** ALL ** Passport Related Questions in here! Please Read Post#1 first!

Mr Simpson

I'm not 100% sure on the details for embassy passports at the moment. I'd say you're best to contact your local Irish Embassy rather than the Passport Office in Dublin, they'd be much more up to date on the details.

Cornblakes6

I've been in contact with the Irish Consulate of NY. The person I've talked to hasn't been the most friendly, though I am sure he gets calls all day from frustrated people demanding their passport application gets sped up. He told me its possible it comes in time, but didn't make any guarantees.

Does anyone know if the issue date posted on the site (mine is 20/08) is a good reference point of how long it takes for the passport office to ship out a passport?

Mr Simpson

When the passport is printed, they go out to various embassies and consulates in a Diplomatic bag, I'm not sure what day the NY Diplomatic bag goes out on though.

Cornblakes6

Thats interesting and good to know. Thank you. Hopefully I'll learn more as time goes on. I am going to try to figure out more when the NY office is open tomorrow. Waiting to see if this is going to work out is one of the worst feelings ever.

Kotek Besar

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

Alternatively, If I don't have my passport in time, is there anyway that I could enter London with my US passport and be able to work once I receive my Irish Passport?

Your first hurdle there would be boarding the plane in the US. That is, unless you hold a return ticket for within six months of your arrival in the UK or have sufficient funds to buy a return ticket and have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay. In otherwise, pose as a visitor to US airport check-in staff.

If you can make it on the plane, your next hurdle is to convince the UK Immigration Officer at the UK border that you are an Irish national. You don't necessarily need an Irish passport for this purpose. Any documentation you have that proves your Irish citizenship is acceptable. Reasonable time must be afforded for you to provide such documentation if you don't have it upon arrival.

Once inside the UK, your right to reside in the UK is unconditional - you don't need to be in possession of an Irish passport at any time, you just need to be an Irish citizen (though, for practical reasons only, it will be of assistance to you if you possess an Irish passport).

Cornblakes6

Well I will have my US passport regardless, so getting on the plane will not be an issue. I can also get an entry letter from my school, which explains my purpose of being there, which is to study. At this point is where I need to find a way to prove that I am eligible to work in the UK without my Irish passport. Unfortunately, most of the documents that would prove this are in Dublin with my application. But my passport will hopefully be issued by then, whether I have it or not is another issue. Maybe the Consulate can give me a letter or something.

Kotek Besar

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

Well I will have my US passport regardless, so getting on the plane will not be an issue.

It would be I'm afraid, since US citizens are subject to immigration control in the UK.

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

I can also get an entry letter from my school, which explains my purpose of being there, which is to study.

But you don't have a student visa, so cannot enter the UK as a US citizen on a US passport. This is the problem you will have at check-in.

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

At this point is where I need to find a way to prove that I am eligible to work in the UK without my Irish passport.

From the moment you are an Irish citizen (that is, your name is entered on the Foreign Births Register) you are entitled to live and work in the UK unconditionally. Acquisition or possession of an Irish passport is immaterial of this.

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

Unfortunately, most of the documents that would prove this are in Dublin with my application. But my passport will hopefully be issued by then, whether I have it or not is another issue. Maybe the Consulate can give me a letter or something.

You need to get something prepared, just in case.

Remember:

• at check-in in the US, you're a US citizen seeking entry to the UK as a visitor and you must satisfy, if questioned, that you qualify for entry as a visitor.
• at the UK border, you are an Irish citizen who is able to prove this by means other than being in possession of an Irish passport.

This is all, of course, in the event that you don't receive your Irish passport in time. Good luck.

Cornblakes6

I am only going to be studying for 3 and a half months in the UK, so I actually won't need a student visa.

"You do not need a visa if you will be coming to the UK to:

study a course lasting up to 6 months - you can come as a student visitor or a child visitor (if you are under 18)"

-Taken from the UK border agency website.

My university works with another company that manages student's studying abroad in the UK, and for them, the entry letter is the only documentation needed to enter the country, granted you are just studying and not working.

So now I need to find a way to prove I am a European national at check-in so I can work. Will keep you posted. Thank you for all this information.

Kotek Besar

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

I am only going to be studying for 3 and a half months in the UK, so I actually won't need a student visa.

"You do not need a visa if you will be coming to the UK to:

study a course lasting up to 6 months - you can come as a student visitor or a child visitor (if you are under 18)"

-Taken from the UK border agency website.

Bingo! Good find. I wasn't aware of that exemption.

So, problem solved.

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

So now I need to find a way to prove I am a European national at check-in so I can work. Will keep you posted. Thank you for all this information.

No, that won't be necessary. Check-in will allow you to board due to the student visa exemption you've just pointed out. The immigration officer at the UK border will allow you entry for the same reason (mentioning your Irish nationality is unnecessary and will likely be of hinderance more so than of help). So you need not possess an Irish passport at any time prior to entering the UK.

Once in the UK however, it will assist in obtaining a National Insurance number (required for work) and in finding work in general if you can prove that you are an EU national.

Mr Simpson

On this, how would the UK Border Agency know then that they are entitled to stay in the UK after 6 months? Surely they would become flagged as an over-stayer on their US passport?

Kotek Besar

mmcn90 wrote: »

On this, how would the UK Border Agency know then that they are entitled to stay in the UK after 6 months? Surely they would become flagged as an over-stayer on their US passport?

No, because like Ireland, the UK does not practice habitual immigration checks on outbound passengers. It would be impossible for either country to do so in any case, on account of the uncontrolled land border shared by the two states.

AGC

Just on the passport issue. As has been said it will be sent back to the consulate by dip bag and then forwarded to the address given. if it arrives after you have left it seems the easiest thing to do is forward(If you don't mind sending it by mail) it to an address you will be at in Britain.

But by the sounds of things you won't need it.

Cornblakes6

Thanks so much for all the help guys, I definitely feel plenty of relief.

I still have 2 questions outstanding however, if anyone can offer any insight.

1. With the entry letter I mentioned, my university made it seem like if I wasn't entering with a visa for my internship, they would need some kind of information about my Irish citizenship to prove that I can work during my stay. Is this necessary? When I enter the country, will the English border control really want to know whether I intend to work or not during my stay?

2. What kind of document can I ask the Irish consulate of New York send me to prove my citizenship abroad, whether it is for a job or at the airport? Preferably something simple that I can get in the next few weeks...

thanks

Kotek Besar

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

1. With the entry letter I mentioned, my university made it seem like if I wasn't entering with a visa for my internship, they would need some kind of information about my Irish citizenship to prove that I can work during my stay. Is this necessary? When I enter the country, will the English border control really want to know whether I intend to work or not during my stay?

If entering as a US citizen for the purpose of a study visit, using the visa exemption you have highlighted, the UKBA may want to know how you intend to support yourself during your stay. If you do not have enough funds to satisfy them that you will not need to work to support yourself, as a US citizen you may not qualify for visa-free entry. In such case, you will have no option but to reveal your Irish citizenship and furnish documentation of some type to confirm it.

Cornblakes6 wrote: »

2. What kind of document can I ask the Irish consulate of New York send me to prove my citizenship abroad, whether it is for a job or at the airport? Preferably something simple that I can get in the next few weeks...

thanks

Do you have a receipt or letter of confirmation of the entry of your birth in the Foreign Births Register?

AGC

Kotek Besar wrote: »

Do you have a receipt or letter of confirmation of the entry of your birth in the Foreign Births Register?

More than likely with the PPO but can ask for it to be sent back once they have copied it.

Cornblakes6

If it makes a difference, the Internship is unpaid. Purely just for experience. I have already saved up to support myself the whole 3.5 months I am there.

And I do have most of these documents, the issue is I sent them to Dublin with my passport to be processed. How convenient. However I think i do have one other letter in my possession that has some citizenship info...it is confirmation about my entry into the registry and I think it has my number as well. Surprisingly, it doesn't have my name on it though.

Mr Simpson

The documents will be in your local embassy/consulate. Physical documents aren't sent to Dublin, it is all scanned in and processed electronically. The passport is then sent from dublin to the Embassy/Consulate and matched up with documents to be sent back to applicant.

Cornblakes6

Would it be too much to ask the consulate for some of these documents back prematurely?

Our man in Havana

Nope. Go ahead and ask them nicely.

a.j2020

I had a simple question that the website doesn't seem to answer. Does anyone here know if it is possible to make an urgent passport application(i.e passport within 5 working days) As a First time passport applicant? Would appreciate any help greatly!

Our man in Havana

a.j2020 wrote: »

I had a simple question that the website doesn't seem to answer. Does anyone here know if it is possible to make an urgent passport application(i.e passport within 5 working days) As a First time passport applicant? Would appreciate any help greatly!

You can in person at the passport office showing the need for urgent travel. Expect to have to pay an extra processing fee.

a.j2020

Thanks for that!

Mr Simpson

Adult first time applicants are subject to minimum 10 working day processing except in the case of medical emergency or bereavement.

Cornblakes6

Ok Guys. Turns out my mother had the foresight to photocopy all of my important citizenship documents. Here is what I know I have (I may have copies of some other stuff too).

snip

Could this photocopy be adequate proof of my Irish citizenship for my internship/UK border control if they want to know I am working?

elvis jones

mmcn90 wrote: »

Adult first time applicants are subject to minimum 10 working day processing except in the case of medical emergency or bereavement.

11 actually.

Our man in Havana

Does a birth have to be registered in the foreign births register in order to claim citizenship?

elvis jones

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Does a birth have to be registered in the foreign births register in order to claim citizenship?

Yes it does ( but thats more of a consular question )

Our man in Havana

So someone born of Irish parents in the UK can't get a passport purely on the strength of that?

elvis jones

Our man in Havana wrote: »

So someone born of Irish parents in the UK can't get a passport purely on the strength of that?

No if your parent/parents are irish you apply directly for the passsport with their birth certs and marraige cert. If its a grandparent you must apply for FBR first to gain citizenship !

Cornblakes6

I am an American, born and raised. I was able to claim Irish citizenship through naturalization from my grandfather, who was 100% Irish and born in Ireland. I think that two generations is the farthest allowable gap. So because I am a citizen, I naturally have right to a passport. So there you go.

so...does anyone know if that photocopy would be acceptable or should I get my hands on the real copy?