**Family/Friend Visa - COV 19 **

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice in regards to my husbands
Situation.
I’m EU citizen my husband non EU. I have been living in Ireland for the last 16 years. I moved away to my husbands country for few months, now I came back as I’m pregnant, I’m working full time, my husband applied for family/friend visa, as most of the bills are on my parents name, as well as I just started work I wouldn’t be able to provide any bank statements.
As per the information on GOV.IE all the visas has been suspended, only in certain circumstances it will be processed example EU Free Movement Directive,
My husband qualifies for this type of visa ( it’s the same type of VISA as family/friend visa).

Does that mean his visa will be processed as normal or will be on hold ?
Do I need do accompany him when he enters the country?
My due date is in June, I’m worried about the whole situation any advice would be appreciate it.

Per information on INIS.gov.ie, he should still be able to apply for the visa online. He might need to submit his applications in a different place. Details will be on the application page when he confirms his application details online.

You will need a letter from your employer to state your position and work type, so that he can use this as the proof that you are exercising EU Treaty Right. You will also need proof of address. If you live with your parents, you should ask them to write and sign a letter saying they are the house owner, and they allow you and your husband to live there.

He doesn’t need your accompany when he enters the country. Just make sure he has proof of relationship - marriage cert and proof of your address in Ireland.

You need to hurry though, as most of the flights are grounded now within EU. Even with the visa he should have very little time finding a flight ticket.

Thank you for your reply.

My husband already applied for visa End of Feb.
Family and friend Visa to be more specific.
On the actual gov website there is two visas he can apply as it’s the same type of visa C I believe
*family/friend
*accompany EU for non EU

when applying for the family friend visa, he did provide original marriage certificate. My question is, will he still qualify for the EU treaty right?

* I forgot to mention I have contacted the embassy in South Africa this is where my husband applied.
They have advised that they are putting the application on hold due to the coronavirus and once the situation settles down they will resume the process.
My understanding from the website is that if he qualifies for the EU treaty which he does, and they are processing it as emergencies, can they put the application on hold? Should I contact them back to clarify ?

Hi,
Visa type C is for short-term visit up to 90 days. All this type of visit visa is on hold except emergency circumstances. There no any visit allowed during carantine period.
You can check with embassy if they will still allow you husband to re-apply for "join suppose" visa type D. This type of visa is residential one and should represent the permanent place of life. This only true if He want to join you permanently. The other things you should know that EU3ty righ is not applicable to you in case if you want to live in youre own country with you non-eu husband. This rule is only applicable for any other EU holders moved in, as well as you moved out to any other EU country except your own one.

Hi @Avta,
Thats correct VISA type C is short term visa up to 90 days.
As my husband qualifies for the EU treaty, free movement, as Im EU citizen not Irish citizen though.
After arrival he will fill in FORM EU1 application.
Therefore he does not need to apply for join spouse visa, as per my communication with the immigration in Dublin.

Again I will refer to the INIS.GOV website where, we are advised that the visas has been paused at the moment due to the coronavirus, however website states "Until further notice we will not accept new visa applications. You will still be able to apply online in the normal manner, but you will not be able to complete your application process. Applications will only be processed for emergency or essential travel for medical personnel, immediate family members of Irish citizens, persons legally resident in Ireland, and persons entitled to avail of the provision of the EU Free Movement Directive'

Therefore his application should be processed as normal, it shouldn't be put on hold.
Let me know what you guys think.

Did you apply for a Visit Visa Family/Friend or did you apply for an EU treaty rights visa? If the former it will not be processed under any circumstances, if the latter it should already have been processed if was applied in Feb.

You need to understand that these are two different categories of application, dealt with by different teams. If you applied for a Visit visa but are hoping it will be processed as an EUTR visa, you need to understand that its not how it works.
What did you actually apply for?

Hi @Granista
Thank you for replying.

Based on the website there is no such a visa as ‘EU treaty rights Visa’
When applying for Visa you either select ‘Family or friends visa or ‘Visa for non EU/EEA & non - Swiss citizen travelling with EU family.
Both qualify you for EU treaty - free movement if you are married to EU citizen.
You can apply for short stay, both Visas are type ‘C’, there is just different procedures in regards to documents that have to be sent when apply for visa.
When your granted either Visas, you arrive in Ireland and you are required to fill in application EU1. Long story short.

My husband has applied for Family/Friends Visa Short stay, type ‘C’ which also qualifies him for the EU treaty, as he is married to EU citizen.
Thats correct I do agree with you its should be process, or declined already as he applied back in Feb, however due to the current situation, each Embassy have different opening times etc.

I have already contacted immigration in Dublin in regards to this case, I was told that either way they should process it. Im just waiting to hear back from the Embassy, as they are on lock down at the moment.

I can assure you that there is very much an EU treaty rights visa. EUTR visas are NOT decided at Embassies,they all go to Dublin. They are treated totally differently.

As you say yourself:
"When applying for Visa you either select ‘Family or friends visa or ‘Visa for non EU/EEA & non - Swiss citizen travelling with EU family."

Which is exactly as I told you. The first is a Visit Visa, the second is an EUTR visa (travelling with means join OR accompany, its all explained on the website). The first is 60 euro, the second is free. The first goes to one office, the second to a different one.

TWO very different visas, with entirely different requirements. One is still being processed (slower than normal), the other is not.

Which did you actually apply for?

Hello l.
Hope you are all well
I am also in the same situation. I have applied join spouse of EU national vissa catagory C on 18 feb 2020 and documents recieved in dublin on 25 feb 2020. I have not still heard anything from them still waiting for the vissa. My wife is a british national and i am pakistani national. She is also using her EU treaty rights in ireland.
Let me know if u get vissa or any responce from them.
Its very stressful.
Regards.

Dear Members,
Just wondering does anyone know what happens to the newly issued visa to irish spouses? Long stay visa is for 90 days but with current restrictions travel is not possible to ireland with airports & airlines not operating!

Would the automatic extension applies in this case ?

Many Thanks in advance.

32counties wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 12, 2020 5:48 pm

Dear Members,
Just wondering does anyone know what happens to the newly issued visa to irish spouses? Long stay visa is for 90 days but with current restrictions travel is not possible to ireland with airports & airlines not operating!

Would the automatic extension applies in this case ?

Many Thanks in advance.

I heard that any type of visa with the expired date on Mar-May will automatically get extended for 2 months.

No the two months extension only applies to people who have already arrived in Ireland and whose status is due to expire between 20 Mar and 20 May

littlerr wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:01 pm

No the two months extension only applies to people who have already arrived in Ireland and whose status is due to expire between 20 Mar and 20 May

Yeah sorry. That is what I meant. For only people who are already in Ireland.

If one has got an entry visa to join their spouse, it would still be the best to contact airlines to see if they can get a flight.

Flights are still operating in most countries. Although their frequency has been reduced a lot, it is still possible to buy a ticket. My colleague and his wife did this in mid March from Rio via Amsterdam. It is only going to get more and more difficult to fly here if they wait for longer.

OP, to answer your question, yes the visas are still being processed. My wife just got her visa approved today. She applied for it in very late february. So we have been waiting roughly two months. I am EU and she is non-EU. Hope this helps.

Guys, how long does it roughly take for them to process the joint EU spouse visa ?

I’m currently 32 weeks pregnant, we have advised the immigration of the circumstances etc..
Worried my husband won’t make it here before I deliver the baby. Would they even consider that?

Thank you in advance

You really need to work out the different types of visa.

You want to apply for a EUTR visa. IF you have all the correct paperwork, you can get it in 2-3 weeks. It's a very simple matter if you are married and can prove it and the EU partner is working and living in the State.

INIS doesn't care if you are pregnant or how much, it doesn't come into it. You'd want to hurry up though because if you don't have the right paperwork you won't get it in a few weeks, and if you need to appeal it will be a couple of months.

Hi again,

Thank you for your reply.

I do understand the difference between the family/friend visa and Joining EU spouse.

My husband Has originally applied for the family/friend visa, the embassy was not recognising this type of visa as emergency, therefore we have re- applied for Joining EU spouse visa. On the 1st of May to be exact he has applied. Provided all the relevant documents.

Now, the embassy has advised us on Monday, that they are waiting for Dublin head office to give permission for the emergency visa, now I’m just wondering if it will take 4 weeks, another month.

Apparently as advised by the embassy they do take my pregnancy into consideration.

Just wondering in general, how long can Dublin take to answer the embassy, if anyone came across something similar ?

Thanks guys for your advice in advance

You originally applied for the wrong visa. It was nothing to do with it not being recognised as an emergency visa. You can't apply for a visit visa if you are not coming for a visit, fairly obviously.

If you've supplied all the right docs its only a couple of weeks, but the embassy might not issue it at all in the current circumstances. If you haven' sent the right docs it can be a lot longer. Pregnancy it not considered.

Hi Congratulations for your pregnancy. It is true that the delay was because your spouse applied for a much slower visa compared to the C-Visa for eu treaty rights. These 2 Visas are processed by different departments. I had left my daughter behind who is non eu and am a holder of a stamp 4eu fam as my husband is British. So I applied for the correct C- Visa joining EU Family for my 10 years old daughter. They processed it within 2 weeks. She came accompanied by my sister. So hold tight they will process it swiftly but with some delay due to current situation.

Hi @Ntembwa,

Thank you for your reply.

Yes originally my husband was meant to come for 2 weeks, then go back due to work, and reply again for the correct visa, as the virus started obviously they were not going to process the visa, and of course the time frame as well, my husband unable to travel at all. Therefore he re- applied for the Joing EU spouse.
We have been waiting for some time now, as mentioned the embassy said that they forwarded the request to Dublin, if Dublin allows it, they will be able to stamp the visa, I lost hope at this stage, that he will make it here, but we shall see.

Did you apply directly to Dublin ? Was it before the Virus?

Hi LauraDa,

Am sorry but my application for my daughter was before the pandemic. So obviously this time there is more delay. I applied through the Irish embassy in my country. The decision was made at the embassy obviously with consultation. Visa was stamped from the embassy. This was one year ago. Maybe rules have changed but under EU treaty rights you can be hopeful. Fingures crossed