At a Glance
- Due to an influx of applications in the last weeks of December and holiday delays, application processing for all Irish work authorization types is now delayed by several weeks.
- Applications sponsored by Trusted Partner companies increased from three to four weeks to six to seven weeks; other applications increased from approximately 10 weeks to 13 weeks.
- The Irish immigration authority has allocated additional resources to address the processing backlog and expects the delays to be resolved in a few weeks’ time.
- Employers and foreign nationals are advised to account for the delays in their travel and work start planning.
The situation
Application processing for all Irish work authorization types is now delayed by several weeks.
A closer look
Reports indicate that work authorization applications are delayed as follows:
- Trusted Partners. Applications sponsored by Trusted Partner companies, registered with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) – the Irish immigration authority – increased from three to four weeks to six to seven weeks.
- Non-Trusted Partner applications. Processing times for other sponsor companies has increased from about 10 weeks to 13 weeks.
Impact
Employers and foreign nationals are advised to account for the delays in their travel and work start planning.
Background
The backlog resulted from a sharp rise in immigration applications in the last two weeks of December 2019, in anticipation of changes to eligibility requirements for certain permit types which took effect on January 1, 2020 and holiday delays.
Looking ahead
DBEI has allocated additional resources to address the processing backlog and expects the delays to be resolved in a few weeks’ time.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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