New Pre-Clearance Process Launched For de Facto Partners Of Irish Citizens

At a Glance

• Effective August 19, 2019, a new pre-clearance process has been launched for de facto partners of Irish citizens, who can now apply for pre-clearance overseas.
• If pre-clearance is granted, de facto partners will be able to register with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) and work in Ireland upon arrival in Ireland, whereas previously they could only apply for registration after entry and work after approval, which could take up to one year.
• However, due to the need for a new out-of-country step, de facto partners may face additional waiting time overseas before they can enter Ireland while they wait for a pre-clearance decision. The INIS has stated that the new process aims to reduce processing times but has not yet released guidance on the expected time frame for a pre-clearance application submitted from overseas.