FILIPINOS ARE now the top nationality applying for citizenship, new figures reveal. Nearly 20,000 applications are now pending at the Department of Justice, with the average processing period at 26 months.
This timeframe is up from that supplied by the department in December, when processing times were at 24 months and approximately 18,500 applications were pending.
Meanwhile, Filipinos also head the list of long-term residency applicants, with a total of approximately 6,500 applications pending, and a waiting period of around 16 months. Filipinos are followed by Indians, Ukrainians, South Africans and Chinese.
The current refusal rates for citizenship and long-term residency applications are at 19.9 per cent for 2009, often due to incomplete applications or applicants not having fulfilled the required residency period of five years living in Ireland.
Top five nationalities seeking citizenship
Philippines 2,818
Nigeria 2,516
Pakistan 1,528
India 1,345
Bangladesh 857
