The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality announces a public consultation on a review of Ireland’s immigration policy for non-EEA retirees who wish to retire in Ireland
13 September, 2016
The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality today launched a public consultation on a review of Ireland’s immigration policy for non-EEA retirees who wish to retire in Ireland.
Commenting on the review, the Tánaiste said:
“I recognise that many non-EEA nationals who seek to retire in Ireland may wish to do so on foot of a special connection with or affinity for this country. At the same time, we must ensure that the wider public interests are protected. I encourage all those with an interest in this matter to contribute to this consultation.”
Retiring abroad raises many complex and challenging issues.
An internal review of the existing guidance has been conducted by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS).
Some of the key changes proposed include:
o A proposal to reduce the net annual income requirement for applicants from €50,000 per applicant to €40,000 per applicant or €60,000 in the case of a couple applying as joint applicants;
o A proposal to introduce mandatory pre-clearance for applicants rather than allowing applications from within the country as is presently the case;
o A proposal to limit the scheme to non-EEA retirees to Ireland who can demonstrate a close connection to this country.
This consultation seeks the views of interested stakeholders on the outcome of this internal review.
The review document, which also contains details of how to make a submission, can downloaded at the following link: Public Consultation Sept 2016 - Non-EEA Retirees
The closing date for submissions is Monday 31 October 2016.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Background
Over a number of years a steady stream of applications has been received from retired persons seeking to come and live in Ireland. The number of applications in 2015 was of the order of 100 with an additional 150 renewals of permissions granted in earlier years.
In order to bring greater clarity and consistency to the area and to take account of some of the economic issues involved, guidance was published on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) in March 2015. In the light of the experience gained since then, it is considered appropriate to review and update the guidelines as appropriate.
It is acknowledged that retirement planning is not something that takes place overnight and that there are people who had aspired to retire to Ireland. An internal review of the existing guidance for non-EEA retirees has been conducted setting out the key issues for consideration and the policy choices to be made and the appropriate balance between the aspirations of the prospective retirees and the interests of the State.
A number of recommendations on foot of this review have been developed and these are set out in the review document. The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality would welcome the views of stakeholders on the changes proposed with a view to finalising revised guidance and requirements later this year.