thing that comes with all these is that advertising a job position with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Employment Services/EURES network is still free, which means that the additional time for advertising will not in any way increase the cost for the employers. Also, the local and national newspaper/job website advertising hasn’t changed, and so, the employers have to cater for the cost required to advertise through them.

Further changes to the work permit system
On November 1st, 2019, Irish Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, after thorough consultations with the relevant agencies, published the general structure of the Employment Permits bill. This development was much welcomed, especially given that immigration practitioners had been eager to see it and wanted it published. The reason being, the previous employment permit system was quite inflexible, outdated and comprised a number of acts and schedules that proved to be extremely difficult to adhere to. But when the new bill was introduced, it hoped to amalgamate the previous legislation so as to be able to introduce the new changes to the permit system. Basically, the new employment permit system brings the following changes:

• A seasonal employment permit was introduced to fill short term labor shortages in sectors such as farming, horticulture, and tourism.
• A thorough revision of the Labor Market Needs Test.
• A Special Circumstances Employment Permit was introduced.
• Applications renewal as well as for Trusted Partner processes were streamlined.
• Boosts the agility of the permit system by changing operational processes to regulation for easy modification.
• In cases where the permit is not approved in prescribed circumstances, your fees are refunded.
• The definition of remuneration and all the requirements with regards to it was simplified, especially given the fact that the previous level of complexity had proved to be difficult for users of the permit system.  

Other changes included the following:

• All chef grades can now apply for a permit and the quota that was capping the number of permits awarded to chefs was scrapped off.
• All nurses are now eligible to apply for a critical skills permit (there were some nurses who were unable to apply for this permit)
• A majority of the professional jobs in the construction sector are now able to apply for a critical skills permit.
• Occupations in the construction sector such as safety manager, architectural technician, foremen, construction safety officer, civil and structural engineers, and draught-persons are now eligible for a general employment permit.
• HGV driver’s quota has now been increased by 200.
• An introduction of the additional quota of 1000 general permits for the meat processors.

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In general, these changes are highly welcomed by employees and employers, as they are expected to improve the employment permit system in Ireland, thereby increasing the benefits of economic migration to the country, which in turn boosts the economy.   

Do you have an amazing and innovative business idea that you are looking to try out and you have fancied Ireland to be the best place to set it up? If yes, then you might want to consider taking a business immigration program in Ireland. There are two immigration programs for business persons seeking to invest in the country. The first one is the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), which is Ireland’s investor visa. The second program is the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP), which is an entrepreneurial visa in the country. Nationals from non-EU/EEA countries are the only ones required to have these visas for them to operate a business in Ireland, as EU/EEA citizens have the freedom to go into the country to pursue their legitimate goals without any visas. Let’s take a look at the visa programs in detail:

Immigrant Investor Visa (IIP)
The following are the eligibility factors for this particular visa:

1. A 2 million Euro minimum net worth is a must
2. The investor plus their immediate family can come to Ireland on multi-entry visas and are allowed to stay in the country for a period of up to five years with a possibility of renewal.
3. If the application is successful, the investor doesn’t have to live in the country but have to visit Ireland once per year in the least.
4. For you to qualify for this visa, your investment has to be one of the following:

• Enterprise investment – this is a 1 million-plus Euro investment in an existing or new business in the country. The business can be a start-up that’s registered by the investor. The investor may choose to invest in a single Irish business or can spread their investment to a number of enterprises. For the business to be allowed to operate in Ireland, it has to be headquartered in the country, and it also has to create employment for Irish citizens.
• Investment fund – a one million-plus euro investment in an investment fund for a minimum of three years. The investment funds have to be invested in projects and businesses in the country.
• Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) – a two million-plus euro investment in any Irish REIT which are listed in the country’s stock exchange. The investment is allowed to be spread across various Irish REITs.
• Endowment – this is a 500000 euro investment that benefits the sports, arts, culture, health or education. And if the applicants are a group of at least five persons, the endowment can be 400000 euros per individual.

Note this, the investor visa is not a citizenship-by-investment program. But those investors who are given this visa are eligible to apply for citizenship by naturalisation under the same conditions and in the same way as other non-Irish citizens. Also, the government of Ireland doesn’t have any responsibility in the investment’s performance. The government considers investments to be a private matter between the concerned parties, and that it’s the investors’ responsibility, just like in any business, to assess their ventures’ potential success. Approval of an IIP application doesn’t, in any case, signify the endorsement of that particular project. It only signifies approval of the investor, and that the said investment satisfies all the requirements of an immigrant investor program.

Foreign investors should also note that in no way will a loan provided to the applicant for the purpose of IIP application be deemed as an appropriate source of funding. So, know that when applying for an IIP, a comprehensive examination is carried so as to figure out the source of the proposed resources, and you will also require the proper supporting documents which attest to the source of your funds.     

The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)
The Irish government went ahead to offer an entrepreneurial visa, in an attempt to tap into the entrepreneurial potential among the migrants. This program allows non- EU/EEA citizens with a minimum investment amount of 50000 euros and has an innovative business idea to come into the country and set up a business. And when there is more than one principle and are all involved in opening the same business, then the second and subsequent entrepreneurs are required to have a minimum of 30000 euros per principle as their investment funds.

For a start-up venture to be eligible, it must meet the following requirements:

• Must introduce an innovative or new service or product to the international markets.
• Must be involved in international traded services or manufacturing
• The start-up must be able to create at least 10 jobs in the country and should also be able to realize a minimum of 1 million euros in sales during the first four years of starting up.
• The business must be led and managed by a team of experienced managers.
• The business has to have its headquarters in Ireland
• And lastly, the business has to be less than 5 years old.

For foreign entrepreneurs who are attending innovation boot-camps or incubators in Ireland, a 12-month immigration permission is granted to them. During this time, the entrepreneurs are able to prepare a STEP application and thus provide migrant entrepreneurs with an identifiable route to move from being a start-up into the realisation phase of their business. What’s more, the 12 month period is also granted to non-EEA students who were pursuing advanced STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering as well as mathematics – degrees in the country and want to prepare a STEP application. The STEP program doesn’t apply to catering, retail, personal services or any other business of that sort. The reason being, these types of businesses are known to have no job creation targets, especially given the fact that they may take some time before they are off the ground.

As a foreign investor, you definitely will need information on a number of issues, such as legal and tax requirements. So, visit as many sites as possible and ensure that you gather as much information as you possibly can on the Irish legal structure and tax requirements.
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NON-EEA NATIONALS’ RESIDENCE RIGHTS IN IRELAND
If you are not from the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, there are a number of residence rights that you must fulfil for you to live in Ireland. These residence rights are granted by the Department of Justice and Equality in Ireland, where they put a special stamp on your passport. This stamp is commonly known as a residence stamp. If the permission to remain is granted, then your passport is endorsed with a certificate of registration. And it’s only after this - plus other determining circumstances governing your presence in Ireland – that your family will be able to join you in the country.

So, the following are the rules that must be met for you to be allowed to live in Ireland:
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Documentation – as a non-EEA national who desires to live in Ireland, there are some key pieces of documentation that you will have to produce. They include

• Your passport – valid for the proposed stay period, at least.
• Relevant visa – if you come from a visa-required country, you will need a visa.
• Business permission, business visa or an employment permit – those who intend to engage in business or work in the country must produce this document.

Your documentation will be examined by an immigration officer at the point of entry to Ireland. The officer might ask you if you have funds to support yourself and your family (if any), or at least how you plan to support yourself during your stay in the country. Also, you might be asked a few other questions regarding your application. So, on this matter, the onus rests with you to answer every question in a manner that satisfies the immigration officer. You will also need to prove the authenticity of your credentials to the immigration office.

The requirement to prove your identity – on arrival to Ireland, non-EEA nationals must produce their passport or an equivalent identity document at the immigration office. Also, non-EEA nationals already in the country should provide a registration certificate or any other document on demand to the Garda, immigration officer or even the minister. Only persons of 16 years of age, and not born in Ireland, are exempted from this requirement. As for all non-EEA nationals born in Ireland, they are required to produce identity documents to the relevant authorities.
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Certificate of registration – after the immigration officer approves everything, he/she will then endorse your passport with the appropriate stamp. And if your proposed stay exceeds 3 months, you will need to register with your local immigration office for a certificate of registration – also known as an Irish Residence Permit (IRP). Besides showing the type of residence you hold, this permit – based on your nationality and legal status – can function as a residence document or a residence card. Please note that the permit is not an identity document: as it just a certificate required by the law in Ireland.

Family members – your right to bring family members to Ireland totally depends on the rules governing your presence in the country. For instance, if you hold a General Employment Permit, you will be able to bring your family into the country only after working in Ireland, legally, for about a year. Also, you will have to prove to the immigration officer that you will be able to support your family without any recourse to public resources. In practice, it means that you have the ability to support each and every member of your family without qualifying for Family Income Supplement.

Visitors who are not allowed to work – non-EEA nationals coming to Ireland as a tourist, a visitor, the civil dependant or partner, or even a spouse to an employment permit holder, or coming to receive medical attention in the country, your passport will be endorsed with a stamp 3. However, a spouse to a Critical Skills Employment Permit holder can have his/her passports endorsed with a Stamp number 1, allowing you to work. With Stamp number 3 on your passport, you are not entitled to engage in any profession, business or work while in the country, and the period the stamp stays valid depends on your circumstances.

Persons who are allowed to work – all non-EEA nationals who intend to work in Ireland must have an employment permit. There are some non-EEA students who can do casual work. What’s more, persons with stamp number 4 on their passports don’t need any permission for them to work in the country.

EU treaty rights – for non-EEA family members who are granted permission to remain in the country under EU Treaty Rights, when they apply with the immigration office, the card they will then receive does have the wording ‘4 EU FAM.’ As a holder of this card, you will be exempted from visa applications, and you won’t need business permission or employment permit for you to work.

Employment permit for 5 years – if you’ve been legally working in Ireland for 5 consecutive years, then you will no longer require a permit for you to work. All you can do is to apply with your local immigration officer, and you will be issued with stamp 4 permission for a period of one year. You will be able to renew this permission annually, and you will be able to take up any job you want.

Other categories that are eligible – even if you are a non-EEA national, but you are in Ireland as a civil dependant or partner, or as the spouse of an Irish, a Swiss, or an EEA national, you will get a Stamp 4, which will allow you to work or engage in any business without the need of an employment or a business permit. You are also eligible for a Stamp 4 if you fall under the following categories: programmers or convention refugees; or former asylum seekers who have been granted permission to remain.

Long-term residence rights – if you have legally remained in Ireland for 5 years or more, you can acquire long term residence rights. After this period, you will still be required to apply for a certificate of registration but you won’t need a business or employment permit to work.            

We can all agree that Ireland is a fantastic place to visit or live. The country has seen an increase in the number of immigrants in recent years. The reasons for this increase are varied and the processes as well. So, let’s take a look at the top 5 ways to legally immigrate to Ireland:

1. Employment– There are those people who are looking to move to Ireland for employment-related reasons, or just want look for employment in the country. Well, if you are one of these people, there are steps that you will have to take so as to get the work permit. First, you will need to research on the immigration laws of Ireland that are specific to your home country. You can get this information through the Naturalisation and Immigration Service of Ireland. Secondly, you find whether you will need a visa to be allowed in the country, or not. Note this, if you live in countries like Canada, Mexico, USA or any European country, you probably don’t need a visa. But if you don’t reside in any of these countries, you will have to apply for a visa. You can do this at a Consulate or an Irish embassy. Also, note this, the visa only allows you to seek entry to the country but does not guarantee entry. Thirdly, you will need to find employment in a category that will enable you to have work permit or a Green Card. These jobs are categorised into two: one that includes 30’000 EUR or more as a salary and one that includes 60’000 EUR or more. This jobs should be in occupations that are considered to be ‘strategically important’, such as IT professionals, nurses and high skilled jobs. The fourth step is to apply for a work permit, which could be done by either you or your employer. To acquire the green card, it will cost you 1000 EUR and will be valid for 2 years. The fifth step is to register with the immigration department. Once your work permit and visa application become successful, you can now travel to Ireland. Upon arrival, you have a period of 90 days to register your residency with the Immigration bureau. Lastly, if you wish to remain and retire in the country, ensure that you get permission. But you have to prove to immigration officers that you won’t be a burden to the country. Once you prove this, you will be allowed to live there for a period of five years, during which you may renew your permission before the end of the period.
2. Education – For students seeking to study in Ireland, there are several steps which you have to follow before you are allowed in the country. They include the following: first, you will have to determine your student status, whether you are under the degree or non-degree Programme. In 2010, there were new guidelines put in place dividing students’ regulation. The Degree Programme covers full-time students pursuing a bachelor’s degree to a doctorate degree, whereas the Non-Degree Programme covers those pursuing English language or further education courses. Secondly, apply for a visa if you need one, at the Irish embassy in your country of residence. Thirdly, you will have to register with immigration department in Ireland. If you have enrolled to the university and have been accepted on a degree or a non-degree programme, and have a visa, you can now travel to Ireland where you will have 90 days to register your residence with the immigration bureau. This should be done in person, so, present yourself to the immigration officer in the Garda station, either in Dublin or any other station outside Dublin. 
3. Long-term residency or asylum– The first step towards long term residency in Ireland is determining whether you actually qualify to be a long term resident. Some of the allowable situations are when a non-Irish citizen becomes dependents or a spouse to an Irish citizen, or a worker who has been residing in the country legally for more than five years. Also, if a citizen is granted long term residency in Ireland, his/her spouse can apply to be a long term resident as well. The second step is to go ahead and apply through the Irish naturalisation and immigration Service. The documents that will be needed include visas, passport, work permits, certificate of registration, and any proof of residency or relationship. A fee of 500 EUR will also be needed. This process may take several months to be finalised. The third step is to renew your long term status since it expires after every five years. If you have been granted the long term status before, and want to renew it, you don’t need to apply again, just present yourself to your local immigration office and renew it. Lastly, find out if you qualify for refugee status for permits in the country. This status is granted to an individual with a well-founded fear of being harmed on the basis of religion, race, membership to a particular political opinion or social group, nationality, or is out of home country and is unable to avail him or herself to her country for security reasons. Such persons can seek asylum in Ireland. They just need to present themselves to an immigration officer for interview, and thereafter sent to the Refugee Office for further application processes.
4. Becoming an Irish citizen – This is the fourth method to look at if you are looking to migrate to Ireland. The first step towards becoming an Irish citizen is to familiarise yourself with all the requirements needed to be a citizen. The method in which a non-Irish citizen becomes a citizen is referred to naturalisation. For you to apply, you need to be 18 and above, have good character, be a resident in the country for a considerable amount of time, or make a declaration of loyalty. The second step is to figure out if you’ve been in the country long enough to apply for citizenship. You must have been a resident for several years to be even considered for application, let’s say 9 years. Also, ensure that you meet all the other requirements before considering to apply. If you have, apply for naturalisation. The immigration office will conduct a background check, where your financial status will be also assessed. This process will take time, so be patient. Once this process is done, your application will be sent to the justice minister who has the absolute power to either accept or reject your application.
5. Immigrant investor programme – This programme provides approved non-Irish investors with a range of investment options, thus allowing them and their immediate families to come to the country through multi-entry visas and stay up to 5 years with a chance of continual renewal. When the investor invests in Ireland, he/she contributes to the country’s economic growth and also creates jobs for Irish people, which sits well with the Irish government. For you to be allowed in the country as an investor, you must have legally acquired and owned the funds you are looking to invest. Note: borrowed funds are not allowed. The minimum net worth of the applicant has to be at least €2 million. Also, you must be of good character and must not have any criminal charges in any jurisdiction. If you meet the above requirements, you can apply on any of the investment options offered by the government, and if approved, you and your family are granted permission to reside in the country. Also, this permission is only renewed for three more years, after the first five years. If the investor plans on staying in the country longer, they are allowed to apply for long term residence. But remember, you don’t have to reside in the country after starting your business, but you will be required to visit the country at least once in a year. 

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