APPLICANTS for Irish citizenship, some of whom have been in the country for up to five years, are being refused visas because they have lost their jobs.


The Department of Justice has confirmed that all those seeking naturalisation in Ireland must be in a position to support themselves – and their families – without recourse to social welfare.


They also must prove that they have not received dole payments in the three years prior to their application, the department has confirmed.


If they have recently lost their job as a result of the recession and are currently looking for employment, it will have a significant impact on their application, the
Sunday Tribune has learned.


Record numbers of people have been applying for naturalisation in Ireland, with a total of 10,885 people seeking residency here last year.


During 2008, a total of 3,117 new Irish were granted citizenship but another 2,795 applications were declined, frequently on the basis that the person was not employed or amidst suspicions of fraud.


The sheer volume of claims – which includes close to 1,000 per month this year – has led to a massive backlog and a 23-month waiting period for decisions.


In some instances, applicants had a job when they originally applied for citizenship but by the time a decision was finally made, they had been laid off.


A statement from the Department of Justice said: "The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation.


"In accordance with the legislation, [we] make decisions on naturalisation applications based on all of the information available.


"[We] have adopted a general policy that [we] will normally require an applicant for naturalisation, unless he/she is a refugee, programme refugee or stateless person, to show that he/she has supported him or herself while residing in the state and, as far as can be determined, is in a position to continue that support into the future.


"[The department is] satisfied to accept that an applicant is self-supporting if he or she has not availed of state support in the three-year period prior to the date of application or subsequently has satisfied officials that they have supported themselves independent for that period."


Around 4,500 Nigerians and 2,200 Filipinos have sought Irish citizenship in the past five years.