I can advise the Deputy that on 10 July 2024 a visa requirement was introduced for nationals of South Africa, thereby aligning our approach with that applied by Schengen countries, and by the UK.
My Department established a dedicated “South Africa desk” to process applications from residents of South Africa. It also established Visa Application Centres, located throughout South Africa, with an outsourced visa service provider. This is to ensure the facilitation of legitimate travel with processes that are robust, effective, and fair.
Since July 2024 over 11,700 applications of all types have been received by the South African Desk and over 7,900 decisions have issued, with an overall grant rate of 89%.
I can advise the Deputy that, while the target processing times for employment visa applications submitted to the South Africa Visa Desk had been 6 to 8 weeks, these targets are not currently being met. The application longest on hand has been waiting approximately 14 weeks for a decision. Work is ongoing to improve the current processing times with additional resources being allocated to this work.
My Department publishes guidance for applicants and weekly decision reports, at the following webpage:
www.irishimmigration.ie/south-africa-visa-desk/.
Applicants are advised that unforeseen delays can arise, which are outside the control of the Department. Processing times for all applications are influenced by a number of factors and varies depending on the type and complexity of application; individual circumstances; peak application periods; such as holidays or the start of the school year; and, crucially, the quality and completeness of the application lodged. Any non-EU/EEA nationals who wish to remain in Ireland for longer than 90 days must register and apply for further permission to remain in the State before their initial permission to remain expires. Full details of the Registration process can be found at the link below:www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/
.I can inform the Deputy that there are no bilateral or special migration arrangements in place between Ireland and South Africa. All non-EEA nationals are required to register a permission to remain in the State as set out in Section 9 of the Immigration Act 2004.
For all non-EEA nationals, the same pathways are available for transitioning from an employment permit based immigration permission to permanent residency. Further information is available on my Department's Immigration Service website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/changing-your-immigration-permission/.
Any applicant can now directly check the status of their visa application on the Immigration Service’s new Customer Service portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at:
portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/ .
