Irish officials announced that Immigration Service Delivery will now have the primary responsibility of managing initial registrations and renewals for Irish immigration residence permits for persons residing in counties Cork and Limerick.

Key Points:

• Effective July 8, first-time registration and renewal of Irish immigration residence permissions for applicants based in counties Cork and Limerick will be carried out by ISD. This will be in addition to the current registrations for counties Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.
• The transfer of responsibility will move from the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
• In addition, IRP cardholders in these counties will now be able to renew their cards or apply for Stamp 4 permissions via the ISD online system. Applicants will not need to visit the Burgh Quay Registration Office in person to renew permissions.

Background: First-time registrations will continue to be done in person at ISD. The Garda National Immigration Bureau will continue to undertake first-time registrations and renewal responsibilities for applicants residing outside of counties Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Cork and Limerick.

BAL Analysis: This is a welcome change for IRP cardholders in these counties and will provide increased convenience and easier processing for both initial and renewal registrations. Irish authorities have provided a step-by-step user guide on ISD services — more information can be found here.