Regaining stamp 4 after it's been expired for two years

[avro1959]

Folks, I've tried searching the forum for an answer to this but wasn't able to find relevant results.

Short story for context: I'm Canadian and my spouse is Irish, we flew into DUB late 2019 with our marriage cert and declared our intent to stay; we hit up Burgh Quay and I was issued a 3-year IRP (stamp 4). Went back to Canada to wrap things up but after some unexpected medical issues + a pandemic, we were unable to complete our move to Ireland. Around 2021 we moved to Belfast and have lived there since. My stamp 4 IRP expired in 2022 and I naively didn't think to inform INIS that we left the country. Now we're looking to move to the republic and I'm trying to figure out my next steps.

Question: has anyone been in a similar situation with a long-expired stamp 4 IRP (based on Irish spouse)? Was there a way to renew the IRP after expiry or is the best approach to re-do a "landing" at DUB airport with our marriage cert and try to get a new IRP at Burgh Quay?

[Angel99]

Folks, I've tried searching the forum for an answer to this but wasn't able to find relevant results.

Short story for context: I'm Canadian and my spouse is Irish, we flew into DUB late 2019 with our marriage cert and declared our intent to stay; we hit up Burgh Quay and I was issued a 3-year IRP (stamp 4). Went back to Canada to wrap things up but after some unexpected medical issues + a pandemic, we were unable to complete our move to Ireland. Around 2021 we moved to Belfast and have lived there since. My stamp 4 IRP expired in 2022 and I naively didn't think to inform INIS that we left the country. Now we're looking to move to the republic and I'm trying to figure out my next steps.

Question: has anyone been in a similar situation with a long-expired stamp 4 IRP (based on Irish spouse)? Was there a way to renew the IRP after expiry or is the best approach to re-do a "landing" at DUB airport with our marriage cert and try to get a new IRP at Burgh Quay?

Hi,

You can just cross from NI to Ireland via car or train and apply for Stamp 4 again at the Garda Immigration office or Burgh Quay. You don't need to fly to Dublin airport. Just show them your residency in NI.

After 1 year of living in Ireland you can apply for Irish citizenship since your stay in NI with your Irish spouse counts towards Irish naturalisation for Irish spouses.

[avro1959]

You can just cross from NI to Ireland via car or train and apply for Stamp 4 again at the Garda Immigration office or Burgh Quay. You don't need to fly to Dublin airport. Just show them your residency in NI.

Thank you for the reply Angel99. I was under the impression that I cannot apply for an IRP while on a tourist/temporary visitor permission. Wouldn't I be entering as a temporary visitor if I crossed the (unmanned) border from NI to ROI? I may try this route if there's no harm in doing so (although I'm not entirely knowledgeable about the consequences of such stuff).

After 1 year of living in Ireland you can apply for Irish citizenship since your stay in NI with your Irish spouse counts towards Irish naturalisation for Irish spouses.

I'm already eligible to apply for Irish citizenship based on the spousal route and 3 years of legal residence in NI - I'll be doing up the application asap. We're just trying to move back to ROI in the short-term, hence trying to figure out the IRP situation.

[Angel99]

You can apply for stamp 4 on the route i suggested.

You are already on the Island of Ireland (IE + NI), UK and Ireland also have CTA + you have visa waiver. Go to your nearest town Garda Immigration office at the border after entering Ireland and get an entry stamp from them. Then apply for the Stamp 4 at your place of residence.

The nearest towns enroute to the Republic are;

Omeath
Dundalk
Letterkenny
Cavan
Monaghan

[Vadrar]

UK and Ireland also have CTA

The Common Travel Area only exists for Irish and British citizens; it is irrelevant to anyone else. Checks are rare but it can’t be legally used by anyone other than Irish or British and it’s best not to suggest it is available to others. Citizens with visa waiver rights crossing by road are relying on their visa waiver rights, not the CTA, even if it feels the same. It won’t make much difference to the OP, but it can confuse other readers without visa waiver rights.

[Angel99]

UK and Ireland also have CTA

The Common Travel Area only exists for Irish and British citizens; it is irrelevant to anyone else. Checks are rare but it can’t be legally used by anyone other than Irish or British and it’s best not to suggest it is available to others. Citizens with visa waiver rights crossing by road are relying on their visa waiver rights, not the CTA, even if it feels the same. It won’t make much difference to the OP, but it can confuse other readers without visa waiver rights.

Hi,

You are aware EU and Irish spouses can cross from UK to Ireland and apply for Stamp 4EUFam and Stamp 4(via
Irish National Unit, Immigration Service Delivery) if the Irish spouse doesn't have Irish visa even if they are not visa waiver nationals.

That's why I mentioned CTA in my advise.

The post is about spouses of Irish citizens.