25 signatures reached
To: The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and DFA
Extension of IRP validity to two years for international post-graduate research students.
1. Extend the validity of Irish Residence Permit of International post-graduate research students to two years.
2. Issue multi-entry visa valid for the same period, i.e., two years.
Why is this important?
1. The annual IRP renewal requirement has become a nuisance for international post-graduate research students, as it hinders their ability to attend research seminars, conferences, workshops, summer schools and research visits within & outside EU. [A]
2. The entire process of:
a. Finding an appointment;
b. Arranging the required documents;
c. Attending the appointment in person;
d. Waiting for the IRP to arrive;
e. Getting a bank draft ready;
f. Applying for a multi-entry visa via An POST;
g. Followed by the hassle of applying for country or region specific visa i.e., Schengen visa, is just too time consuming and cumbersome for us.
3. The entire process needs to be rethought if high-quality research outputs are expected to be delivered by highly-qualified, international post-graduate research students.
[A] Please see https://visaguide.world/europe/schengen-visa