Question marraige and work permit

Hello. I'm desperately seeking a few answers about Irish immigration. My boyfriend is Irish. I am American. We want to get married so that I can immigrate to Ireland and also work there.

Does anyone know what the process is for a non EU national to marry an Irish citizen? Do any forms need to be filled out for visas?

Once we do get married, how do I set about getting a work permit?

How long will it take?

If anyone can help me answer these questions, I'll be eternally grateful.

There are quite a few topics relating to this.

In short, your boyfriend could travel to the US and marry there. It is a LOT easier and takes a lot less time to marry in the US as opposed to marrying in Ireland.

Once married, you enter Ireland on a visa waiver and then register at the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and make an application to remain in Ireland as the spouse of an Irish citizen. Once granted, you will be able to work without a work permit.

If you marry in the US, you could travel to Ireland as soon as you have the marriage certificate. Just contact the County Clerks office wherever you want to get married and find out fees, how long it takes to get the certificate and if there is any waiting period, and any documentation that may need to be provided. Your boyfriend won't need a visa to marry in the US as long as he does not intend to settle there after the marriage.

Thanks for the response. That helps a lot. But could you give me the details of what would happen if we were to be married in Ireland?

http://www.groireland.ie/getting_married.htm

There's the link with all the info. Have a good read through it.

A couple of things to bear in mind though.

In Ireland the couple must give 90 days notice to the Registrar in the area they wish to marry. This may be done by postal notification in certain circumstances but prior arrangements with the Registrar must be made.

The marriage cannot take place until at least 90 days have passed after sending the notice of intent to marry. For example, you serve notice to intent in the beginning of January; the earliest you could marry would be the beginning of April. However, it is also dependant on dates available where you want to marry, whether it be in the Registry office or a church. Many places (Dublin in particular) you could expect a wait of 6 months or more just to marry in the Registry office simply because there are no open dates. Also, if you are able to send the notice of intent to marry by post, you'll probably have to wait till less than 3 months before the wedding to actually enter Ireland; the visa-waiver is only valid for 3 months, and they don't have anything like fiance visas.

So, I guess it depends on what your's and your partner's plans are. If you want to marry in Ireland and don't mind the waiting, then it's definitely do-able. If you are wanting to get married in the near future and move here, then marrying in the US would be your best bet.

also check out...

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/News/ ... m-tomorrow

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categ ... e_ceremony

sacalfee wrote:Hello. I'm desperately seeking a few answers about Irish immigration. My boyfriend is Irish. I am American. We want to get married so that I can immigrate to Ireland and also work there.

Does anyone know what the process is for a non EU national to marry an Irish citizen? Do any forms need to be filled out for visas?

Once we do get married, how do I set about getting a work permit?

How long will it take?

If anyone can help me answer these questions, I'll be eternally grateful.

Also be aware that if you marry in Ireland it takes several years should it come to the worst and you are to divorce.
I know it's not a cheerful thought but it could make your bad situation worse should it come to that.