To, 

Minister for Justice and Department of Justice,

The Irish government actively promotes Ireland as a destination for international education through State-organised education fairs and official marketing campaigns, particularly in regions such as India, Africa and South America. These initiatives present Ireland as a country offering high-quality education, opportunity, and stability.

International students frequently take on significant financial commitments, including large educational loans, based on these representations. They relocate to Ireland with a reasonable expectation that State systems will operate fairly, predictably, and in line with basic principles of natural justice.

Lived Challenges Faced by International Students and Graduates:

• A severe national housing shortage, resulting in insecurity, overcrowding, and exploitation.
• Exposure to anti-social behaviour and instances of racism.
• Employment barriers arising from misinformation or limited awareness among recruiters/employers regarding work permits, particularly the Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G), which grants international graduates of Irish institutions unrestricted access to the labour market and the right to work up to 40 hours per week.
• Prolonged delays in immigration decision-making, during which applicants risk losing the right to work or reside despite having submitted valid, in-time applications.
• The high cost of living in Ireland makes job loss particularly detrimental, as students and graduates rely on employment to cover essential living expenses.

Read the full news article on Dublin Inquirer by Shamim Malekian.

In light of the above, we respectfully petition the Minister for Justice and the Department of Justice to allow an applicant who submits an in-time Application for Extension of Student Conditions through the Immigration Service Delivery online portal to retain the rights associated with their current permission until a final decision is issued.

This approach would align Ireland with internationally recognised and well-established practices, including:

• Maintained Status (Canada), which allows foreign nationals to remain in the country and continue working or studying under the conditions of their previous permit while awaiting a decision on an extension application.
• Section 3C Leave (United Kingdom), which automatically extends a person’s leave to remain when an in-time application is under consideration, permitting continued lawful residence and employment.
• Bridging Visa A (Subclass 010) (Australia), a temporary visa granted to individuals who file an in-time application, allowing them to remain lawfully present while a decision is pending, usually under the same work or study conditions as their previous visa, subject to travel restrictions.

Providing clear confirmation of such retained rights would offer legal certainty for applicants, support employers in meeting compliance obligations, and reduce the significant mental health and social impacts currently experienced by graduates navigating prolonged administrative delays.

This petition does not seek to guarantee the approval of any extension or future immigration permission. Its sole and limited aim is to protect the rights attached to an applicant’s existing, lawful permission until a decision on their application is made. This reflects a basic principle of natural justice.

In many cases, extension applications are submitted on the basis of exceptional circumstances, such as awaiting a decision on an employment permit. Without the right to work during this period, the practical benefit of the extension is effectively negated.

Numerous applicants have reported job loss through no fault of their own due to delays in decision-making. The 12-week grace period is linked to an OREG number, which corresponds to the renewal of the physical card, but this relies on the underlying application being fully processed. Applying too early can result in a refusal on the basis that there is still sufficient time remaining on the current permission. If you have lost your job under these circumstances, please fill out this form and share your experience.

If the State cannot provide these basic procedural protections, it must reconsider promoting international education fairs that present Ireland as a stable and supportive destination, as continuing to recruit students without ensuring fair and predictable treatment undermines trust, damages Ireland’s international reputation, and risks long-term harm to the higher education sector.

Declaration
By signing this petition, we affirm our support for fair, transparent, and humane immigration processes that respect natural justice and recognise the contribution of international students and graduates to Irish society.

Go raibh maith agat

Yours sincerely,
@TheSCRedemption