What documents to submit with Citizenship Application

[scrudu]

So the time has come to submit a citizenship application (spouse of Irish citizen). Just wondering which doc's those of you who have applied would make sure to include? I'm hoping to bombard them with so much information that they have no excuses for taking an age. Yes, I know it will still probably take them 2-4 years anyway, but I want to do whatever I can to mitigate that. Doc's we have planned include following:

1. Copy of Passport showing stamps & GNIB Card
2. Document outlining stamps
3. Copy of both birth certs
4. Payslips for last 3 mths (both)
5. PAYE Certs for last 3 years (both)
6. Employer References
7. English Language Certificates
8. Bank Statements for last 3 mths (both)
9. NTL, Gas, Electricity bills for last 3 mths (both names)
10. Police clearance from Ireland and each other country applicant has lived in
11. Health Insurance Doc's
12. Marriage Cert
13. Joint Savings Account statements
14. Rental Agreement

Any other suggestions for what to include? Did people include emotive stuff like photo's or personal letters? Does getting a letter from a politician or official help?

[LuasPassenger]

That's way too much documentation. You might piss them off and that might have a negative effect on your application.

I would stick to the documentation they're asking in the form; no more, no less.

And no, there's no known way to speed your application unfortunately.

Good luck in your journey to citizenship. It's very long but the feeling of freedom at the end is so overwhelming it cannot be described with words!

LP

[scrudu]

Most of the doc's listed above were listed as required. For "spouse of Irish" applications, you have to show evidence that the relationship is still existing and that you are cohabiting, hence all the doc's showing shared accounts and utility bills. The extras are the Police Clearance certificates. We have these already so figure it can't hurt to supply them.

[v emmy]

I agree w/ LuasP - unless you are an EU citizen, you see, tp be planning to include things they do not ask for, and that just complicates things and could slow it down.

Read the checklist on the last page of Form 8 very carefully.

• "If you are an E.U. citizen for more than five years please submit..."
  "If you are an E.U. citizen less than five years please submit..."

Regardless, this is in the list at the top of the page that applies to everyone:

• "Copy of documentation from Revenue Commissioners regarding tax affairs if employed."

If you are a PAYE employee that means copies of P21's - available from Revenue. If you are self-employed, there's another form to get (I'm PAYE so I only know about P21's).

From what I've gathered, they may want more than just the one P21 for the year prior to application, so it may be good practice to get all the past ones you can get (they only go back so far), and then request one every year from now on.

I had P21's for 2003-2008. My immigration officer advised me to include all of them at the outset.

I live in a small town and have a very nice, approachable, accessible immigration officer. If you have similar, s/he may be your best source of information.

Wishing you the best of luck.

[scrudu]

I found varying information on both pieces of INIS documentation below. We figured it would make more sense to include all docuements they request so we would not find out in a years time that they'd rejected the app for some missing piece of documentation. Doc's listed for Spouse of Irish include as follows:

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Informat ... 070409.pdf

1. long-form birth certificate
2. passport/ national identity card / travel document)
3. documents relating to your status and the duration of your stay in the State (Garda registration book or certificate).
4. birth or naturalisation certificate of Irish spouse
5. marriage certificate
6. documents relevant to your financial and employment status
7. payslips for the previous 3 months
8. bank statements for the previous 3 months
9. confirmation of your income tax situation

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Form%208 ... 009%29.pdf

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Certified copy of original Long form Civil Marriage Certificate (if applicable) showing civil status at date of Marriage i.e. married, single, divorced.
2. Certified copy of original Long Form Civil Birth Certificate for applicant and certified translation if not in English or Irish
3. Certified copy of original divorce papers (if applicable) copy of original petition and final decree in respect of all divorces.
4. Copy of Garda National Immigration Bureau Card.
5. Letter from your current and previous employers covering employment dates from your date of arrival to date of application, showing commencement and finish dates for each job to this office at your earliest convenience.
6. Copy of documentation from Revenue Commissioners regarding tax affairs if employed.
7. Copy of Pay slips for the previous 3 months if employed.
8. Copy of bank statements for the previous 3 months.
9. Copy of Irish Medical Registration letter (for doctors only).

SPOUSE OF IRISH CITIZEN REQUIREMENTS

1. Copy of documentary proof of Irish spouse’s entitlement to Irish citizenship (copy of Irish spouse’s birth certificate if born in Ireland / copy of foreign birth registry entry / spouse’s parent’s birth certificate if latter was born in Ireland / copy of naturalisation certificate
2. Sworn Affidavit (this is included with your application form) must be completed by the Irish spouse in the presence of a legal witness (Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public or Practising Solicitor), to the effect that the couple are living together as husband and wife and that their marriage is subsisting.
3. Copy of proof of residence in the State for both applicant and spouse for the previous 3 months showing current address. Please submit three different proofs of residence for this period showing name and address for this period i.e. household bills (gas, electricity, phone, ntl), bank statements, revenue, mortgage agreement, social welfare, letter from employment, doctors letter etc.
4. Copy of your passport showing permission to remain stamps for a period of 1 year immediately prior to the application and 2 years in the 4 year period before that, 36 months in total.
   Or alternatively
5. Proof of residence in the State amounting to 36 months in three of the last five years, including one years continuous residence prior to application. Please submit three different proofs of residence for each year showing name and address for this period i.e. household bills (gas, electricity, phone, ntl), bank statements, revenue, mortgage agreement, social welfare, letter from employment, doctors letter etc