Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 April 2025
583. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Justice the circumstances in which a person residing in Ireland (details supplied) can remain living and working here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15745/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that the Working Holiday Authorisation Programme (WHA) allows non-EEA nationals from certain countries to come to Ireland to experience living and working for a certain period of time, normally one year, without the requirement of a formal work permit.
Applications for the Programme are processed and approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs. My Department is solely responsible for the granting of a Stamp 1 immigration permission consistent with the terms and conditions set out in the WHA.
All persons who are undertaking a WHA are required to sign a declaration that they will leave upon its expiry. Therefore, a person to whom this permission is issued must leave the State on or before the expiry of their current WHA, and may not apply for a change of immigration permission.
Should an individual who has left the State upon the expiry of their WHA and who wishes to re-enter the State under a working permission through the employment permits system, to continue their studies, or for other immigration reasons, will need to have made the necessary arrangements before attempting to re-enter the State.
Further information on the legal pathways for migration to the State is available on my Departments Immigration Service website at https://www.irishimmigration.ie/
