Irish naturalisation for minor child along with parents naturalisation application

[emi25]

Dear all,
I am UK citizen moved to Ireland before Brexit and having completed more than 5 years of residence, I am applying for Irish naturalisation. I also need to apply for my minor children's Irish naturalisation. What I noticed with the online application is that for minors we need to choose either application based on naturalised parent or Irish association. As my children are UK citizens and we don't have any Irish association (by birth or descent), our only association with Ireland is via the residency here for over 5+ years.
The option-Application by naturalised parent isn't relevant to us as both parents are not naturalised yet. The second option: Application on behalf of minor of Irish descent or Irish association seems relevant to our case.

May be someone here can clarify if choosing Irish association is a valid option for a child with no Irish birth or descent except for living in Ireland for over 5+ years as a UK citizen and attending primary school in Ireland since moving here.
It's probably a straight forward answer for someone familiar with this process or having experienced this before?

Thanks again for your time and kind reply,

Best wishes,

[Vadrar]

Dear all,
I am UK citizen moved to Ireland before Brexit and having completed more than 5 years of residence, I am applying for Irish naturalisation. I also need to apply for my minor children's Irish naturalisation. What I noticed with the online application is that for minors we need to choose either application based on naturalised parent or Irish association. As my children are UK citizens and we don't have any Irish association (by birth or descent), our only association with Ireland is via the residency here for over 5+ years.
The option-Application by naturalised parent isn't relevant to us as both parents are not naturalised yet. The second option: Application on behalf of minor of Irish descent or Irish association seems relevant to our case.

May be someone here can clarify if choosing Irish association is a valid option for a child with no Irish birth or descent except for living in Ireland for over 5+ years as a UK citizen and attending primary school in Ireland since moving here.
It's probably a straight forward answer for someone familiar with this process or having experienced this before?

Thanks again for your time and kind reply,

Best wishes,

Neither are relevant to your children - as the online form is suggesting they need an Irish parent before they can apply for naturalisation (if they don't have relevant ancestors for Association.) Once you've got your naturalisation certificate you can use it to submit an application for minor children. If they reach 18 first, they can do it themselves.

From Citizen's Information site here: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/m ... alisation/ (but you can also look up the information in Irish statute or via Immigration website)

'Check that you qualify
To become an Irish citizen through naturalisation, you must meet the conditions set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended (pdf). These are:

Age
You must be 18 years or older.

You can apply on behalf of a child if:

The child was born in Ireland after 1 January 2005 and did not qualify for citizenship by birth, but has 3 years reckonable residence (including a continuous 12-month period immediately before the application)
The child has at least one parent who is already an Irish citizen by naturalisation
The child is of Irish descent or Irish associations
A child is someone aged under 18 who is not married at the time of application. A child cannot make the application by themselves. The application must be made by their parent, legal guardian or a person acting on the child’s behalf ‘in loco parentis’.'

[emi25]

Thanks Vadrar for your reply and the details.

Are you absolutely sure that the requirement to apply for a minor child requires one of the parent to be naturalised already which means a child application cannot be submitted along with a parent's application at the same time for consideration?

It certainly doesn't make any sense to delay the child application as it's dependent on the waiting time for the parent's application and then going through a child's naturalisation will delay the overall time limit acceptable for a child's naturalisation. If both the parent and the child's was applied at the same time, then they have the option to deny the child application if the parent's application is denied should the parent not secure naturalisation for whatever reasons.

Surely, the Irish association doesn't mean Irish descent only as it's either descent or association. In that section, it states "It can also mean that the child is related to someone who is entitled to be an Irish citizen." So if the parents are entitled to be an Irish citizen based on their naturalisation application in progress, then surely Irish association for the children will be valid given their residence status in Ireland?

Best wishes,

[CR001]

Surely, the Irish association doesn't mean Irish descent only as it's either descent or association. In that section, it states "It can also mean that the child is related to someone who is entitled to be an Irish citizen." So if the parents are entitled to be an Irish citizen based on their naturalisation application in progress, then surely Irish association for the children will be valid given their residence status in Ireland?

No, that is not what association refers to. You have no entitlement to Irish citizenship by definition. Your application can still be refused.

https://www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to- ... ociations/

Section 16; (2) For the purposes of this section a person is of Irish associations if:
(a) he or she is related by blood, affinity or adoption to, or is the civil partner of, a person who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen, or
(b) he or she was related by blood, affinity or adoption to, or was the civil partner of, a person who is deceased and who, at the time of his or her death, was an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen.

The fact that the Act provides for the use of discretion should not be taken that it is policy to do so on the sole basis of Irish descent or Irish associations. There is no right or entitlement to have any of the statutory conditions waived even where the applicant comes within the certain circumstances defined. It is entirely at the Minister’s discretion and this discretion is used very rarely and only under the most exceptional and compelling circumstances.

[emi25]

Thanks CR001 for the clarifications.

In that case, then naturalisation application cannot be submitted for a minor unless the parent has already obtained naturalisation? There is no family application process anymore where the parent can apply along with the minor applicants all at the same time?

Would this delay in the parental naturalisation affect the timelines for the minor applicants as technically they would be waiting for over 8 years to even submit an application? I believe the time limit for adult naturalisation is 19 months and possibly another 19 months for the minor applicants after the parent obtains naturalisation?

[Vadrar]

Thanks CR001 for the clarifications.

In that case, then naturalisation application cannot be submitted for a minor unless the parent has already obtained naturalisation? There is no family application process anymore where the parent can apply along with the minor applicants all at the same time?

Yes, as I explained you need to have your naturalisation cert before you can apply for your child. The processes are sequential, not concurrent. There is no alternative.

Would this delay in the parental naturalisation affect the timelines for the minor applicants as technically they would be waiting for over 8 years to even submit an application? I believe the time limit for adult naturalisation is 19 months and possibly another 19 months for the minor applicants after the parent obtains naturalisation?

Yep. Officially around 19 months for you; though in practice many people are getting their certs in 12-14 months now. Then typically 7 to 9 months for a child's approval, plus 2 to 5 months for the minor's cert to come out (as they don't go to the ceremony).

[emi25]

Thanks a lot Vadrar,
much appreciated for your kind reply and explanation. Very grateful.

Best wishes,