IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Irish government has announced that it will not extend the validity of Irish Residence Permits (IRPs). The permits had been extended numerous times because of COVID-19.

Key Points:

  • IRPs that were extended until May 31, 2022, will not receive an additional automatic extension.
  • Processing times at Dublin-area offices for new IRP cards are estimated to be 10 weeks with an additional two weeks to receive the card.
  • Foreign residents who hold an expired IRP and have proof that they applied for a renewal before May 31, 2022, will be allowed to stay in Ireland past the extension date.

Additional Information: Dublin-based foreign nationals can renew their permissions online here. Renewal information for those outside of Dublin can be found here.

BAL Analysis: Foreign nationals who need to renew their IRP should do so as soon as possible to avoid missing the May 31 deadline. Those who do not apply before the deadline will not be able to legally stay in Ireland under their IRP.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2022 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.

The Italian government has extended some COVID-19 restrictions but removed the requirement to complete the passenger locator form.

Key Points:

  • As of May 1, those traveling to Italy are no longer required to complete the passenger locator form to enter the country.
  • Until at least May 31, the same entry requirements for travelers coming from European countries apply to traveling from non-European countries.
  • To enter Italy, travelers must have (1) proof of full COVID-19 vaccination within nine months of travel; (2) proof of recovery from COVID-19 within six months of travel; or (3) a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival or a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours before arrival.

Additional Information: Travelers will be required to quarantine for five days upon arrival and take an additional COVID-19 test if they cannot meet one of the aforementioned requirements. Children who are five and under are exempt from the testing requirements. More information on entry requirements is available by completing an online questionnaire; general information regarding Italy’s entry restrictions is available here.

BAL Analysis: The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2022 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.

The Irish government has expanded the availability of its five-year multi-entry visa to all visa required counties.

Key Points:

  • Foreign nationals from all visa-required countries can now apply for a five-year multi-entry visa.
  • Travelers who receive the five-year multi-entry visa can enter the country for business purposes, tourism or to visit family, among other reasons.
  • As a general rule, travelers with no prior travel history in Ireland will not be eligible for the five-year visa. Exceptions to this rule will be granted on a case-by-case basis if an individual:
    • Needs to travel regularly to Ireland for short business trips.
    • Needs to travel to another country while in Ireland and then return to Ireland for additional business meetings.
    • Is traveling to and from another country through Ireland.

Additional Information: Previously, this visa was only available to Chinese passport holders. Travelers from other countries could only apply for a multi-entry visa valid for up to three years.

BAL Analysis: The Irish government had expanded the availability of the five-year visa to help those who visit Ireland regularly for business or personal reasons.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2022 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Irish government has announced that it will no longer be accepting applications for the Immigrant Investor Program from Russian nationals

Key Points:

  • Russian nationals cannot apply for residence status under the Immigrant Investment Program until further notice.
  • At this time, Russian nationals can still apply for other forms of permission to live and work in Ireland

BAL Analysis: Ireland joins a number of European countries, including Estonia, Poland and Spain, among others, that have suspended certain visas and permits for Russian nationals. Employers and employees are reminded that actions taken as a result of the invasion of Ukraine may change with little or no notice. BAL will continue to follow the global response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and will provide updated information as it becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2022 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Irish government has changed its registration process for first-time, Dublin-based Irish Resident Permit (IRP) applicants.

Key Points:

  • As of Jan. 14, individuals who are in the Dublin region and need to book a first-time registration appointment must do so by phone instead of using the online system.
  • Individuals can call 1800741741 to book an appointment and are reminded to have a valid email address and passport information ready to share with the customer service representative.

Additional Information: Officials will provide more information on this website once the service is launched. People based outside of Dublin can continue to renew their permission at their local Garda Station in the way they normally would.

BAL Analysis: A new online appointment booking system is expected to be launched later this year. BAL will provide more information regarding the new online booking system once it becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2022 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Irish government has extended the validity of Irish Residence Permits (IRPs).

Key Points:

  • IRPs that were valid in March 2020 are now valid until May 31, 2022.
  • Foreign residents with currently expired IRP cards can continue to use their expired cards to travel to and from the country until Jan. 15, 2022.
  • Travelers who plan to travel abroad after Jan. 15, 2022, should apply for a renewal and receive a new IRP card or obtain a reentry visa before traveling.

Additional Information: Dublin-based foreign nationals can renew their permissions online here. Individuals who are in the Dublin region and need to book a first-time registration appointment for will be able to use a Freephone telephone in January to book an appointment. More information will be provided on this website once the service is launched. Renewal information for those outside of Dublin can be found here.

BAL Analysis: BAL will continue to monitor visa extensions and will provide more information as it becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2021 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.

The Irish government has published new guidance for individuals traveling to Ireland from Great Britain.

Key Points:

  • Travelers from Great Britain are now advised to take daily antigen tests for the first five days of arrival.
  • Travelers who are not fully vaccinated must have proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival.
  • Fully vaccinated or previously recovered travelers must have either a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival or a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival.
  • The change does not affect travel from Northern Ireland.

Additional Information: Individuals who are traveling to Ireland, regardless of their vaccination status, must complete the Passenger Locator Form before departure. More information regarding Ireland’s entry restrictions health requirements is available here.

BAL Analysis: The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2021 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Irish government has announced that it will increase the minimum wage by 3% in 2022.

Key Points:

  • Ireland’s hourly national minimum wage will increase on by 30 cents from €10.20 to €10.50.
  • The new minimum wage will take effect Jan. 1, 2022.
  • The increase in minimum wage may impact non-EEA workers who are on the Atypical Working Scheme or hold:
    • An Internship Employment permit.
    • An Intra-Company Transfer permit.
    • A Contract for Service employment permit.

BAL Analysis: Businesses may see a slight increase in labor costs because of the new minimum wage. Employers should take the new wage minimums into account when planning their 2022 budgets.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2021 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Irish government has updated entry requirements for travelers ages 12 years or older.

Key Points:

  • Under a change that took effect Dec. 5, fully vaccinated or previously recovered travelers who are 12 years or older must provide:
    • A negative or not detected antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival.
    • A negative or not detected PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival.
  • As of Nov. 26, individuals who have been in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa or Zimbabwe within 14 days of intended arrival are barred from entering the country except for:
    • Irish or EU citizens and their family members.
    • U.K. citizens.
    • Irish residents or those who have right of free movement in the EU.
    • Diplomats or those with diplomatic immunity.
    • Transport workers traveling for work purposes.

Additional Information: Individuals who are eligible to enter Ireland who are traveling from an aforementioned country must have a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival, quarantine for 14 days and take a PCR test on day two and eight of arrival. If test results are negative the quarantine will be reduced to 10 days. More information regarding entry and health requirements can be found here.

BAL Analysis: The list of countries affected by the Omicron variant could increase in the coming days and weeks. Health measures may change with little or no notice. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2021 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

The Irish government announced that Nov. 26 is its deadline for accepting re-entry visa applications in 2021.

Key Points:

  • Re-entry visa applications received after Nov. 26 will not be processed until January 2022.
  • Individuals who do not hold an Irish residence permit and are under the age of 18 must have a re-entry visa to leave Ireland for up to 90 days and then return.
  • More information regarding re-entry visas and instructions on how to apply can be found here.

Additional Information: In case of an emergency, such as a family illness, individuals can email the re-entry visa office and request urgent processing. Individuals must provide proof of the emergency when making a request by emailing reentryqueries@justice.ie.

BAL Analysis: Individuals should submit re-entry visa applications as soon as possible to avoid possible delays in obtaining a visa. Re-entry visa applications will not be processed after Nov. 26. BAL will continue to monitor visa-related deadlines and will provide more information as it becomes available.

 This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

Copyright © 2021 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.