Naturalisation & 6wk+ absences

[Tincho]

Hey all,

I have spent the last year and a half trying to find proper documentation about the exact requirements for naturalisation and any obstacles I might encounter. As you might imagine, my research was not very fruitful.

In about 6 months I would have enough reckonable residence to apply (even when subtracting trips), but there are two things that really worry me:

• Previously, I have been absent from the state loads (legally resident 8 years, only 5 physically here), some years spending more time travelling than here. Does anybody have experience about this being an issue or not? I am afraid they might reject on the basis of not being properly attached to the country or somesuch.
• For the final 12 months before applying, I am being very careful about the days spent outside Ireland. But I still need to travel to conferences and to see customers. Has anybody got experience applying with (justified) absences like these that added to normal trips would total more than 6 weeks?

Thanks. Hopefully some day we will get a Minister of Justice that enjoys less making people anxious by making life-defining processes uncertain and fuzzy.

[javiercarrillo]

Also wondering if someone had any experience with this. Due to work I travel overseas a lot. I have now been living in Ireland for 5years but in the last 12 months I was out more than 6 weeks (4 weeks due to work).

I am wondering if getting a letter from my HR department stating the reasons of my travels would serve as justification (I've only been 2 weeks out of Ireland for personal reasons which would be less than the 6 weeks).

Has anybody had a similar experience?

[littlerr]

Also wondering if someone had any experience with this. Due to work I travel overseas a lot. I have now been living in Ireland for 5years but in the last 12 months I was out more than 6 weeks (4 weeks due to work).

I am wondering if getting a letter from my HR department stating the reasons of my travels would serve as justification (I've only been 2 weeks out of Ireland for personal reasons which would be less than the 6 weeks).

Has anybody had a similar experience?

I would not risk it. Regardless of how excellent the letter is written, there have been many cases where an applicant is turned down because of this 6-week rule. Besides, there is no distinction between work trips and personal trips. The only exception would be emergencies such as family bereavement or on medical grounds.

And answering your question in the other post about the applicable year for the 6-week rule, it's the 365 days right before you get your solicitor to witness your application. You are required to sign your name and put in the current date in the presence of your solicitor. If it happens today (16 Oct 2018), then the 6-week refers to 17 Oct 2017 - 16 Oct 2018.

[javiercarrillo]

Thanks very much for the info, littler.

I contacted the Justice department asking about whether a letter from my company would be taken into consideration and they said yes. However, I've also been told in the past that the info might not be accurate and people still don't get the letter considered.

I wonder if you know about the following:

- what is the "risk" if I apply anyway? (beyond potentially wasting time and losing the fee I would pay). As in, if I get rejected, do I need to wait another year or get banned or ?

- a colleague mentioned that the 6 week rule also applies to previous years, as in, for example, back in 2014 I was abroad for more than 6 weeks (due to work too) so I will have to discount the total of days from the calculation. Is this true? Will I need to go and check on my travels for each of the previous 4 years (before the immediate year)?

Thanks again for any info,
Javier

[littlerr]

What's the risk - it's just a waste of energy, time and money. There's no "harm" doing it. They don't ban you or anything, but you just wasted a few months' processing time, a 950 euro application fee, a solicitor witness fee, and possibly you would have to apply for renew your GNIB due to the wasted time which is another 300 euro.

On top of all the money, you need to fill in the 10-page form again; you need to prepare 3 documents for each year's residence proof (note they don't return the documents to you if your application is rejected); you need to get 3 Irish people to endorse you; you need to get employment letters and print out a hell lot of bank statements/utility bills/P60 etc; you need to find another solicitor to witness it etc. In your application, you would also need to provide a reason for the previous application's rejection reason, and although no official data is available, I would imagine that it would take longer to process an application for a person who has a rejected application previously.

And yes if in any year you travelled for more than 6 weeks, you need to deduct them from your 5 years.

Let's say if you have travelled for 7 weeks in 3 of your last 5 years, I would just wait for an extra 5 months. Better safe than sorry.

[2pac4ever]

I don’t you should be so obsessed with this 6-week rule thing. It was introduced in 2016 after the Brexit referendum presumably to stop an influx of applications but it clearly hasn’t worked out. Also the actual details of how it works are not clear. My advice would be to apply and forget about it. Worse case scenario you have just wasted 175 euros!

[Tincho]

I appreciate the replies, but I would really like to know the experience of people who applied under similar conditions.

[2pac4ever]

I guess anyone who applied as stamp 4,1 has been over your situation. If you look over this forum there’re lot of examples. I also applied with stamp 4,1 and my application was approved yesterday. when I applied originally I wasn’t even aware of that 6-week rule. So my initial advice still stands. I don’t think they can expect someone to be living here for 5 years without going abroad!

[Tincho]

I guess anyone who applied as stamp 4,1 has been over your situation. If you look over this forum there’re lot of examples. I also applied with stamp 4,1 and my application was approved yesterday. when I applied originally I wasn’t even aware of that 6-week rule. So my initial advice still stands. I don’t think they can expect someone to be living here for 5 years without going abroad!

Congratulations on your approval!

So, I am interested in knowing about your application.. How many weeks have had you travelled in the year before applying? Did you provide justifications, proof it was for work, or something like that? DId they not seek clarifications about it?

[2pac4ever]

I guess anyone who applied as stamp 4,1 has been over your situation. If you look over this forum there’re lot of examples. I also applied with stamp 4,1 and my application was approved yesterday. when I applied originally I wasn’t even aware of that 6-week rule. So my initial advice still stands. I don’t think they can expect someone to be living here for 5 years without going abroad!

Congratulations on your approval!

So, I am interested in knowing about your application.. How many weeks have had you travelled in the year before applying? Did you provide justifications, proof it was for work, or something like that? DId they not seek clarifications about it?

Well, I have travelled a lot and I can’t even remember the number of days to be honest and as I said that before I wasn’t even aware of that 6-week rule when I applied (which is over a year ago). The fact that the rule was drafted in without any official explanation from INIS tells me that it is not clear how it is supposed to work and I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.

[Tincho]

Well, I have travelled a lot and I can’t even remember the number of days to be honest and as I said that before I wasn’t even aware of that 6-week rule when I applied (which is over a year ago). The fact that the rule was drafted in without any official explanation from INIS tells me that it is not clear how it is supposed to work and I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.

Well, the fact that it is not an published and official rule does not mean it is not enforced. A friend of mine got refused straight away earlier this year because of the 6 weeks. So yes, I do worry.

[sanzo]

Well, I have travelled a lot and I can’t even remember the number of days to be honest and as I said that before I wasn’t even aware of that 6-week rule when I applied (which is over a year ago). The fact that the rule was drafted in without any official explanation from INIS tells me that it is not clear how it is supposed to work and I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.

Well, the fact that it is not an published and official rule does not mean it is not enforced. A friend of mine got refused straight away earlier this year because of the 6 weeks. So yes, I do worry.

May I ask if he got refused at the first stage?

[Tincho]

Well, I have travelled a lot and I can’t even remember the number of days to be honest and as I said that before I wasn’t even aware of that 6-week rule when I applied (which is over a year ago). The fact that the rule was drafted in without any official explanation from INIS tells me that it is not clear how it is supposed to work and I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.

Well, the fact that it is not an published and official rule does not mean it is not enforced. A friend of mine got refused straight away earlier this year because of the 6 weeks. So yes, I do worry.

May I ask if he got refused at the first stage?

Yes.

[javiercarrillo]

FWIW, I contacted INIS via e-mail explaining my situation (e.g. traveling a lot due to work, not much I can do about that, work will provide justification for every single trip) and they said they would consider it.

Now, I've also been told by other people that the team replying via e-mail are not necessarily the ones validating the applications so, the e-mail answer should not be considered "100% safe". I guess I will go for it anyway.