Options to stay in Ireland

PeachesCream

Hi,

I am Canadian and arrived in Ireland in August 2012 with a Working Holiday
Visa for 1 year.

I met my boyfriend at work in October 2012 and we are in a relationship
since the end of November 2012.

Following the new agreements between Canada and Ireland regarding the
Working Holiday Visa, I have been allowed to apply for the new 2 years
Working Holiday Visa in July 2013, which will end at the end of July 2015.

Like most people, we did not decided to move in together straight away, we needed to
take our time to know each other, so my boyfriend and I moved together this
summer, 1st August 2014.

We have many people who can witness for us that we have been together since
November 2012, all of our friends, family, work colleagues. We also have
proof of many trips that we did together, photos. We both have a good job
in Dublin.

I have been in contact with the De Facto Partnership Immigration Permission in
Ireland and has my boyfriend and I did not live together for 2 years we cannot apply for it.

My 1st question is to know if we go through the process of getting a Certificate of Partnership, which takes approximately 3 months, I would be able to apply on for Permission to reside in the State on the basis of civil partnership with an Irish national even if we only lived together since this summer?

My 2nd question is to know if I will be able to continue to work if I am
accepted on the Permission to reside in the State on the basis of civil partnership with an Irish national .

My 3rd question is what is a Police Clearance and where should I ask for it?

Thanks a million in advance for your advice,

Canadian Girl

Cushie Butterfield

A Civil Partnership is only available to same-sex couples, so going by your username & the fact that you mention your boyfriend I assume that you are of the opposite sex, in which case you'd be looking at a civil marriage ceremony http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/bdm/MarriagesinIreland/civilceremony.html , after which you'd become your boyfriend's spouse. After this you'd usually be able to apply to adjust your status to a Stamp 4 residency visa on the grounds of being the spouse of an Irish national, which would give you the right to remain & work in Ireland for specific renewable periods eventually leading to a renewable long term residency visa and/or the option of naturalisation.

Yes you would be permitted to work provided you were granted a Stamp 4. You are doing the right thing by keeping all evidence of your relationship despite the fact that the two year rule of actually living together would not apply to married couples, as you still have to prove that the marriage is genuine, so verifiable evidence of an enduring relationship prior to the marriage is obviously the way to do this. If you haven't already done so you should have your name added to your rental agreement (if applicable), have a joint bank account, & utility bills in both your names. You'd want to do this now really as when it comes to the stage that you present to GNIB together with all your paperwork that you'd have six months bank statements & utility bills in both your names along with your marriage certificate, passports etc. The more evidence you bring the better the chance of you getting a stamp straight away rather than being told to submit your application by post to the central unit which would involve a delay which would lead to you not being permitted to work if your current visa were to expire.

A Police Clearance Cert is the equivalent of a Canadian Police Certificate/Criminal Record Check. You'd need to check the CIC website to see how to obtain one, but AFAIK you won't need one in your case - you'd only need one if you were applying for permission to remain as a defacto partner. To verify this you can contact the Spouse of Irish National Unit by email: INISsinu@justice.ie