What is the change?

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Minster McEntee has announced nine temporary extensions of immigration and international protection permissions (IRP cards). This temporary permission has meant that those who held valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 have been legally permitted to remain in Ireland until 31 May 2022, even if their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card has expired. There are no plans to issue an extension beyond 31 May 2022. All IRP holders in Ireland should treat 31 May 2022 as the end of the automatic temporary extension.

Key points:

• Implementation time frame: Effective immediately. All IRP holders in Ireland should treat 31 May 2022 as the end of the automatic temporary extension.
• Who is affected: All IRP holders in Ireland, and all those waiting to be issued with their first IRP card.
• Next Steps:
  • Any IRP holders whose IRP card has expired, should renew their permission immediately, prior to 31 May 2022. Any IRP card holders, whose IRP cards expire in the coming months, should prepare to make their renewal application. The requirement to wait until the final four weeks before renewing the permission has been amended. Applicants may now apply to renew their permission up to 12 weeks in advance of the permission expiring.
  • Anyone renewing their permission with a new passport can also now upload their passport bio data page online rather than attending an appointment.
  • If an individual’s IRP card has expired and they are unable to obtain a valid registration card by 31 May 2022, they are still legally permitted to remain in the State provided they show proof they have applied to renew their registration and are waiting for it to be processed. An online notice confirming that non-EEA nationals may continue to work once they can provide the documentary evidence can be found here.
  • Please note that ISD is experiencing a very large volume of applications and so the current processing time to renew a permission is ten weeks. It can then take a further two weeks to receive a new IRP card. 

Analysis & Comments:

The automatic temporary extension has been a useful buffer for IRP holders in Ireland, particularly during times of heightened Covid restrictions. Now that Ireland is overcoming the challenges from the pandemic, Deloitte understands that the automatic temporary extension has come to an end.

If you have any questions on this topic, or require any assistance, please contact a member of our team.