6 weeks away after submitting application

[professor_007]

Hey all,

Need quick clarification/advice on my situation.

I had applied for citizenship on 29th June 2021, got my passport & confirmation letter back on 5th November 2021.

Soon after that, I had to travel to Belgium for a week in November. Then I went home from 5th December 2021 with a plan to return on 2nd Jan 2022, thinking it'd be within 6 weeks. I had to go home as I couldn't see my family since May 2019 due to all the pandemic and travel restrictions saga for two years.

Unfortunately, few in my family were tested positive for Covid over a period of two weeks. So I had to isolate myself for two weeks and finally, I could travel on 24th Jan.

My question is did I cross the 6 weeks barrier? Do I need to write to the ISD explaining this? Is the 6-week rule for a calendar year or it's from the day I submitted my application till it gets approved?

It is so frustrating that they restrict even after submitting the application. So it's more like we are being asked not to go out of Ireland for more than 6 weeks for nearly 3 years (one year before application + until the application is approved which might take upto two years)

I guess someone has faced a similar issue and can shed some light on this?

Thanks in advance!

[meself2]

I'd expect it to be 6 weeks within a year, but fiscal year, not a calendar one. So if you applied on June 2021, your year is June 2021 - June 2022.

It is so frustrating that they restrict even after submitting the application. So it's more like we are being asked not to go out of Ireland for more than 6 weeks for nearly 3 years (one year before application + until the application is approved which might take upto two years)

True, but, unfortunately, that's the price of citizenship.

[mentalmind]

I would like to chime in with my 2 cents here. I think “in a year” term is being exaggerated. ISD website doesn’t contain any term as “fiscal” or not it just says “notify if you are away for more than 6 weeks in a year”. No fiscal, no calendar year, nothing. We are making this a big issue.

Besides, away for more than 6 weeks doesn’t mean disqualification for anything, if you want a peace of mind, send an email/letter to ISD, state your application number, list your absences and tell your story and it will be grand. For continuous residency calculation, what I read on this board, sourced as email from ISD helpdesk team is, the days you left Ireland (aka departing flight) and arrived to Ireland (aka arrival flights) doesn’t count as absent days and in total you are allowed to have 42 days absent from country. You have a good reason to be away so just mention it, if needed, show proof.

They just want applicants to notify them as they still have connection to Ireland after their application is submitted.

And I am ready to be proven wrong if there is any official source about this “1 year after application thing” as explained on their website. Not an email from ISD or based on some other message in this board. An average applicant that haven’t emailed to ISD or didn’t read the posts here, they would have no clue about this fiscal year or some other calendar year calculation, this is just an over thinking happening in this forum.

Only 6 weeks allowance that should be calculated for past 365 is based on your application date, which is explained in form 8 and called as “continued residency”.

[meself2]

I would like to chime in with my 2 cents here. I think “in a year” term is being exaggerated. ISD website doesn’t contain any term as “fiscal” or not it just says “notify if you are away for more than 6 weeks in a year”. No fiscal, no calendar year, nothing. We are making this a big issue.

Besides, away for more than 6 weeks doesn’t mean disqualification for anything, if you want a peace of mind, send an email/letter to ISD, state your application number, list your absences and tell your story and it will be grand. For continuous residency calculation, what I read on this board, sourced as email from ISD helpdesk team is, the days you left Ireland (aka departing flight) and arrived to Ireland (aka arrival flights) doesn’t count as absent days and in total you are allowed to have 42 days absent from country. You have a good reason to be away so just mention it, if needed, show proof.

They just want applicants to notify them as they still have connection to Ireland after their application is submitted.

And I am ready to be proven wrong if there is any official source about this “1 year after application thing” as explained on their website. Not an email from ISD or based on some other message in this board. An average applicant that haven’t emailed to ISD or didn’t read the posts here, they would have no clue about this fiscal year or some other calendar year calculation, this is just an over thinking happening in this forum.

Only 6 weeks allowance that should be calculated for past 365 is based on your application date, which is explained in form 8 and called as “continued residency”.

You certainly have a point - ISD is way too vague with some of their rules and regulations and I don't think there is an explicit statement for that besides what they say on the site (but would be more than glad to take a look at it if there is). However, in my opinion, better to be on the safe side and let ISD know so that cannot be used against you if they'll try to make it an issue.

[professor_007]

I would like to chime in with my 2 cents here. I think “in a year” term is being exaggerated. ISD website doesn’t contain any term as “fiscal” or not it just says “notify if you are away for more than 6 weeks in a year”. No fiscal, no calendar year, nothing. We are making this a big issue.

Besides, away for more than 6 weeks doesn’t mean disqualification for anything, if you want a peace of mind, send an email/letter to ISD, state your application number, list your absences and tell your story and it will be grand. For continuous residency calculation, what I read on this board, sourced as email from ISD helpdesk team is, the days you left Ireland (aka departing flight) and arrived to Ireland (aka arrival flights) doesn’t count as absent days and in total you are allowed to have 42 days absent from country. You have a good reason to be away so just mention it, if needed, show proof.

They just want applicants to notify them as they still have connection to Ireland after their application is submitted.

And I am ready to be proven wrong if there is any official source about this “1 year after application thing” as explained on their website. Not an email from ISD or based on some other message in this board. An average applicant that haven’t emailed to ISD or didn’t read the posts here, they would have no clue about this fiscal year or some other calendar year calculation, this is just an over thinking happening in this forum.

Only 6 weeks allowance that should be calculated for past 365 is based on your application date, which is explained in form 8 and called as “continued residency”.

You are right, but it's a grey area that no one is sure of, that's what is concerning me.
Anyway, I'm still waiting for the response to my email. Hope to hear soon from them.

[Jz781704]

Hi, Did you get a reply from ISD on the year clarification. I'm also having a similar issue and confused about calendar year or application date year.