Eligibility Quiz
Do you hold 'Refugee Status' or 'Subsidiary Protection' in Ireland?
Requirements
To qualify as a Sponsor, you must hold a current declaration of Refugee Status or Subsidiary Protection. If you hold "Permission to Remain" (under Section 49 of the 2015 Act), you are not eligible for this specific pathway and must apply under general immigration rules instead.
The Two-Year Rule
Under the International Protection Bill 2026, adult sponsors must have resided in Ireland for at least two years after being granted their protection status before they are eligible to apply for family members to join them.
Eligible Family Members
The law strictly limits who you can sponsor under this pathway. You may only apply for:
- Spouses or Civil Partners: Your marriage or civil partnership must have existed before you applied for international protection in Ireland.
- Minor Children: Your children must be under the age of 18 and unmarried at the time you applied for international protection.
- Parents and Siblings (Minor Sponsors only): If you are under 18 and unmarried, you can apply for your parents and their other unmarried children under 18 (your siblings).
Key Limitations
- Post-Flight Relationships: If you married or entered a partnership after arriving in Ireland or after your protection application was filed, that partner does not qualify under this statutory scheme.
- Adult Children and De Facto Partners: Children over 18 or long-term partners you are not married to are not covered by this Act. You must apply for them via "Ministerial Discretion," which is a much more difficult process with no guaranteed right of approval.
- The 12-Month Deadline: You must submit your application within 12 months of receiving your official letter granting you protection status. Missing this deadline can lead to a mandatory refusal, though exceptional human rights cases are occasionally considered.
Conditions & Warnings
A mandatory 2-year waiting period for sponsors was introduced by the International Protection Bill 2026.
Applications must be submitted within 12 months of the sponsor receiving their declaration of status.
Only marriages subsisting at the time of the sponsor's protection application qualify; post-flight marriages are excluded from this statutory pathway.
Qualifications
No language requirement for family reunification under the International Protection Act.
Fees
No fee for the initial application; however, family members must pay €300 for IRP registration upon arrival and potential visa fees.