University Fees

[Alenka]

Ladies and Gentlemen, please HELP? My daughter is starting college this year. I am Irish since last year. She is non- EU. I am leaving and paying taxes in Ireland for the last 11 years (so is my husband), she completed Primary Education in Ireland. Now I have to pay for her education €8000 a year because she is non- EU passport holder. By the way, these fees EU-fees, because she is a permanent resident, otherwise I think you pay fees as much as €15000. This is so unfair! I have no money like this. County Council Grant - she is not eligible for... because she is non EU...what now - no education???

[fatty patty]

Ladies and Gentlemen, please HELP? My daughter is starting college this year. I am Irish since last year. She is non- EU. I am leaving and paying taxes in Ireland for the last 11 years (so is my husband), she completed Primary Education in Ireland. Now I have to pay for her education €8000 a year because she is non- EU passport holder. By the way, these fees EU-fees, because she is a permanent resident, otherwise I think you pay fees as much as €15000. This is so unfair! I have no money like this. County Council Grant - she is not eligible for... because she is non EU...what now - no education???

Hi, your daughter can only qualify for free fees under free fees initiative if she meets the following criteria...

Free fees

In order to qualify for free fees you must have been living in an EEA member state or Switzerland for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your course. The members of the EEA (the European Economic Area) are the 27 members of the EU, along with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

You must also fulfil one of the following 6 criteria as regards citizenship and rights of residence in Ireland:

You must:

1.Be a citizen of an EEA member state (see above) or Switzerland or
2.Have official refugee status or
3.Be a family member of a refugee and have been granted permission to live in the State or
4.Be a family member of an EU national and have permission to live in the State, with a stamp “4EUFAMâ€

[cocoa123]

Is your daughter eligible to get an EU4Fam stamp as your family member? May be it would solve the problem.

[Alenka]

Many thanks, Fatty Patty!
May be you know if my daughter could be successful in obtaining 4EUFAM card? Can Irish apply for their member of the family for 4EUFAM card? Can she apply if her parents became Irish through naturalisation recently?

[fatty patty]

The only way IMO for your daughter to get EUFAM4 is that if you as an EU citizen has exercised your EU treaty rights in another EU member state and came back to Ireland, meaning you have worked and paid taxes or studied full time in say for e.g. UK or Germany for 6 months or more, this way you as an Irish living in Ireland can invoke EU treaty rights and get your daughter EUfam4 as a depedent, i think its called the SINGH route.

[HOTSPURS]

The only way IMO for your daughter to get EUFAM4 is that if you as an EU citizen has exercised your EU treaty rights in another EU member state and came back to Ireland, meaning you have worked and paid taxes or studied full time in say for e.g. UK or Germany for 6 months or more, this way you as an Irish living in Ireland can invoke EU treaty rights and get your daughter EUfam4 as a depedent, i think its called the SINGH route.

Hi fatty patty,
You're referring to dependent children of Irish Nationals that are NOT minors? i thought minor children of recently naturalized Irish citizen get EU4FAM without any hassle? can you clarify? Cheers

[fatty patty]

Hey dude, as far as my info goes an Irish citizen (wether born/naturalised) can only get his dependents EUFAM4 if he has exercised treaty rights elsewhere in EU. Domestic immigration rules apply if he/she has not. As far as getting minors and spouse of naturalised Irish getting stamps they probably get stamp 4 off the government not EU FAM 4. That is this reverese discrimination thing by the Irish govt that is talked about on this board by good few users.

[walrusgumble]

is daughter u18? get her to apply for citizenship NOW!.take 9 months. alternatively, take a year out defer cao course. talk up student union,college heads,and relevant tds

[walrusgumble]

Hey dude, as far as my info goes an Irish citizen (wether born/naturalised) can only get his dependents EUFAM4 if he has exercised treaty rights elsewhere in EU. Domestic immigration rules apply if he/she has not. As far as getting minors and spouse of naturalised Irish getting stamps they probably get stamp 4 off the government not EU FAM 4. That is this reverese discrimination thing by the Irish govt that is talked about on this board by good few users.

the college fees is a dept of education and college matter,not immigration matter.in light of facts its definitely worth not sitting back and tolerating it.speak to the relevant people

[Alenka]

Many thanks everyone for the replies. Daughter already took a year deferral and this September has to start college. She is 19 and applied for her Citizenship in January this year. It will probably take 2-3 years to get it. What can we do?

[fatty patty]

For the time being there is not much you can do, maybe letting your local TDs know about it especially Labour ones as the education ministry is under labour control. Your daughter situation is not a department of education matter but its immigration matter as it is her immigration status that is preventing her to enjoy EU fees. You are Irish (no matter what way you get it by birth or naturalisation you are Irish. Period) your dependents should not face this situation, infact you are discriminated by your own country but hey thats the way things are.