The waiting period for non-EU foreign nationals applying to renew their immigration permission to live in Ireland has dropped to 2-3 weeks, less than half the time it used to take, the Minister for Justice has said. The website was initially opened to students in June before being expanded to include all foreign nationals living in Dublin in July. The Minister also announced that foreign nationals would no longer have to send in their original passport for stamping when renewing their permission. Previously, non-EU foreign nationals had to secure an appointment online and present in person at the Burgh Quay immigration office to renew their stamp permission. The Government was repeatedly criticised for this poorly run online appointment system, which saw numerous unregulated operators block-booking slots, which they then sold on at a profit.

Source: The Irish Times December 02, 2020 19:30 UTC