Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
439. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to address the delay for spouses of critical skills employment permit holders receiving their visas; the reason for the delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18214/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that my Department currently operates seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. These are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. In addition, staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade process certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated authority from my Department.
If a non-EEA national is moving to Ireland because they have been granted a Critical Skills Employment Permit, they can apply for “join family” visas at the same time as their own employment visa. When these visas are applied for together, they are processed in tandem and typically receive a first instance decision within the 10-12 week business target.
People who make a “join family” visa application separately from the above process will generally receive a first instance decision within the 12 month business target.
I can assure the Deputy that while processing times can vary across the different Visa Offices and Irish Embassies, the majority of visas are processed within stated target times. However, some applications can take considerably longer. Processing times for all applications are influenced by a number of factors. The time it can take 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. Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system and the checks involved can take time to complete.
In 2025, approximately 206,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 2% compared to 2024, with over 3,900 additional applications received. This follows a 21% increase in applications in 2024 compared to 2023. My officials are working to meet the increased level of demand, and over 8,700 additional visa decisions have issued in 2025, compared to 2024.
Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office and the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/.
In December 2025, the Immigration Service of my Department introduced online payment functionality to my Department's online visa system. This allows applicants to pay visa fees as part of the online application process. The initiative is being rolled out on a phased basis and is currently live in 40 countries, with South Africa added in January 2026. This reduces the administrative burden on Irish Missions and visa teams, and allows visa officers to dedicate more time to core application processing and decision-making, contributing to improved processing efficiency over time.
