The Minister for Justice has announced that a temporary immigration permission (bridging permission) will be granted to non-EEA national English language course students who have fully completed a 2nd or 3rd English language course and who have enrolled in third level (Higher Education Programme) course commencing prior to the 31st of October 2023.
The permission will be a temporary Stamp 2 permission to remain, granted from the date of the expiry of the English language students current IRP card to the 30th of September 2023.
Students will be required to show evidence of registration on a Higher Education Programme which is listed on the Interim List of Eligible Providers, and evidence that the tuition fees have been paid in full.
The full notice and requirements can be read here.
Sinnott Solicitors analysis
The bridging permission is greatly welcomed and will allow non-EEA nationals who have successfully completed their 2nd or 3rd English language courses and who are progressing to a Higher Education Course to remain in the State pending commencement of same. Previously students would be required to leave the State after completing the English language studies for a number of months until their Higher Education Course commenced. This resulted in significant hardship to students and was a deterrent for many non-EEA nationals intending to continue with their studies in circumstances where students had to leave secure accommodation, or continue to pay for accommodation even if no longer in the State, to ensure that they had a place to stay when returning to commence their Higher Education Course. It also placed further pressures on employers in a difficult labour market when students had to leave secure part-time employment due to their immigration status. Moreover visa required nationals had to apply for a further student visa to return to the State to take up their further studies, placing additional pressure on the visa offices at a time of year when they are already extremely busy processing student visas and placing a further unnecessary burden on these students having to circumvent the visa application process again.
The bridging immigration permission is therefore greatly welcomed by non-EEA national English language students taking up Higher Education Courses this autumn, employers, colleges and other relevant stakeholders.
Sinnott Solicitors Dublin and Cork have a specialist team of Immigration Solicitors and Immigration Consultants located in both of offices who are experts on Irish visas and 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 Dublin or Cork today on 014062862 or info@sinnott.ie.
