Family visas are 'for visits only' says Justice Dept
MIGRANT PARENTS who want to bring relatives to Ireland for long-term childminding assistance have been given a blunt warning from the Department of Justice: ‘Forget it.’
Hundreds if not thousands of non-EU immigrant mothers and fathers – who are without their wider familial network in Ireland – have been seeking visitor visas for relatives who can help them avoid expensive childcare costs, hoping that their stay can be extended.
But the Department of Justice has insisted that childminding is not an acceptable reason to come to Ireland on a visitor visa.
“Childminding is generally not seen as a valid reason to come to Ireland on a visit visa,” said a spokesperson.
“In fact, our visa officers are very wary of deception in cases where a person, very often a grandparent or aunt or uncle, applies for a visit visa to visit family members, but their real intention is to stay in Ireland on a more permanent basis to mind their grandchildren or niece or nephew.”
