An interim measure for employees whose Irish Resident Permits (IRPs) have expired has been introduced by the Department of Migration.
It follows significant processing delays through an online portal, established to remove in-person applications.
The Immigrant Council of Ireland recently highlighted the impact of the current waiting times which has affected a significant number of migrant workers.
IRP holders are not permitted to apply for renewal until 12 weeks before their permit expiry date.
The new online portal left some with at least a four-week gap without a valid residence permit evidencing their entitlement to work in Ireland.
The issue was affecting employment, mortgage approvals and travel outside the country.
RTÉ News spoke to one carer in the west of Ireland who reapplied for her ‘Stamp 4’ in March but has been unable to work because her 12-week grace period ended.
She expressed concern for her clients, many of whom are vulnerable.
Another woman postponed her wedding due to concerns about her immigration status. She rescheduled it for 5 September. It is hoped that by that stage, the backlogs will have cleared.
Earlier, Minister of State with special responsibility for Migration Colm Brophy issued updates which have been published on the website of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
It said that where an employee’s IRP card has expired and they are unable to obtain a new one by the expiry date of their current IRP card, they are still permitted to work and to remain in the State until 31 August 2026.
This applies to all expired IRP cards regardless of the number of weeks elapsed but is subject to the applicant submitting their renewal application prior to the expiry of their current IRP card.
The existing Notice to Employers which is also available on the website, explains that employees who meet these conditions remain subject to the same immigration permission and employment conditions that applied to their previous IRP while their renewal is being processed.
The Department said the Notice to Employers will continue to apply after 31 August.
When it comes to previous travel arrangements made by those awaiting an IRP renewal, this has also been reinstated until 31 August 2026.
The Department said people may use their recently expired IRP card to travel until the end of August, provided an application to renew their registration permission was submitted in advance of the expiry date.
It has also said that while the Registration Office endeavours to process applications as quickly as possible, processing times for each stamp category may vary due to a number of factors.
These include the number of applications, individual circumstances, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and peak application periods.
It said Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) provides a live application processing date broken down by stamp category, which is updated every Monday.
The Department has acknowledged that the Registration Office within ISD is currently experiencing “an exceptionally high demand for first time registration appointments and immigration permission renewal applications”.
It said every avenue available is being explored to facilitate as many customers as possible and to increase processing capacity.