Initial Entry

Here is my situation. I was in Ireland for 3 months, January-April as a visitor. I had registered with the CPA while I was there at the time and was misinformed on the papers I needed to remain as a trainee accountant. I found this out after going to the GNIB to request permission to remain as a trainee accountant. Time ran out, so I returned to the US for a week and then came back to Ireland. I was in the system since I went to the GNIB and requested a stamp. When I returned, I explained to the immigration officer that I had tried to get a stamp 1A, but that time ran out before I could get everything in place. I told him that I had a few interviews and was trying to get everything in place. I also said that I may receive an immediate offer, but that I also mught receive and offer that wouldn't start until later. I was informed that if it didn't start within a month from the time my current stamp expied that I would have to leave the country and then could return one month prior to my start date. Then, he gave me a 30 day study stamp.

I am traveling to Ireland on August 8th. I will be starting a trainee accountant position on September 8th. I have my initial contract that states I will train with this firm as long as all supporting documents are received. I still haven't received a letter from the ICAI stating that I am registered; however I am registered with the CPA, though I will be studying for the ACA now. The firm will only be issuing the final contracts begining next week. Will the initial contract be enough for the immigration officer to let me in (it doesn't have the exact start date of Sept. 8, just Autumn 2008)? I have my GNIB letter from the CPA, but I don't think it's relevant now since I will be studying for the ACA. There is still a chance my ICAI registration will arrive before I leave. I'm currently in the Netherlands, but I am a US citizen, so I need the Stamp 1A.

My firm will have the new contract for me when I arrive to take to the GNIB to register. They will also issue me a letter specifically for the GNIB, which will state that I will be training with them and studying for the ACA exams. I know that is good for when I go to register.

I just don't want to be turned away initially because I don't have the GNIB letter. It's been a frustrating process because my University gave me all sorts of issues when trying to have my tanscripts sent. So, everything has been delayed with the ICAI. I'm worried about my multiple recent entried, though I've always been honest and upfront. I don't think they would turn me away, but you never know. Most things are left up to the immigration officer.

Anyone go through this? What documents did you have with you when you intital entered Ireland?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks. Cheers!

Anyone? Please!

Please, can anyone help? Can someone at least tell me what they brought with them for initial clearance? I'm from the US, so I am able to avail of the VWP. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Hi there,

I also trained on Stamp 1A, but unlike you I was already in the country so I'm afraid I can't tell you what to bring for definite... nothing is really for definite with any airport immigration officer, so I can understand why you are nervous
But... you have an initial contract (which is like a job offer in essence isn't it?) SO bring that, and if he/she wants more proof they can always ring your new employer.. make sure you have the employer's number and the name of someone who knows about your contract with you.
Other than that, be honest, don't go into a long story, but just tell them honestly you are entering because you are starting this job and here is the proof. You don't have to go on and on about your previous visits.. if they ask about those then tell them then..

Also have some details of where you will be staying for the first few days at least, as they might ask about that..

All I can really say is: Try to stay calm, it should be ok.

GreenCardApplicant wrote:Hi there,

All I can really say is: Try to stay calm, it should be ok.

Thanks. Yeah, initally I planned on being in the country right before starting. I had a job offer that would've given me an immediate start, but I got a call from a Big 4 the same day and opted for that over the small practice, so I left for the summer.

No problem with the place to stay as I'll be staying with my partner. I'm glad you mentioned the contact info of my employer. I will be sure to have that. I figure since I have never overstayed that it shouldn't be too difficult, but like you said, nothing is guaranteed.

Thanks again.

iamwhoever wrote:

GreenCardApplicant wrote:Hi there,

All I can really say is: Try to stay calm, it should be ok.

Thanks. Yeah, initally I planned on being in the country right before starting. I had a job offer that would've given me an immediate start, but I got a call from a Big 4 the same day and opted for that over the small practice, so I left for the summer.

No problem with the place to stay as I'll be staying with my partner. I'm glad you mentioned the contact info of my employer. I will be sure to have that. I figure since I have never overstayed that it shouldn't be too difficult, but like you said, nothing is guaranteed.

Thanks again.

if you holding a us passport, it is very unlikely that you will turn away. unless you are non white with a us passport. one of the post in this forum mentioned a non white person with a us passport got locked up in the dublin airport for abit before they let that person out.

they will always give you a visitor stamp anyway, if you dont have documentations for your work. the worst case that you might need to go to gnib to change your stamp. thats all.

my ex roomate is canadian and he also have a british passport. one time. he lost his british passport abraod and he came back with his canadian passport only. he is studying in one of the univ in dublin. he told the idiot immigration officer in dublin airport that he is a british citizen but lsot his british passport and he is studying in dublin. the immigration officer stamped on his canadian passport and let him have 7 days permission to remain and told him to go get his british passport back within a week. now, here is the most important thing. i am not saying all the airport immigration officers are dearly beloved but at least some i met anyway. i dont know if my ex roomate would have such as a easy time in dublin airport if he was black hahaha. so good luck

mktsoi wrote:
if you holding a us passport, it is very unlikely that you will turn away. unless you are non white with a us passport. one of the post in this forum mentioned a non white person with a us passport got locked up in the dublin airport for abit before they let that person out.

they will always give you a visitor stamp anyway, if you dont have documentations for your work. the worst case that you might need to go to gnib to change your stamp. thats all.

my ex roomate is canadian and he also have a british passport. one time. he lost his british passport abraod and he came back with his canadian passport only. he is studying in one of the univ in dublin. he told the idiot immigration officer in dublin airport that he is a british citizen but lsot his british passport and he is studying in dublin. the immigration officer stamped on his canadian passport and let him have 7 days permission to remain and told him to go get his british passport back within a week. now, here is the most important thing. i am not saying all the airport immigration officers are dearly beloved but at least some i met anyway. i dont know if my ex roomate would have such as a easy time in dublin airport if he was black hahaha. so good luck

Thanks. I was thinking the same. I'm white, so I won't have to deal with that kind of beloved. It's sad, but I heard it can be a problem from several Irish people.

Here's hoping to no problems.

Talk about immigration officer not knowing anything about immigration. I had to go through this old guy. He basically told me that I was making up the Stamp 1A for trainee accountants. It took the guy nearly 30 minutes to let me in, and then he gave me a week.

When I told him that I was going to pick up my paperwork on Monday and do the the GNIB to register for this (I gave him my initial contract as proof), he mumbled something about how it didn't sound legit. He made a comment about how this was taking training position away from the Irish (though there are always positions out there and it is treated more like a graduate program than a job when it comes to getting an offer). He really just didn't have a clue.

I know the fact that I tried to register with the GNIB for a Stamp 1A before and was refused didn't help, but it was because I didn't have all the paperwork in place (I was misinformed about what I needed).

It took everything I had to keep my cool with that immigration officer. For one, anyone Irish or EU national with an honours degree who wants to become and accountant, he/she can. In fact, I got my offered through the later mini-milkround, one where very few Irish people applied. Guess what? At that stage, all the applicants with a 2.1 got an offer. Also, this leads to retaining highly skilled workers, something the immigration system here, like many other countries, is geared towards.

Finally, anyone who is coming to Ireland to train as an account, be sure to print off any emails between you and the GNIB in regards to the Stamp 1A, print the page from the INIS website that refers to all the stamps and what they are, and find any other info on the Stamp 1A to print off and bring with you for the immigration officer at the airport to see.

Whenever the new immigration bill goes into effect, though the extra paperwork of having to apply for EC to enter for any purpose other than a visit (including those who qualify for the VWP) may be time consuming an a tad annoying, at least the incompetent immigration officer will never have to be competent or be able to talk to people over based on their incompetents.

It is all so frustrating. People on here know far more than the airport immigration officers.

iamwhoever wrote:Talk about immigration officer not knowing anything about immigration. I had to go through this old guy. He basically told me that I was making up the Stamp 1A for trainee accountants. It took the guy nearly 30 minutes to let me in, and then he gave me a week.

When I told him that I was going to pick up my paperwork on Monday and do the the GNIB to register for this (I gave him my initial contract as proof), he mumbled something about how it didn't sound legit. He made a comment about how this was taking training position away from the Irish (though there are always positions out there and it is treated more like a graduate program than a job when it comes to getting an offer). He really just didn't have a clue.

I know the fact that I tried to register with the GNIB for a Stamp 1A before and was refused didn't help, but it was because I didn't have all the paperwork in place (I was misinformed about what I needed).

It took everything I had to keep my cool with that immigration officer. For one, anyone Irish or EU national with an honours degree who wants to become and accountant, he/she can. In fact, I got my offered through the later mini-milkround, one where very few Irish people applied. Guess what? At that stage, all the applicants with a 2.1 got an offer. Also, this leads to retaining highly skilled workers, something the immigration system here, like many other countries, is geared towards.

Finally, anyone who is coming to Ireland to train as an account, be sure to print off any emails between you and the GNIB in regards to the Stamp 1A, print the page from the INIS website that refers to all the stamps and what they are, and find any other info on the Stamp 1A to print off and bring with you for the immigration officer at the airport to see.

Whenever the new immigration bill goes into effect, though the extra paperwork of having to apply for EC to enter for any purpose other than a visit (including those who qualify for the VWP) may be time consuming an a tad annoying, at least the incompetent immigration officer will never have to be competent or be able to talk to people over based on their incompetents.

It is all so frustrating. People on here know far more than the airport immigration officers.

omg, the american taking jobs away from the irish? what a xxxxer that old is. if it wasnt the american companies, would they have the budget surplus for past decade?

That's crazy. Although with my dealings with trying to get a green card while on a working holiday visa I'm not surprised at all. I was too a victim of misinformation/lack of knowledge and was told by one department (Justice) that it was fine for me to stay on while my application was in, after being referred from DETE (legally, this is true) and it was open to me to get a stamp from the GNIB if I wished, which I did. Only to get drilled as if I was something they'd picked up out of a dirty rubbish bin. Ended up making the required preparations to leave the country and I did. Only to be hassled about coming here on a working holiday visa and that I had no right to be here (with a green card in my hand....) by this very rude guy. My employer also made enquiries on my behalf and was given the same stories too. Noone can seemingly get it right.

Now I hear of a number of Irish (just through one person) who have overstayed their working holiday visas and working illegally downunder. Noone here complains about them. I was trying to do everything legally.

This is the vary reason everything is so behind here. I don't think it is so much that they are understaffed, though I'm sure that contributes, but in reality, it's the fact that they don't train their immigration officers properly. The thing that sucks, and if you want them to let you in, you have to stand there and take it, which I did. That was tough for me. Eventually he let me in, giving me a 1 week visitor stamp. That is fine and all because everything should be squared away by Tuesday, but talk about almost having a panic attack.

What really annoyed me is the fact that by looking at my passport, one can see I have travelled several times to Ireland and the Netherlands, always leaving the country by the required date. I've never overstayed. Frankly, coming from the US, I know the hell people are in who are illegal there, and I for one, do not want to go through that.

I think the issue with immigration seems to be with the older Irish, not all of course, but the younger generations are definitely less against it. No that the Irish should really complain. It wasn't too long ago that this country was one of emigration. It's great that they went to other countries, but forget about people coming in.

Anyway, I just can't wait for the new immigration bill. While it won't be perfect, it should help make things run smoother. Besides, despite one's feelings on immigration, as an immigrations office, one is suppose to uphold the immigration laws, not make it tough for those who have gone through the process to come here legally.

iamwhoever wrote:This is the vary reason everything is so behind here. I don't think it is so much that they are understaffed, though I'm sure that contributes, but in reality, it's the fact that they don't train their immigration officers properly. The thing that sucks, and if you want them to let you in, you have to stand there and take it, which I did. That was tough for me. Eventually he let me in, giving me a 1 week visitor stamp. That is fine and all because everything should be squared away by Tuesday, but talk about almost having a panic attack.

What really annoyed me is the fact that by looking at my passport, one can see I have travelled several times to Ireland and the Netherlands, always leaving the country by the required date. I've never overstayed. Frankly, coming from the US, I know the hell people are in who are illegal there, and I for one, do not want to go through that.

I think the issue with immigration seems to be with the older Irish, not all of course, but the younger generations are definitely less against it. No that the Irish should really complain. It wasn't too long ago that this country was one of emigration. It's great that they went to other countries, but forget about people coming in.

Anyway, I just can't wait for the new immigration bill. While it won't be perfect, it should help make things run smoother. Besides, despite one's feelings on immigration, as an immigrations office, one is suppose to uphold the immigration laws, not make it tough for those who have gone through the process to come here legally.

if you dont mind i ask, what you hoping in the new immigration bill anyway? if you google it, all the so call immigration bill in ireland for past 10 years have more restrictions put on the new immigrants than improve the over all immigration system in ireland. if you hoping the new immigration bill would make you life easier in ireland, good luck!

mktsoi wrote:

iamwhoever wrote:This is the vary reason everything is so behind here. I don't think it is so much that they are understaffed, though I'm sure that contributes, but in reality, it's the fact that they don't train their immigration officers properly. The thing that sucks, and if you want them to let you in, you have to stand there and take it, which I did. That was tough for me. Eventually he let me in, giving me a 1 week visitor stamp. That is fine and all because everything should be squared away by Tuesday, but talk about almost having a panic attack.

What really annoyed me is the fact that by looking at my passport, one can see I have travelled several times to Ireland and the Netherlands, always leaving the country by the required date. I've never overstayed. Frankly, coming from the US, I know the hell people are in who are illegal there, and I for one, do not want to go through that.

I think the issue with immigration seems to be with the older Irish, not all of course, but the younger generations are definitely less against it. No that the Irish should really complain. It wasn't too long ago that this country was one of emigration. It's great that they went to other countries, but forget about people coming in.

Anyway, I just can't wait for the new immigration bill. While it won't be perfect, it should help make things run smoother. Besides, despite one's feelings on immigration, as an immigrations office, one is suppose to uphold the immigration laws, not make it tough for those who have gone through the process to come here legally.

if you dont mind i ask, what you hoping in the new immigration bill anyway? if you google it, all the so call immigration bill in ireland for past 10 years have more restrictions put on the new immigrants than improve the over all immigration system in ireland. if you hoping the new immigration bill would make you life easier in ireland, good luck!

I was being a bit sarcastic. There is one bonus to it, if you come in on a green card, you will be able to apply for LTR after 2 years instead of waiting the 5 years. There also should be less of a hassle at the airport; however, the downside is extra paperwork. Frankly, I'd rather have the immigration officers know the immigration laws than have more paperwork, but it will hopeful speed things up at the airport. To a degree, there are things that will be better. My previous statement was a mix of seriousness for a few matters with lots of sarcasm as well.