The Irish Government has approved the establishment of an Afghan Admission Programme that will provide up to 500 additional places for Afghan family members.
Afghan nationals living in Ireland on or before 1 September 2021 will be able to apply to nominate up to four close family members who meet the eligibility criteria and who are currently living in Afghanistan, or who have fled to certain neighbouring countries. Eligible family members will be granted a residence permission that allows them immediate access to the labour market, without the need for an employment permit.
It is intended that applications for the Admission Programme will open in December. An appeals process for unsuccessful applicants will also be established.
The Department of Justice stated that more than 670 Afghan nationals have already been granted permissions to reside in the State so far this year. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which has responsibility for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) has provided programme refugee status to 400 people from Afghanistan. In addition, the Department of Justice has granted family reunification permission to 108 Afghan family members and approved 162 join family visa applications for Afghan nationals. A further 99 join family/preclearance visa applications for Afghan nationals are currently being processed by the Department of Justice.
Further information on how to apply for a visa to join a family member living in Ireland can be found here.
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