So I have been resident in Ireland for five years now.....

[Ohoopee]

I was under the impression that once I had been here for five years that the immigration officer would give me a stamp 4 automatically. I had my wallet stolen a few days ago and went to my local immigration officer to get another GNIB Card. While I was there, I asked about this since I am only a few months away from having lived here 5 years. I wasn't sure if they counted the date that I arrived in the country or the first time I registered. My Immigration officer told me that "As far as she knew", she could not give me a stamp 4 next year. She said this because I just recently got a two year work permit. Now I only needed the permit one more year I thought so I got the second year just to give myself time if something went wrong to get my stamp 4. She told me that since my work permit was for two years, that she would not give me a stamp 4 until it had expired in 2014?!?!

Now I realize that I can always apply for the extended residency stamp 4 whcih I was planning on doing anyway but I was hoping to be able to go to her office in a few months...get my stamp 4 and then apply for the extended residency. Is she wrong on this? I was under the impression that I got the stamp four automatically when I had been in the country five years and she also told me that I would not be able to come back and register anyway until my current registration period expires at the end of July 2013..I will be living here five years months before then.

Getting a stamp 4 is very important to me because it give me options, something that everyone on here understands I am sure so I just want to understand my options since I am getting so close.

Thanks