Stamp 4 VISA - Which Category A or B?

Hi,
Can someone help me understand which category will the below situation fall under-
My Husband lives in Ireland and is currently on stamp 4 VISA (previously on Critical skill). We have applied for long stay Join Family VISA in Dec 2019 which reached DUBLIN EMBASSY in Jan 2020 and awaiting for the same. Which category does my VISA application fall under, Either Category A or B? And what is the time frame for the VISA to be issued? Anyone experienced the same situation?

We are awaiting for the VISA as it got struck amid COVID 19. Please someone help me understand how long it might still take for VISA to get processed amid pandemic?

Thanks in advance.

Just to clear up some confusion on the terminology.

Visas are for the the purpose of entering Ireland, not for the purpose of living in Ireland.

Your husband was previously on Critical Skills Employment Permit. This gives him a Stamp 1 permission. After working for 2 years on that stamp, his permission has now been changed to Stamp 4. These Stamp 1 and Stamp 4 are permissions to live in Ireland. They are NOT visas.

You need a visa to enter Ireland. This is called a Join Family Visa. Your visa belongs to Type D (Long Stay). I don't know what 'Category A or B' is. Type D visas usually take up to 6 months to process.

Unfortunately, any non-emergency visas have been suspended since late March, so your application is not being processed at the moment. If you submitted your application in January, that means you will likely still need to wait for another 3-4 months after the services resume. Emergency visas are for those whose family member is an Irish/EU citizen, or if the applicant normally lives in Ireland, or if the applicant works in healthcare industry.

Thank you for your response. That's helpful.
When checked on INIS Website, Critical skills fall under Category A and takes upto 6 months to process and all Stamp 4 holders not covered by other more favourable arrangements fall under Category B which are processed between 6-12 months. So No sure my visa falls under which category.

I didn't see the category A or B on the INIS website, but yes your application falls into the first category (6 months). This is called immediate family reunification.
You are eligible for immediate family reunification if your sponsor is:
- an Irish national,
- an EU national,
- a current Critical Skills permit holder,
- a previous Critical Skills permit holder who has now obtained Stamp 4 from this permit

Anyone else falls into the other category.

Okay. Thank you for your information.

Also I have question with regard to date of application to be considered. I have submitted my VISA application to VFS centre in India on November 28, 2019 which reached New Delhi on 2 December 2019 and to Dublin Embassy on 20 January 2020. Which date should I consider for 6 months time frame?

Not entirely sure but I'd say it's the date when your application reaches Dublin, because all join-family applications are processed by the Dublin office. The Dublin office has no control over when your application will be sent over from the local embassy or the visa processing centre.

If I were you, I would simply set my expectations lower (so that if the application does get approved earlier, I would be happier).