Irish Student Visa
Studying in Ireland is an increasingly popular option for undergraduates across the world; Ireland offers a long history of excellence in learning with nine universities, fourteen institutes of technology and a host of other educational establishments. Ireland visa applications have increased in recent years due in part to a comparatively liberal immigration policy coupled with the high quality of life which can be obtained in the country.Studying in Ireland is an increasingly popular option for undergraduates across the world; Ireland offers a long history of excellence in learning with nine universities, fourteen institutes of technology and a host of other educational establishments.Irish visas examine the skills, experience and qualifications of those wishing to live and work in Ireland. However, unlike making a visa application in countries such as the UK , Ireland does not impose points based assessments on potential migrants.
Nonetheless, it is essential to obtain the right class of Irish visa for your specific needs
General Student Visa Requirements:
>In applying for a Student Visa you must be able to show that:
>You are enrolled on a privately funded course involving at least 15 hours of organised daytime tuition each week;
>You have paid the requisite fees to the college;
>You have the academic ability to follow your chosen course;
>You have a level of English language sufficient to do so (except in the case of an application which is solely for an English language course);
>You have immediate access to at least €7,000. This is the estimated cost of living in Ireland for a student for one academic year;
>You must also demonstrate that you or your sponsor has ready access to an amount of at least €7,000 for each subsequent year of your studies, in addition
to the course fees for each of those years;
>You have private medical insurance;
>You can account for any gaps in your educational history;
>Your intention is to return to your country of permanent residence following completion of your studies in Ireland.
International students are welcome in Ireland to pursue a course of studies. In general long term non-EEA students who come to Ireland or who wish to come to Ireland do so to pursue courses which are Language Courses, Further Education Courses or Degree Programme courses. There are other types of student such as short term language students. The specific visa requirements vary according to the types of course you have selected to study in Ireland. Basically there are three types of student visa categories: (1) Degree Courses (2) Non-degree courses, and (3) All other types. The first two types are the most popular which we will discuss below briefly:
Overview of Specific Visa Conditions for Degree Programme Student
The main conditions of being a Full Time Degree Programme Non EEA student are:
The maximum time a student may stay in Ireland for the purpose of attending courses at degree level is limited to seven years;
The level of course and award must comply with the conditions below:
>A Letter of Acceptance from the college, confirming you have been accepted and enrolled on a course of full-time day-time education
>You must have proof that fees have been paid to the college. Where your fees are below €6,000, the full amount of the fees must be paid in advance.
>You must have access to €3,000 at first registration. This is in addition to your course fees.
>All students are required to have private medical insurance, either personally or through a group scheme operated by your college, at time of registration in
accordance with the conditions set out below regarding private medical insurance.
What is a Degree Programme?
The Degree Programme refers to full-time, day-time academic courses leading to major awards as outlined below at or above Level 7 of the National Framework of Qualifications (see NFQ "fan diagram" at Appendix 1).
There are six types of major award available in Ireland at these levels:
NFQ Level 7 = Ordinary Bachelor Degree (3 years duration)
NFQ Level 8 = Honours Bachelor Degree (3-4 years duration)
NFQ Level 8 = Higher Diploma (1 year duration)
NFQ Level 9 = Postgraduate Diploma (1 year duration)
NFQ Level 9 = Masters Degree (1-2 years duration)
NFQ Level 10 = Doctoral Degree (approximately 4 years duration)
The course that you are going to pursue must be included in the Internationalisation Register administered by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI).
NOTE : It is not permissible for Students who come to Ireland on a Degree Programme course to enrol in a Non Degree or Language Course (Students may be permitted to undertake a foundation language course, if required, where this has been arranged in advance and has been clearly stated in any application for a visa or leave to remain).
Overview of Specific Visa Conditions for Non- Degree Programme Student
The main conditions of being a Full Time Language and Non-Degree Programme Non EEA student are
>The maximum time a student may stay in Ireland for the purpose of attending courses at language/non degree level is limited to three years;
>The duration of course and award must comply with the conditions below
>A Letter of Acceptance from the college, confirming you have been accepted and enrolled on a course of full-time day-time education involving a minimum of 15 hours organised daytime tuition each week between the hours of 8am and 6pm
>You must have proof that fees have been paid to the college. Where your fees are below €6,000, the full amount of the fees must be paid in advance.
>You must have access to €3,000 at first registration. This is in addition to your course fees.
>All students are required to have private medical insurance, either personally or through a group scheme operated by your college, at time of registration.
What is the Language and Non Degree Programme?
The Language and Non-Degree Programme refers to two types of course.
English Language Course
English Language courses for the purpose of non-EEA Student Immigration must be included in the Internationalisation Register, administered by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI).
Further Education Non-Degree Course. Further Education courses refer to full-time, day-time academic courses leading to non-school major awards at Level 5 or Level 6 of the National Framework of Qualifications (like certificates, diplomas,advanced diplomas, graduate diplomas).
The course that you are going to pursue must be included in the Internationalisation Register administered by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) (Visit www.nqai.ie for more information).
Visa Forms and How to Apply
The online visa application facility is now available worldwide and you must apply for a visa online. There is information on how to complete an online application in English (pdf) as well as in Arabic (pdf), Chinese (pdf), Russian (pdf), French (pdf), Turkish (pdf) and Urdu (pdf).
Visa Fees
Standard non-refundable visa application processing fees are:
Single-journey visa: €60
Multiple-journey visa: €100
Getting Visa
The processing times for Student Visa Applications vary depending on the volume of applications lodged, and the time it takes for an application to reach the Visa section in Dublin from the Embassy in which it was lodged. You should allow as much time as possible when applying for a visa but a minimum time of 8 - 12 weeks is recommended.The Visa Section will endeavour to have your application assessed as soon as possible
Visa decisions are published weekly on our website, on the page called – Visa DecisionsYou can check a decision by entering the Visa Reference Number that issues to you
Arrival in Ireland
If your application for a visa has been approved, the Embassy to which you applied will affix a visa to your passport. The dates entered on your visa indicate the dates between which you may seek to enter the State. It is important to note that a visa is a form of pre-entry clearance to the State only, and does not guarantee that you will be permitted to enter or remain in the State. Immigration Officers at the point of entry are entitled to question any person on arrival. If they are not satisfied with the bona-fides of any person, or their reasons for wishing to enter the State, they have the right to deny entry to any such person, despite the fact they hold a valid visa. It is recommended that you have supporting documentation related to your course of study with you to present to the Immigration Officer on disembarkation from your flight.
If you intend staying in Ireland for more than 90 days, it is a requirement that you register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) either at 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, or the Immigration Officer in area in which you are residing. There is a charge of €150 each time you register. The initial visa issued to you will be valid for a single entry to the State. If you have a valid reason for leaving the State for a short period of time you must apply, in advance of making any arrangements, for a Re-entry visa.You must be able to prove you will be continuing with your studies on your return to the State
Visa Refusal
If you are refused a visa you may appeal this decision within 2 months
Appeals must be submitted in writing to:
The Visa Appeals Officer,
Department of Justice and Equality,
13-14 Burgh Quay,
Dublin 2.
Working As A Student
Non-EEA graduates and postgraduates can apply for a green card or work permit under the Third Level Graduate Scheme on completion of their studies.In all other cases, the right to take up employment will cease upon the expiry of your student visa. As of 10th April 2007, legally resident non-EEA third level graduates have been allowed to remain in Ireland for the purpose of seeking employment and applying for a green card or work permit.Graduates who have studied for a primary, masters or doctorate degree from an Irish third level educational institution are entitled to avail of this scheme.
A person who qualifies will be granted one non-renewable extension to their current student permission for a maximum twelve month period starting on the day upon which they received their exam results. This scheme allows the person to work for up to 40 hours a week under student visa arrangements (Stamp 2) and/or to seek employment and apply for further permission to remain in the state under green card or work permit arrangements.
Visa Statistics
The student visa statistics of Ireland show a stead growth from 122,395 in 2000 to 164,759 in 2010. You can also see the latest figures by viewing the student visas statistics from different countries by the first, second and the third quarter of 2012.
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