thai wife wants to apply for irish naturalisation . BELFAST

[dmax]

i am dual national with uk / eire passports, wife is in belfast under eea rules, she is currently applying for permanent residence, i want her to apply for irish naturalisation, where to apply ? what is cost ? waiting times ?

would she be better applying to have irish naturalisation , i have heard it is easier for her , her 5 year resident stamp is due to expire in march 2013 .

we have a baby born in belfast, our baby will soon have an irish passport also like myself, will this make it harder for uk government to send her back to thailand , mother cannot be seperated from her child.

any help much appreciated thankyou

[Malika]

i am dual national with uk / eire passports, wife is in belfast under eea rules, she is currently applying for permanent residence, i want her to apply for irish naturalisation, where to apply ? what is cost ? waiting times ?

If your wife meets the conditions with regard to Naturalisation as a spouse of an Irish National,then yes, she can apply. Waiting times can be lengthy, it all depends on the Immigration officials.

For how to apply and where,

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/WP07000024

More information for spouse of Irish National,

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/mo ... riage.html

would she be better applying to have irish naturalisation , i have heard it is easier for her , her 5 year resident stamp is due to expire in march 2013 .

Naturalisation is a long process so its better to renew residency because she will not get naturalised in time. some people have been waiting for 3 years.

we have a baby born in belfast, our baby will soon have an irish passport also like myself, will this make it harder for uk government to send her back to thailand , mother cannot be seperated from her child.

This is a very strong point in argument for residency. This guarantees that the child will not be separated from their parents. have you heard of the Zambrano ruling?

Regards,

[Ben]

our baby will soon have an irish passport also like myself, will this make it harder for uk government to send her back to thailand , mother cannot be seperated from her child.

Why is this an issue?

[dmax]

our baby will soon have an irish passport also like myself, will this make it harder for uk government to send her back to thailand , mother cannot be seperated from her child.

Why is this an issue?

can you be specific , why can what be an issue ?

[Ben]

our baby will soon have an irish passport also like myself, will this make it harder for uk government to send her back to thailand , mother cannot be seperated from her child.

Why is this an issue?

can you be specific , why can what be an issue ?

Your wife has been lawfully resident in the UK for at least five years in conformity with European and UK law. She is the spouse and mother of EU nationals. She has acquired the right of permanent residence under EC law. She is considered a person "present and settled" in the UK and is not subject to immigration control.

I'm not sure why you feel your wife is at risk of being "sent back to Thailand".

[dmax]

i do not really know if she is at risk from being sent back, guess i am listening to many rumours, she is settled in belfast with child born in uk, does this mean she cannot be sent back to thailand, visa eea rules not easy to understand . sorry

her permit runs out on march 2013. what happens after that if they refuse her permanent residence ? or can ukba refuse her permanent residence ?

thankyou

[Ben]

So long as you've been working, self-employed, studying or financially self-sufficient throughout the past 5 years, your wife automatically acquired the right of permanent residence in the UK as soon as she'd been resident for exactly 5 years, as your spouse.

Permanent residence isn't applied for, it's acquired automatically. It is an entitlement.

In March 2013 your wife's voluntarily acquired residence card of a family member of a Union citizen might expire, but it has no bearing on her right of residence or permanent residence.

She can choose to apply for a permanent residence card now if she likes. Again, it's voluntary, but advisable since it helps to evidence to those in authority (immigration officers, employers, etc.) that your wife is a person not subject to immigration control and who is present and settled in the UK having acquired the right of permanent residency under European Union law.

Regarding Irish citizenship, since your wife meets the eligibility criteria for application I would recommend she applies for it.