Immigrating to Ireland from the US | Total Law (2024)

There are different emigration routes a U.S. citizen can take to Ireland. You can get an employment permit and work in Ireland, join your family living in Ireland, or apply for Irish citizenship based on your ancestry or country of birth. The first step in processing your emigration plan is applying for preclearance. Preclearance is permission given to non-EEA nationals to travel to Ireland, but this preclearance does not guarantee their entry into Ireland.

The preclearance helps to make your immigration process easy. Once your permission is granted, you must visit the registration office in Dublin or at a local Garda station outside of Dublin to register your permission. You tender your preclearance at the border control and also when you want to register your visa for permanent residency.

Whatever your emigration route is, you must apply for immigration preclearance. Once your preclearance is accepted, you will be sent a letter of approval. This letter must travel with you to Ireland and be presented at the border control so that your entry into Ireland can be granted.

Study/student Visa

As a U.S. citizen who is interested in migrating to Ireland through study, the first step is to enroll as a student. Depending on the duration of your study program, you may be enrolled for a full-time study of at least 15 hours per week, but this enrollment does not guarantee citizenship.

If you would love to settle in Ireland after your study, you must meet the requirement of staying in Ireland for up to 5 years. Your schooling years do not count when applying for citizenship. To get a study or student visa, you will need to provide supporting documents to prove your intention to study. You must have been offered admission or gotten an acceptance offer from the ILEP (Interim List of Eligible Programs).

The next step is to prove your English qualifications and present your proof of funds. Your study fees must have been paid, with proof of at least 7000 Euros to support your education each year. However, you will need other documents like medical/travel insurance and education history. The study visas or student visas are specifically for those who seek to study in Ireland and return home after graduation.

Work/employment Permit

As a U.S. citizen, another means to migrate to Ireland is through a long-term work permit. This work permit allows you to live and work in Ireland for a long time. However, the duration of your stay depends on your job and other conditions surrounding it. To be eligible for a work visa, you must have been employed by a company in Ireland. You must possess the skills, education, and other qualifications required to get the job.

Usually, they include jobs in high demand like health care, natural science, engineering, international trade experts, tech sector, and management specialists. However, if the proposed salary for the job is more than 30,000 Euros per annum, you have a higher chance of getting a work visa.

However, in seeking a job, it is important that you tell them your country and that you are currently a U.S. citizen who would need help in processing your papers with INIS. Once you have the job contract, the next step is starting your work visa application. If you are migrating to Ireland on an employment basis, your passport will receive immigration ‘Stamp 1’, which permits you to work and operate a business in the country.

After your preclearance approval, you need to apply for your employment permit from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation (DJEI). However, there are different types of employment permits. They are:

• Critical Skills Employment Permit; is specifically for highly skilled people like ICT professionals, engineers, technologists, etc.
• General Employment Permit; allows you to work in Ireland in a broad range of sectors.
• Intra-Company Transfer Permit; allows for the transfer of senior management, personnel, or trainees to Ireland for a multinational company.
• Exchange Agreement Employment Permit; allows non-EEA nationals who seek to pursue prescribed agreements between Ireland and other parties.
• Dependent/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit; allows a dependent/spouse/civil partner/de facto partner of a Critical Skills Employment Permit holder to apply for any job in Ireland.
• Contract for Services Employment Permit; allows a contractor who has won a contract to provide services to an Irish company.
• Reactivation Employment Permit; allows for those who once had a valid employment permit in Ireland but fell out without their fault.
• Internship Employment Permit; allows for those who seek to gain work experience under the Critical Skills Employment Permit.
• Sports & Cultural Employment Permit; allows for those involved in cultural and sporting professions.

However, if you are the spouse/de facto partner/civil partner of an Irish citizen or a research scientist for an approved research organization in Ireland, you do not need to apply for an employment permit to work in Ireland.

However, you will need to provide some essential documents in your application process, and this document depends on the employment permit you are applying for. The documents you might need include:

• Passport-sized color photographs
• Copies of utility bills
• Copy of passport
• Signature pages
• Copies of certified qualifications

Retirement Visa

Retiring to Ireland is another means of migrating to Ireland. However, this will require a lot of money to achieve.

Having sufficient funds is a major requirement for granting a retirement visa.

You must be earning more than 55,138 pounds or 50,000 Euros per year, and if you are relocating with your wife or husband, then you will need to double the earnings.

The income required does not include money held in cash, bank, investment or debt.

This visa processing takes a long time because you must show convincing and satisfying proof of your funds. However, once your application has been approved, you can then travel to Ireland to enjoy your retirement year.

Getting an Ireland immigration permit can be a long and confusing process.

In case you need any help or assistance, our immigration legal experts at Total Law are always available.

Call us now at +1 844 290 6312 or use the online contact form to get in touch.

Marriage Visa

Another emigration route to travel to Ireland is through familial ties. If you are married to an Irish citizen, you are eligible to immigrate to Ireland on the basis of your relationship. You will need to write an application letter to the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS) to migrate to Ireland on the basis of marriage to an Irish citizen. This letter must be hand-written and sent with your application form and other documents like:

• Original marriage/civil partnership certificate.
• Original passport
• Birth certificate
• Original passport and birth certificate of the applicant’s Irish spouse/civil partner
• Evidence that shows the financial ability of the applicant’s sponsor to support themselves and their partner in Ireland.

Once your application is accepted, your passport will receive immigration ‘Stamp 4’, which allows you to work and study in Ireland without restrictions, after which you will apply for your immigration permission.

Migrating to Ireland as Irish Citizen by Birth/Descent

If you were born or have ancestors in Ireland, you are eligible for Irish citizenship even if you do not reside in Ireland. You do not need to apply for a visa or be subjected to immigration conditions. You are eligible for Irish citizenship if you were born in Ireland on or before 1st January 2005. You are also eligible for Irish citizenship if one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth and you were born outside of Ireland.

If your parents were eligible for Irish citizenship but were deceased at the time of your birth, you are eligible for citizenship. You are also eligible for citizenship if one of your grandparents was born in Ireland. If you were adopted by Irish citizens or a couple where one of the spouses is an Irish citizen makes you eligible for Irish citizenship through adoption.

Other Emigration Routes to Ireland

There are other emigration routes that a U.S. citizen could use to migrate to Ireland. You can migrate through the Immigrant Investor Programme. This scheme allows you and your immediate family to migrate to Ireland with a minimum investment of €1 million for up to five years.

You can also migrate through the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme. This scheme allows international entrepreneurs who have innovative business proposals and funding of at least €50,000 to start a business in Ireland, excluding businesses like retail, personal services businesses, and catering.