Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
666. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current waiting period for family reunification applications submitted by Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) holders from countries (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45262/26]
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 join family visa applications separately from the above process 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.
It should be noted that not all the countries listed by the Deputy are visa required. As such, figures for join family visa applications are only provided for visa required countries in the table below. Furthermore, it has not been possible to provide the figures exactly as the Deputy has requested, as the figures include the following categories: Join Family (Non-EEA nat.) de facto partner, Join Family (Non-EEA nat.) other, Join Family (Non-EEA nat.) spouse and Join Family (de facto partner of CSEP/HA).
Table 1. Average processing time for family reunification applications
|
Nationality |
Avg processing time in days in 2025 |
Avg processing time in days in 2026 (up to 31/03) |
|
China |
79 |
24 |
|
Egypt |
51 |
47 |
|
India |
55 |
27 |
|
Iran |
66 |
21 |
|
Nigeria |
80 |
61 |
|
Pakistan |
89 |
28 |
|
Philippines |
175 |
36 |
|
South Africa |
121 |
17 |
|
Turkiye |
44 |
15 |
|
Zimbabwe |
45 |
18 |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
* 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 figures include the following categories: Join Family (Non-EEA nat.) de facto partner, Join Family (Non-EEA nat.) other, Join Family (Non-EEA nat.) spouse and Join Family (de facto partner of CSEP/HA)
