I propose to take Questions Nos. 750 and 751 together.
I 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.
My Department does not operate a Visa Office in Pretoria but has established Visa Application Centres located throughout South Africa, with visa service provider VFS Global. This is to ensure the facilitation of legitimate travel with processes that are robust, effective, and fair. All visa applications from South African nationals are sent to the Dublin Visa Office for examination and processing.
Long stay join family visa applications submitted to the Abuja Embassy are also sent to the Dublin visa office for examination.
While processing times can vary across the different Visa Offices and Irish Embassies, the majority of visas are processed within stated target times. In respect of join family visa applications, the majority receive a first instance decision within the 12 month business target.
The current processing times of applications for join family visas varies depending on the circumstances when the application is made. 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 join family visa applications separately from the above process, and for those here on General Employment Permits, will generally receive a first instance decision within the 12 month business target.
It should be noted that 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.
I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants, and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible.
In this context, the ongoing Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) modernisation programme is designed to support a more efficient, transparent and accessible immigration system. The recent establishment of dedicated teams for Application Submission and Join Family Case Processing are intended to help streamline workflows, reduce duplication and strengthen expertise, thereby improving the service delivery for join family visa applications.
The table below details the average processing times for Join Family applications in 2025 for Nigerian and South African applicants.
Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office and the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: [https://www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/]
Table 1. Average processing times for Join Family applications in 2025
|
Nationality
|
Average Processing Time
|
Number of Decisions
|
|
Nigeria
|
222 days
|
502
|
|
South Africa
|
152 days
|
432
|
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
* A decision made in a particular year may relate to an application received in a previous year.
* All figures are calendar days and based on a 7-day week. There is no allowance made for weekends, public, bank or religious holidays in the various jurisdictions.
* The above table includes the following categories:
Join Family - Critical Skills Employment Permit/Hosting Agreement de facto partner
Join Family - Irish national spouse/de facto partner/other
Join Family - Non-EEA national spouse/de facto partner/other
Join Family - UK national
