http://www.independent.ie/opinion/lette ... 0#comments
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/lette ... 0#commentsThrough your daily publication, I would like to shed some light on the plight of thousands of legal immigrants in Ireland who have applied for naturalisation.
I have been resident here for almost 12 years now. I spent five years as a student and finally applied for naturalisation in Ireland in January 2007.
As of yet, I have only got acknowledgements. All email or phone contact with the Department of Justice seems to fall on deaf ears. According to their own website, they are still dealing with applications made in September 2005. But according to a group discussion on the website www.immigrationboards. com, people who applied in February 2005 are still waiting.
There seems to be no helpline that can provide reliable information on the process, timings etc.
At the time of application, I needed to clarify some of the application questions and the information helpline only provided vague subjective information.
As part of the naturalisation process, the non-national has to live and work in Ireland for five out of nine (effectively) years at the time of application.
The application process itself takes anywhere up to three to five years. While I appreciate that the naturalisation is a sensitive process, asking a person to wait 10 years for a decision is ridiculous.
A year and a half into my application, I have heard nothing. I think that as a taxpayer in this country contributing to the economy, I should be afforded a bit more respect.
The essential problem with naturalisation is that the Department of Justice holds all the cards and the odds are stacked against the applicant no matter what.
I want to take a career break and need to find out how this will affect my application -- there is no official information line.
The Government is trying to control immigration into Ireland and is possibly looking at asking immigrants to carry identity cards -- is it too much to ask for some respect in return?
I would like to bring this issue to light through your publication because an archaic and long way of processing applications is unacceptable in the 21st century.
READ COMMENTS AND YOU'LL GET THE IDEA WHAT IRISH PEOPLE THINK OF 'LEGAL TAX-PAYING HIGHLY QUALIFIED IMMIGRANTS'
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
HOW CAN YOU EXPECT THE IRISH GOVT TO CHANGE ITS POLICY
![Mad :x](./images/smilies/icon_mad.gif)