The Programme for Government contains a commitment to publish a National Migration and Integration Strategy detailing how the Government intends to meet the demands and opportunities facing Ireland’s society and economy over the next decade. My Department is currently working with other Government Departments to develop this strategy with the aim to publish it in 2026.
As part of this strategic approach, I am reviewing the area of student permissions, including with regard to English Language students. This work is aimed at ensuring that the system remains robust and rules-based, supports high-quality education providers, and continues to offer a positive experience for genuine students coming to Ireland.
I can advise the Deputy that the number of people granted a student immigration permission on Stamp 2 conditions for 2025, will be available in early 2026. The numbers of such permissions granted in 2024 was 60,901. Numbers reflect those required to register/renew in a calendar year. Most renewals are annual. However, there may be students that were required to register/renew multiple times in the same calendar year.
International students from outside the EU/EEA are granted a permission on Stamp 2 conditions where they have enrolled on, and commenced a course listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), or eligible programmes offered by providers with authorisation to use the new TrustEd Education mark awarded by the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
ILEP is being superseded by TrustEd Ireland, the international education mark launched in September 2024 by QQI and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS). TrustEd Ireland is a new statutory quality mark and part of a suite of legislative measures designed to further protect international learners.
Once the ILEP is discontinued, only education providers granted authorisation to use the TrustEd Ireland mark will be eligible to recruit students from outside the EEA to English language programmes, foundation programmes and higher education programmes leading to awards within the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
The new mark will be awarded to higher education and English language education providers who have demonstrated that they meet national standards to ensure a quality experience for international learners from pre-enrolment through to the completion of their programme of education and training. Applications are currently being reviewed for the first application cycle, which closed in March 2025. Decisions are scheduled to issue in January 2026.
In 2025, my Department was notified of the closure of three education providers listed on the ILEP, and these providers were subsequently removed from the list.
