Student Visa (D Type Visa)

LONG TERM STUDY VISA:

You can apply for a study visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to Ireland.

How to apply

You must apply online for a visa.

• First, complete the online application process. The online system will then create a Application Form
• Follow the instructions on the Application Form. The Application Form will contain information on how to submit your supporting documentation
• You must print, sign and date the Application Form and submit it with your supporting documents.

We may ask you to provide your Biometrics information as part of the application process.

How long will it take?

We process applications in date order.

We ask you not to buy travel tickets before you know the outcome of your visa application.

Processing times can vary between countries and visa office, embassy or consulates. They can also vary during high volume periods during the year. Generally, you can expect a decision within 8 weeks from the date on which you lodge your application.

Your application may take longer:

• If you have not submitted all necessary supporting documentation
• If we need to verify your supporting documentation
• Because of your personal circumstances. For example, if you have a criminal conviction

Guide to supporting documentation

The documents below are important. They provide information about your personal circumstances in the country from which you are applying.

The onus is on you to meet the requirements that are necessary to enable a Visa Officer to grant a visa for the purpose sought.

The submission of documents does not guarantee that your application will be successful.

You must provide original documents.

If you submit a document that is not in English or Irish, you must also supply a full translation. Each translated document must contain:

• Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• The date of the translation
• The translator’s full name and signature, and
• The translator’s contact details.

Any State issued official documents, such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Divorce Certificates that were issued by a State outside of the EEA or Switzerland, must be attested/apostilled as genuine by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the State that issued the document, in order that it can be accepted as evidence for Irish visa purposes. Such documents are required to be translated into English or Irish, if necessary. Translations done outside the EEA or Switzerland must also be attested/apostilled as genuine, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the translation occurs. Send us both the original documents and the certified translations. Translations done in the EEA or Switzerland do not need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

All letters submitted by a business, company or other organisation should be on official headed paper. They must also provide full contact details so that we can verify them.

These must include:

• A full postal address
• Name of contact
• Their position in the organisation
• Telephone number (landline)
• Website, and
• Email address – Please note that email addresses such as Yahoo or Hotmail are not accepted.

Documents Required:

• Application Form
• Application letter
• Two colour passport sized photographs not more than 6 months old
• Your current passport and a full copy of all previous passports
• Evidence that you have enrolled on a privately funded course
• Evidence accounting for any gaps in your educational history

(You must provide information on any gaps since your last period of full time education. This must include the periods of time until your application to study in Ireland. You must give full details of your employment history. We need this if you have filled any gap in education by periods of employment).

• Evidence of fee payment to college
• Evidence that you have the academic ability to follow your chosen course
• Evidence of your level of English (or Irish)
• Finances
• Private Medical Insurance
• Previous Visa Refusals
• Summary of finances for study visa application

Extra documentation for unaccompanied students under 18 years:

Birth Certificate

You must submit the child’s birth certificate with their application.

Consent of parent/legal guardian

We need parental consent from both parents/legal guardians. This consent must be a notarised document. It must provide full details of the person in whose care the minor will be in during their stay in Ireland. It must confirm:

• The parents/legal guardians agreement to the child coming to Ireland for study purposes, and
• That the school/host family/education agency is the legal guardian of the unaccompanied child student during the child’s stay in Ireland.

You must provide:

• Copies of the biometric page of the parents/guardians passports, or
• National identity cards showing the bearer’s signature.

Where only one parent has total custody, a Court Order bestowing sole custody of this child must be submitted.

Accommodation and vetting certificate

You must submit the address of where the student will stay while in the State. This forms part of the supporting documents for the application.

Where at least one parent is joining the student for the duration of the student’s time in Ireland (while the student is under 18 years of age):

• The parent must include details of their own visa application (where applicable).

If the parent does not need a visa to travel to Ireland:

• The parent should include a statement that they will be staying with the student for the duration of the student’s stay in Ireland.

Where at least one parent is not joining the student for the duration of the student’s time in Ireland (while the student is under 18 years of age):

• The parent must include clearance from the Garda Síochána (the Irish Police) in respect of where the student is living.

This clearance will be sought from the Garda Síochána by the school. You must submit evidence of having received clearance as part of the visa application.

No entitlement on the part of other family members to travel with or join the student in the State

The granting of a visa to a person under the age of 18 years for the purpose of study does not give any entitlement to any other family member to accompany or join the student in the State.

Return of documents”

• All documents accompanying your application must be originals
• You should keep copies of all the documents that you provide
• We will return original documents such as marriage, birth or death certificates to you. We will not return other documents such as bank statements or letters of invitation
• If there are particular documents that you wish to have returned, please provide a list of these documents with the application.

Financial Requirements:

You must show you have sufficient funds to support your stay in Ireland without recourse to public funds, or the reliance on casual employment.

Non-Visa required nationals:

If you did not need a visa to come to Ireland, you must also prove that you can support yourself financially after you arrive here.

You do this by showing at the time of arrival in the state you had direct access to:

• €4,500, if you are staying for more than 6 months
• €500 per month or €3,000 (in total) if you are staying 6 months or less.

Visa required nationals:

If you need a visa to come to Ireland, you do not need proof of finance after you arrive here. Your ability to support yourself on arrival in the State is checked during the visa application process.

For all academic courses due to begin after 1 July 2023, you must show evidence that you have immediate access to at least €10,000. This is the estimated cost of living in Ireland for a student for one academic year.

You must also demonstrate that you and/or your sponsor(s) have ready access to at least €10,000 for each subsequent year of your studies in addition to course fees for each of those years.

If the duration of your course is less than 6 months you must have access to €700 per month of your stay or €4,200 whichever is the lesser.

All details listed here must be proven by documentary evidence and, where sponsors are involved, it must be clear their documents relate to them.

Documentary evidence required:

Your finances

You must provide the following in relation to your finances.

• You must provide an up-to-date bank statement, showing what money has been paid into and out of the account over the last six months. You must submit this whether you are covering the costs of your studies yourself or not
• Bank statements must be on headed paper. Where original bank statements are not available, internet printouts will be accepted once every page has been notarised by the bank and the statement is accompanied by letter from the bank confirming its authenticity. Handwritten entries or details on bank statements will not be accepted
• Your name, address, account number and account type must be visible on the statement
• Any large or irregular lodgements (for example – student loans, lodgement of Savings Certificates, the sale of a property or any similar type sources) must be fully explained
• If you are sending a bank statement from a deposit/savings account, you must also include a letter from your bank confirming that you can take money from that account
• Credit cards are not accepted as evidence of finances.

Details of your sponsor (where applicable) and their finances:

If a family member/friend is responsible or co-responsible for covering your costs, you must list each person sponsoring you, and give clear details of their relationship to you. You must provide evidence (for example – birth certificates/marriage certificates etc.) of how you are linked or known to this person.

You must provide the following in relation to your sponsor(s) financial circumstance and the level of financial support that they intend to give you for the duration of your stay in Ireland.

• Clear details of the financial support that each sponsor intends to give you for the duration of your stay in Ireland, showing that the amount of financial support they intend to give you is available and that they have enough funds to maintain themselves and other family members. Evidence accepted can, for example, include a letter from your sponsor’s employer confirming employment details, plus 3 recent payslips. If your sponsor is involved in business, evidence of this must be provided, such as a Certificate of Registration from the authorities in your country
• An up-to-date bank statement for each sponsor, showing what money has been paid into and out of the account over the last six months
• Bank statements must be on headed paper. Where original bank statements are not available, internet printouts will be accepted once every page has been notarised by the bank and the statement is accompanied by letter from the bank confirming its authenticity. Handwritten entries or details on bank statements will not be accepted
• Your sponsor’s name, address, account number and account type must be visible on the statement
• Any large or irregular lodgements (for example – student loans, lodgement of Savings Certificates, sale of a property or any similar type sources) must be fully explained
• If your sponsor is providing a bank statement from a deposit/savings account, a letter from their bank confirming that you can access the funds must also be provided
• Credit cards are not accepted as evidence of finances
• If you are receiving funding from a government body is responsible for covering your costs, you must provide full details of the funding.

Alternative Evidence of Finance – Degree Programme Students Only:

A pilot programme is in operation that allows degree programme students only, to provide an alternative to bank statements as a method of proof of finances. The alternative method is an education bond with a minimum value of €10,000. The bond must be lodged to an approved student fees payment service for example – the electronic fee payment service offered by Transfermate (formerly Pay to Study

Note: The Department of Justice is at all times willing to consider proposals from other providers to have their services accepted for visa purposes.

The bond must be held continuously from the initial visa application through to the time you register in Ireland with the immigration authorities. This is to ensure that the necessary funds exist and are reserved for your personal use. The bond will be cashable when you arrive in Ireland or if for any reason the visa is refused or you decide not to take up your place in the college.

A receipt showing that you have paid for a bond will generally be accepted by the Visa Officer as evidence of finances. However, you should be aware that you may also be asked to provide additional evidence of finances if that is considered necessary. Upon your arrival in the State, the funds will be released to you.

Students who participate in a bond payment scheme should note that this is a contractual arrangement between you and the bond service provider. Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) is not a party to any contract entered into between a student and a bond service provider.

Types of courses and Colleges eligible for participation in the Student Bond System

Students who are enrolled on the type of courses listed below are not obliged to participate in a bond payment system, and may prefer to provide the normal evidence of finances as set out above.

Degree Programme Courses:

These are defined as courses which lead to an award of level 7-10 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and are listed on the ILEP.

• Ordinary Bachelor Degree
• Honours Bachelor Degree
• Higher Diploma (after completion of an Honours Bachelor Degree)
• Postgraduate Diploma (after completion of an Honours Bachelor Degree)
• Master’s Degree
• Doctoral Degree.

Documents Checklist:

Scan from original documents alongwith update Resume and create one PDF File and send us

1.Valid Passport (pages 1st, 2nd)

2. All Educational Documents including transcripts, marksheets & Degree certificate

(In case degree is not issued, degree completion certificate is compulsory)

3. IELTS or English Alternate Test

4. Academic Reference on Letter Headed Paper

5. Personal Statement (SOP)

6. Work Experience (In case of any gap)

7. Resume (Detailed)

8. Previous Visa History or Refusal (If applicable)

9-Previous Travel History / Visa Refusal Details

Please NOTE that convert all documents to two or three PDF’s. All files (supporting documents) need to be no larger than 10MB in size otherwise they will be rejected by our server. Personal statement should be in MS word format.

If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to schedule of appointment for free consultation session.