Students
A non-EEA national can apply for visa and and residence permission in the State for the purpose of study.
Student visas are issued on very specific terms:
- that the student will attend their course of study,
- work only specific restrictive hours,
- will have no recourse to State funds, and
- will leave the State at the expiration of the permission to remain.
Students are issued Stamp 2 permission to remain, generally for one year or less at a time.
All courses of study are to be divided into two categories.
- The first category consists of the Non Degree and Language courses.
- The second category consists of the Degree/Masters/PHD courses (courses which attain a National Framework Qualification level 7 or higher).
A cap on the period of time that a student will be permitted to remain in the State will be applied depending on which category of course the student falls into.
A seven year cap will be applied to students studying Degree/PHD courses, with the exception of
- a PHD level course that is longer in duration than 7 years or
- where special permission for an extension is granted by the Department of Justice.
A three year cap will be applied to students studying Language or non Degree Courses, with the exception of
- those students who proceed to studying a further course in the Degree course category, and
- where special permission for an extension is granted by the Department of Justice.
Stamp 2 permission is not reckonable towards naturalisation. However, in some cases non nationals resident in the State on stamp 2 permissions can apply to have their status changed to other reckonable residence permissions, such as stamp 1, stamp 3 and stamp 4.
We assist many students navigate the student pathway towards acquiring or renewing their stamp 2 permission.