Ireland Announces 3 Categories of Residents Eligible to Sponsor Foreign Family Members

• Ireland's immigration authority has outlined three distinct sponsor categories for people who want to bring foreign relatives into the country
• Irish nationals fall under Category A, while holders of Critical Skills Employment Permits and other specialist permissions make up Category B
• Category C covers General Employment Permit holders and certain protected persons, though several groups remain entirely ineligible to sponsor anyone

Ireland has set out three distinct categories of people who qualify to sponsor foreign relatives for family reunification, with eligibility and financial requirements varying significantly across each group.

The Irish Immigration Service has published the criteria on its official website, detailing who can and cannot act as a sponsor under the country's Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy.

Who can sponsor foreign relatives to Ireland?

1. Category A is reserved solely for Irish nationals, making it the most straightforward group.

2. Category B covers a broader range of immigration permission holders, including Critical Skills Employment Permit holders, intra-company transferees, full-time non-locum doctors in employment, researchers on Hosting Agreements, investors on the Immigrant Investor Programme, and entrepreneurs on the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme. Also included are students on ISD-approved scholarship programmes such as KASP and PhD student permission holders, though additional conditions apply to the latter. Ministers of Religion under the relevant scheme are also listed in this category, subject to further conditions.

3. Category C includes General Employment Permit holders, Reactivation Employment Permit holders, and independent Stamp 4 holders not already covered under a higher category. Refugees and those granted subsidiary protection in Ireland are also treated as Category C sponsors, but only for relationships that began after they entered the state. These applicants must also wait a minimum of two years from the date international protection was granted before they can apply, and this waiting period cannot be waived.

Who cannot sponsor Ireland's family reunification application?

Several groups are explicitly excluded from acting as sponsors altogether. UK nationals have access to a separate dedicated scheme, as do EU nationals exercising free movement rights.

Beneficiaries of temporary protection cannot sponsor anyone, nor can most refugees and subsidiary protection recipients outside the specific scenario described under Category C. People residing in Ireland as students are also ineligible unless they fall within the Category B exceptions listed above, and graduates on the Third Level Graduate Programme are similarly excluded.

Financial thresholds tied to each category are detailed in Sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy Document, with requirements differing based on the sponsor's category and the family members involved.

Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.

Who Indonesia Golden Visa is designed for

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Indonesia's immigration authority described the Golden Visa as a pathway built for talented individuals who meet defined criteria.

Specific eligibility requirements and application resources are available through Indonesia's official immigration portal, where interested applicants can review which visa type fits their profile before submitting online.