The Minister for Justice along with the Minister for State for Law Reform, Youth Justice and Immigration have announced a further automatic extension of immigration permissions until the 15th of January 2022.
The extension is applicable to all immigration permissions expiring between the 21st of September 2021 and the 15th of January 2022 and covers individuals with permissions extended under the previous extension notices and permissions registered by the Immigration Service and An Garda Síochana. This further extension is a significant respite to the large number of non-EEA nationals whose immigration permission was due to expire on the 21st of September.
In the announcement, the Minister for Justice asserts as follows:
“I want to reassure people whose immigration permissions are due to expire shortly that your legal status in the country will continue to be maintained. To do this, I am introducing a final automatic extension to 15 January 2022 for anyone already holding a valid permission.”
“This extension will benefit those that have so far been unable to get an appointment to register a first-time permission or have yet to renew an existing permission. However, I must emphasise that this will be the final temporary extension and I strongly encourage everyone to use the time between now and 15 January to make all efforts do so and not to wait until the last minute when demand may be high.”
The Minister for State commented as follows:
“This will give customers the necessary time to make arrangements with the Immigration Service in Dublin or An Garda Síochána outside Dublin to ensure that their immigration permission is registered or renewed in the normal way before 15 January 2022.”
“Customers can do so without the additional worry of falling out of permission in the meantime through no fault of their own. Everyone who is covered by this final temporary extension should either register or renew their permission by 15 January 2022 to ensure that they have a qualifying permission to remain in the State after that date, if that is their intention.”
Non-EEA National Students
In July 2021 English Language Schools in Ireland were granted permission by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) to recommence teaching in person English language classes. The above extension now allows English language students resident in the State on Stamp 2 permissions, where their permission would have previously expired, to now attend in person classes.
Students who have completed the permitted number of three English language courses in the State are allowed as an exception to continue to work, subject to the usual rules for students, until the 15th of January 2022 without the requirement to enrol in a new English language course. In order to remain in the State after the 15th of January, such persons would need to register for a new immigration permission by enrolling in an applicable degree course to allow them to remain in the State on student conditions.
Extension of Stamp 1G Student Graduate Permissions
Non-EEA national third level graduates who were granted a Stamp 1G permission but could not secure employment in order to apply for an employment permit during the Covid-19 pandemic can now apply to the Department of Justice for a 12-month extension of their 1G permission to remain.
Applications for extension of the Stamp 1G student permission must be made online on the Immigration Service Delivery website via the following link.
The full notice announcing the above extensions can be read on the ISD website here.
With offices in Dublin and Cork, Sinnott Solicitors have a specialist team of Immigration Solicitors and Immigration Consultants who are experts on all Irish immigration matters. Should you have any queries with respect to any of the information contained in this article or any other immigration matters, do not hesitate to contact our immigration department in Cork or Dublin today on 014062862 or info@sinnott.ie.
