Foreign Birth Registration

[meself2]

Some interesting news recently. My documents for FBR were received in June 2019. I was getting increasingly concerned at not hearing anything so a couple months ago I called the FBR number and explained my concern. I was told to relax. Everything is fine and I should hear shortly.

As I learned about more applicants receiving approvals with significantly later dates but still no word on mine, I called again. This time I was told there was an “issue” with applications submitted around that time. I was given an address and instructed to send an official letter of inquiry via post with the details of my application. He would not elaborate on what he meant by “an issue “ but my worst fear now seems more likely than before - that a number of applications were lost or destroyed during or before the shutdown. The office was obviously not prepared for the onslaught of applications caused by BREXiT and the shutdown during COVID could have pushed them well beyond there ability to safely store, organize, or otherwise protect documents

Oh jeez, everything about that is a nightmare. What's worse is they now are requiring you to send an official letter via mail? I mean could you pick a slower method? Good luck getting this resolved as quickly as possible!

This was the address I was given to write my letter of inquiry. I wrote it down exactly as it was given in that order, but I am not really sure of the correct format for addressing. I could use some help. I always wrote the country name last, but that is not how it was given to me. Any suggestions?
PO BOX 13003
Balbriggan, Dublin 4
County Dublin, Ireland
Aircode K32AE72

It seems to be fine both ways: can have country name last, can have it as given, but I'd say your way is better - have it at the bottom.
A few other notes: in Ireland they usually shorten counties as Co. (so Co. Dublin).
And it's not Aircode, it's Eircode (eircode.ie). Don't even write the word, just K32AE72.

[ncponyboy]

Woke up to my Congratulations email.

Application submitted: Dec 2019
Documents accepted: Jan 17 2020
Address verification: Feb 23 2022
Congratulations email: March 7 2022

[Paddywelshman]

So two years into my wait… hoping to get all them docs back soon, just a question for those blessed enough to have had received their certs, are they essentially birth certificates? I’m due to get married in August and It’s cutting it fine and I’ll have to get it apostilled and also apply for the passport and extra certificate of freedom to marry. Getting a little nervous to say the least

[Dalton_Trumbo]

Woke up to my Congratulations email.

Application submitted: Dec 2019
Documents accepted: Jan 17 2020
Address verification: Feb 23 2022
Congratulations email: March 7 2022

Congrats! Love to see the Jan 2020s getting through. Hoping us Feb 2020s start getting some love too.

[Dalton_Trumbo]

So two years into my wait… hoping to get all them docs back soon, just a question for those blessed enough to have had received their certs, are they essentially birth certificates? I’m due to get married in August and It’s cutting it fine and I’ll have to get it apostilled and also apply for the passport and extra certificate of freedom to marry. Getting a little nervous to say the least

that is cutting it close. In the US you can order an official copy of your birth certificate which functions the same as the original (originals do get lost). I would just order an official copy and then use that for the marriage related duties. I assume it works similar in other countries as well?

[Paddywelshman]

So two years into my wait… hoping to get all them docs back soon, just a question for those blessed enough to have had received their certs, are they essentially birth certificates? I’m due to get married in August and It’s cutting it fine and I’ll have to get it apostilled and also apply for the passport and extra certificate of freedom to marry. Getting a little nervous to say the least

that is cutting it close. In the US you can order an official copy of your birth certificate which functions the same as the original (originals do get lost). I would just order an official copy and then use that for the marriage related duties. I assume it works similar in other countries as well?

Yeh it works that way it’s just about the amount of paperwork I’m getting married in the eu and the Irish stuff would cut out a lot of extra steps

[JeremyNYC]

FBR cert arrived today. I updated the spreadsheet.

Timeline:
Application sent: Dec 16 2019
Docs Received: Dec 19 2019
Address Confirmation: Feb 10 2022 (responded immediately with new address proof)
Congrats email: Feb 24 2022 (emailed Feb 23 asking on status)
FBR arrival: Mar 2 2022 (cert is dated Feb 11, mailed to Florida)

Congrats Jeremy! So basically 2 weeks between address confirm and congrats email due to change of address?

I think someone else had a quick (1-2 day) turnaround who also changed their address. It's hard to tell what the process is -- did my Feb 23 nudge cause the congrats email (there wasn't a response to the nudge, just the congrats the next morning)? or is there an automatic reminder that kicks off after 2 weeks?

[Jojo1904]

FBR cert arrived today. I updated the spreadsheet.

Timeline:
Application sent: Dec 16 2019
Docs Received: Dec 19 2019
Address Confirmation: Feb 10 2022 (responded immediately with new address proof)
Congrats email: Feb 24 2022 (emailed Feb 23 asking on status)
FBR arrival: Mar 2 2022 (cert is dated Feb 11, mailed to Florida)

Congrats Jeremy! So basically 2 weeks between address confirm and congrats email due to change of address?

I think someone else had a quick (1-2 day) turnaround who also changed their address. It's hard to tell what the process is -- did my Feb 23 nudge cause the congrats email (there wasn't a response to the nudge, just the congrats the next morning)? or is there an automatic reminder that kicks off after 2 weeks?

It might have been me. I had a really quick turnaround. It wasn’t even a half hour after I updated my new address that I received the congratulations email from Claire in Team 1. Her email wasn’t your standard scripted one either so it was reassuring to know they actually read your emails!

[JohnFBR]

I heard from FBR today they are working on January 2020 currently. I have spotted one Feb 2020 in the Google doc has been processed though.

Seems current processing time is around 2years+2months.

[Dalton_Trumbo]

I heard from FBR today they are working on January 2020 currently. I have spotted one Feb 2020 in the Google doc has been processed though.

Seems current processing time is around 2years+2months.

That is great news. It definitely seems like the processing time has quickened in past few months. For a while there it seemed to be close to or more than 30+ months and I was settling in for a long haul. As a Feb 14, 2020, I'm hopeful I'll be done by June.

Curious how did you hear from them?

[ncponyboy]

On the passport application it states to send your current passport if you have one from another country. Does anyone know if that is required? With a 40 workday turn around time for first time applicants, I can't be without my US passport that long.

[Dalton_Trumbo]

On the passport application it states to send your current passport if you have one from another country. Does anyone know if that is required? With a 40 workday turn around time for first time applicants, I can't be without my US passport that long.

Fairly sure I've seen people say you can send a copy as long as it's notarized (and maybe witnessed). Sure someone else will chime in here. There also is a first time passport application thread on here, you could ask over there as well.

[Suro]

On the passport application it states to send your current passport if you have one from another country. Does anyone know if that is required? With a 40 workday turn around time for first time applicants, I can't be without my US passport that long.

Yes I can confirm a certified by your witness copy is perfectly fine for the passport application, or at least it was for my husbands first time passport.

[TrishMc]

On the passport application it states to send your current passport if you have one from another country. Does anyone know if that is required? With a 40 workday turn around time for first time applicants, I can't be without my US passport that long.

Yes I can confirm a certified by your witness copy is perfectly fine for the passport application, or at least it was for my husbands first time passport.

Why does your witness for the FBR application have anything to do with the passport application? Wouldn't any type of witness from the approved list be suitable?

[thommykins]

Wahoo! I'm officially Irish! Will be enjoying a Guinness tonight!

Application submitted: Jan 2020
Documents accepted: Feb 24 2020
Address verification: Mar 1 2022
Congratulations email: March 9 2022

Now to wait for my docs to be returned to Australia... so I can send them back as part of my Irish passport application

[Dalton_Trumbo]

This may be a dumb question, but I was wondering about it as I watch the approvals and people applying for their passports after FBR. Aren't passport applications able to be processed at embassies? I know in New York previously the embassy used to provide FBR and passport services. There is an Irish Embassy in San Francisco as well, I live in California now. Do you have to send all the documents back Dublin again rather than a local embassy to get a passport?
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I seem to remember that a primary services of Embassies was visas and passports. Maybe it's changed.

Just curious.

[thommykins]

This may be a dumb question, but I was wondering about it as I watch the approvals and people applying for their passports after FBR. Aren't passport applications able to be processed at embassies? I know in New York previously the embassy used to provide FBR and passport services. There is an Irish Embassy in San Francisco as well, I live in California now. Do you have to send all the documents back Dublin again rather than a local embassy to get a passport?
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I seem to remember that a primary services of Embassies was visas and passports. Maybe it's changed.

Just curious.

I thought the same thing, but the congrats email directed me to apply online (because I live in Australia I can do this - not all countries can). At the end of the process it says to send documents to Balbriggan!

[Dalton_Trumbo]

This may be a dumb question, but I was wondering about it as I watch the approvals and people applying for their passports after FBR. Aren't passport applications able to be processed at embassies? I know in New York previously the embassy used to provide FBR and passport services. There is an Irish Embassy in San Francisco as well, I live in California now. Do you have to send all the documents back Dublin again rather than a local embassy to get a passport?
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I seem to remember that a primary services of Embassies was visas and passports. Maybe it's changed.

Just curious.

I thought the same thing, but the congrats email directed me to apply online (because I live in Australia I can do this - not all countries can). At the end of the process it says to send documents to Balbriggan!

Yea, US can apply online as well. I'm guessing at some point applying online was faster than the embassy, but nowadays it seems like it's 3 - 4 months applying online.
Anyway, it looks like it must've changed at some point. DFA website tells me the only way I can apply is online. oh well. Just seems weird that instead of spreading the work of doing passports across all the embassies, they do all the work with 1 team in Dublin. must be for security reasons or something.

[TrishMc]

I believe online appications for passport renewals has been the standard for years, and during COVID they moved all new passport applicaitions online as well. I got something from my embassy in late 2020, or 2021 about that, IIRC.

[Red tape cutter]

Just wanted to ask if anyone has had success registering on the basis of a grandparent *without* state ID?

I'm apply for my kids, but my Irish father has no passport/driving license or similar due to age and various medical conditions. I have a letter from his doctor, addressed to the FBR unit, explaining that he is in care and is non-capacitous and unable to communicate, but am unsure whether this will be good enough!? Has anyone had any success with similar?

I'm wary of sending everything off and not hearing for two or more years whether it's sufficient or not. In the absence of telephone line, email address or webchat function, I tried asking the local Irish embassy where I am, but they wouldn't commit in any way and just directed me back to the FBR unit webpage.

(Obviously, the other option would be to wait for the inevitable with my father, but from what I've been told that could be tomorrow or years away, so want to get the FBR submission in as I've put this off several years already).

[TrishMc]

Just wanted to ask if anyone has had success registering on the basis of a grandparent *without* state ID?

I'm apply for my kids, but my Irish father has no passport/driving license or similar due to age and various medical conditions. I have a letter from his doctor, addressed to the FBR unit, explaining that he is in care and is non-capacitous and unable to communicate, but am unsure whether this will be good enough!? Has anyone had any success with similar?

I'm wary of sending everything off and not hearing for two or more years whether it's sufficient or not. In the absence of telephone line, email address or webchat function, I tried asking the local Irish embassy where I am, but they wouldn't commit in any way and just directed me back to the FBR unit webpage.

(Obviously, the other option would be to wait for the inevitable with my father, but from what I've been told that could be tomorrow or years away, so want to get the FBR submission in as I've put this off several years already).

You should be fine with the doctor's letter but probably safer to have it witnessed with the same witness you used for everything else. I assume you have his BC, your BC with his name, etc...

[Mandino55]

Wahoo! I'm officially Irish! Will be enjoying a Guinness tonight!

Application submitted: Jan 2020
Documents accepted: Feb 24 2020
Address verification: Mar 1 2022
Congratulations email: March 9 2022

Now to wait for my docs to be returned to Australia... so I can send them back as part of my Irish passport application

Wow congrats! An end of February application is very exciting also!

[TrishMc]

Wahoo! I'm officially Irish! Will be enjoying a Guinness tonight!

Application submitted: Jan 2020
Documents accepted: Feb 24 2020
Address verification: Mar 1 2022
Congratulations email: March 9 2022

Now to wait for my docs to be returned to Australia... so I can send them back as part of my Irish passport application

Wow congrats! An end of February application is very exciting also!

thommykins, please update the spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... =108802943

so we can all celebrate the new datapoint!

[jjustyy]

Wahoo! I'm officially Irish! Will be enjoying a Guinness tonight!

Application submitted: Jan 2020
Documents accepted: Feb 24 2020
Address verification: Mar 1 2022
Congratulations email: March 9 2022

Now to wait for my docs to be returned to Australia... so I can send them back as part of my Irish passport application

Wow congrats! An end of February application is very exciting also!

thommykins, please update the spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... =108802943

so we can all celebrate the new datapoint!

It's done, I updated it for him yesterday.

[TrishMc]

OK, yes, I see the update now. Interesting that it didn't show in the A2 dropdown for a while when I looked, but it did show in the body... And then it updated in line 2.

So this is scored on the monthly summary page as a January 2020 application. Had to look at the calcs to see if it was application date or docs received date that was used for the monthly summary.