Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 December 2025
616. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding proposed changes to family reunification rules; if there is any impact on adult children of an essential worker who have already come to Ireland in recent years as permitted under previous family reunification rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69372/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra617. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding proposed changes to family reunification rules; if adult children of an essential worker currently not permitted to work in accordance with the Stamp 3 requirements, will be allowed to seek employment in Ireland under the new family reunification rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69373/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 616 and 617 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, on 26 November, I published the review of the non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, which has remained largely unchanged since 2013, and sets out how Irish citizens and most non-EEA Irish residents may apply to bring non-EEA family members to live with them in Ireland. The revised Policy includes a number of changes, the majority of which took effect for new applications from 26 November, with longer term measures to be introduced as soon as operational considerations allow.
The revised policy can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.assets.gov.ie/static/documents/f88cb36e/Revised_Family_Reunification_Policy.pdf .
As an outcome of this review, dependant minor children of Critical Skills Employment Permit, General Employment Permit and Intra-Corporate Transferee Irish Employment Permit holders, as well as Researchers on Hosting Agreements, who have been granted family reunification under the revised Policy, will now be registered on a Stamp 1G permission rather than a Stamp 3, upon reaching 16 years of age. This will allow the holder to take up employment without the need to obtain a separate Employment Permit of their own.
For eligible dependant minor children already legally resident in the State with a Stamp 3 immigration permission, their permission will be varied to the same conditions as a Stamp 1G at their next online renewal. This also applies to people who were originally granted as a dependant minor child aged under 18 of their sponsor, as well as those aged 18 – 23 in full-time education, who were previously treated the same as dependant minor children under a derogation, which has now ended.
The changes announced will therefore not have a negative effect on adult children previously granted family reunification.
These arrangements do not apply to anyone who was a child over 18 years of age when they first received permission under the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, where it was under exceptional circumstances.
Furthermore, under the revised Policy, and from 26 November 2025, applications for dependent minor children are only considered for children under the age of 18. Applications for adult dependent family members will be limited to parents and adult children with serious health conditions who cannot live independently. Income levels for sponsoring such dependent applications have been increased to €92,789 and will rise further each year.
For any adult children over the age of 18 who wish to come to the State, it is possible to do so through the existing legal immigration pathways available. They can apply for a visa and for permission to remain in Ireland based on a variety of different reasons, including employment or education. Details of these legal pathways can be found on my Department's Immigration Service website here:
www.irishimmigration.ie/ .
