Ireland logs 8 week wait for Employment Long Stay D visas as of Aug. 20
| Employment (Dublin) | 8 weeks |
|---|---|
| Study (Dublin) | 7 weeks |
| Employment (London) | 6 weeks |
| Employment (India Cat A) | 5 weeks |
Ireland's Immigration Service Delivery is deciding long-stay employment visa applications filed in mid-June, establishing an eight-week processing benchmark for incoming non-EEA workers.
Dublin office clears mid-June queue
The Dublin Visa Office is currently deciding Employment (Long Stay D) visa applications received on June 15, the agency confirmed in its Aug. 20 update. Study (Long Stay D) visa desks are working through files submitted June 4, keeping student processing times between six and eight weeks ahead of the autumn academic term.
Files move strictly in chronological order of receipt, immigration officials said. Regional desks report similar timelines, with the London Visa Office processing complete work applications in roughly 30 working days and the New Delhi mission deciding Category A employment files within four to six weeks.
Permit coordination and renewal timelines
The eight-week entry visa timeline represents only the final stage of clearance. Non-EEA employees and remote staff hired by Irish entities must first secure an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, a step that adds weeks before visa filing when settling in Ireland.
Expats already residing in the country face separate backlogs for Irish Residence Permit renewals:
Stamp 1 and 1H employment permissions are processing submissions from July 28.
Stamp 1G and Stamp 2 student and graduate permissions are reviewing files submitted June 8.
All other permission stamps are working through applications received June 16.
Concrete steps for upcoming arrivals
Applicants with pending job offers must submit all physical supporting documents within 30 days of completing their online application to avoid file cancellation. With decisions running on an eight-week lag from receipt, inbound workers should schedule arrival dates at least two months after document delivery and hold off on booking nonrefundable flights until their passport returns with the entry vignette. Expats awaiting residence card renewals should remain in Ireland until their new permission card arrives to prevent entry delays at border control.
Frequently asked questions
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