Malawian Girlfriend needs a visa

billiamgromit

Hello All ... any guidance on how to get a residency visa/permit for my Malawian girlfriend?

She's lived here previously (hence how we're dating) on a student visa, and is rather highly educated.

Any advice on pervious experience, or information provided, will be greatly appreciated.

Regards
BW

Taxburden carrier

Have you considered going to Malawi to live with her ?

billiamgromit

Yes, but we're looking at option Ireland also.

WheatenBriar

I would suggest Malawi for a couple of years, then marriage, then home

johnnyskeleton

I dont fully undesrrstand your poll.

In any event, its a matter for the Minister for Justice to decide whether to give her a visa or not. Some factors include whether she has an in demand qualification, her family and other ties to the jurisdiction and if you can support her application that might not hurt.

If you are a non Irish EU national you may be able to apply for EU Treaty rights on a de facto basis if you can show youre in a long term relationship

Supercell

Outside of marriage it will be difficult to do I think.
I had to marry my Chinese girlfriend in order for her to live here with me (that was the plan all along anyhow!).

As long as you have proof of a relationship (in our case lots of pictures and phone records - you can request them as part of the data protection act from your mobile provider) any anything else that may help (like plane tickets/stubs to visit her etc).

The visa application process was quite easy really and for us. It was quick as there is an Irish consulate in Beijing that handled the visa application directly - it only took them one week to issue her with a visa, you would need to check if there is something similar in Malawi.

billiamgromit

Thanks SuperCell

Daisies

billiamgromit wrote: »

Thanks SuperCell

There is an Irish embassy in Malawi. There is also a lot of Malawians living in Ireland. If you contact the Malawi Association of Ireland they may be able to give some more info.

I would highly recommend a trip to Malawi it's a beautiful country

billiamgromit

Thanks a mill Daisies - found their FB account, messaged them

Daisies

billiamgromit wrote: »

Thanks a mill Daisies - found their FB account, messaged them

FWIW the Irish embassy in Lilongwe were very helpful when a friends Malawian boyfriend was coming to visit. If at all possible try to avoid her flying through South Africa. Thy refused to let my friends boyfriend board his flight and sent him back to Malawi despite him having all his documents etc in order. In the end on his second attempt, Dublin airport immigration had to ring SAA in Johannesburg and tell them they had no grounds to refuse him boarding.

billiamgromit

No, thanks Daisies for that. I sent a FB message to the Malawian group yesterday - hopefully they'll reply. And with this I can tell her, but I think my thread/forum title is not correct (I don't know how to change it). I don't think it's the coming in that's the problem, it's the staying. Trying to find out ways that allows her to stay permanently (she is very well educated so I can't immagine why it would be a problem). But thanks for all the advice - and to the other too, thanks

unattendedbag

Apply for long stay D visa through INIS. The difficulty is it's usually for family members/ spouses so you will have to try and make her look like a civil partner. Hence why the above advice is to get married first.

My advice is if you can't move there for a few years and get married then consider a long distance relationship with visits every 6 months or so. I know it's difficult but plenty of us had to do it.

billiamgromit

Thanks, what's long stay D?

I asked Google, but a Gov't page that could have explained was down!

Isolt

My boyfriend is Malawian and came here on a student visa too. Our situation is different though in that we now have a child together who was born in Ireland.

Can she not make an application for that De facto partnership thing? I know very little about this other than I know a lady who applied because her then fiance was from Donegal.

Best of luck anyway. I hope it works out for you!