What to say to Immigration Officer at airport?

[JosephineO]

Hello all,

My Guatemalan husband and I (I'm British) are moving to Dublin on the 1st of July. We are arriving on the same plane, but I am trying to get my head around what to say to the immigration officer on arrival at Dublin airport.

i.e. they say "What is the purpose of your visit to Ireland?" and I say something along the lines of... "We are moving permanently to Ireland in order to find work. I am an EU citizen and therefore wish to spend the next three months looking for work and if/once I find a job we will apply for a residence card for my husband. If not, we shall leave."

I've had two separate email responses from INIS whereby I outlined our purpose of moving to Ireland and they came back saying that my husband doesn't need an entry visa and that once in Ireland we can apply for a residence card using Form EU1. So I am planning on printing these together with bank statements (we have enough cash to keep us going for a couple of months), our translated marriage certificate which has been stamped at the Irish Embassy here in Guatemala, and details of where we will be staying when we first arrive.

Would people recommend that I take anything else with me? Does anyone know what Immigration Officers tends to ask an EU citizen with a non-EEA spouse on arrival in Ireland?

Many thanks in advance for your advice!

Josephine

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

Entering in the circumstances you describe is very straight-forward. Your right of entry is very strong as is that of your family members. Quote directive 2004/38/ec if you must.

[wiggsy]

you can be a job seeker for six months [not sure if this is in addition to the three months unrestricted]...

and this might be of use:
http://eumovement.wordpress.com/2013/01 ... nt-denied/
^ this is the most important - relates to the situation whereby a non-eea was detained, and refused entry with her eea spouse.

http://eumovement.wordpress.com/2007/04 ... u-citizen/

http://eumovement.wordpress.com/directive-200438ec/

http://eumovement.wordpress.com/eu-coun ... o-ireland/

as well as a few stickies in the EEA Section and on this section.

[JosephineO]

Thank you EUsmileWEallsmile and wiggsy for your replies.

Hopefully it will be straight forward but I like to be prepared. Wiggsy it was interesting to read the case re Ms Raducan. Although I can understand how it would be more complicated in her case as she is Moldovan and requires an entry Visa, whereas Guatemalans don't. Also the fact that she had overstayed previously in Ireland wouldn't have helped matters and thankfully my husband has never been in a situation like that, this is his first time moving abroad. But regardless it is good to be aware of things that could potentially happen if the immigration officer is unaware of EU Freedom of Movement laws. I shall take a print out of this with me just in case!

Thanks again.

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

It's good to be prepared, but I expect you will encounter minimal inconvenience at worst, more likely none at all.

Post back when you do arrive.

[Diomond]

Hello all,

My Guatemalan husband and I (I'm British) are moving to Dublin on the 1st of July. We are arriving on the same plane, but I am trying to get my head around what to say to the immigration officer on arrival at Dublin airport.

i.e. they say "What is the purpose of your visit to Ireland?" and I say something along the lines of... "We are moving permanently to Ireland in order to find work. I am an EU citizen and therefore wish to spend the next three months looking for work and if/once I find a job we will apply for a residence card for my husband. If not, we shall leave."

I've had two separate email responses from INIS whereby I outlined our purpose of moving to Ireland and they came back saying that my husband doesn't need an entry visa and that once in Ireland we can apply for a residence card using Form EU1. So I am planning on printing these together with bank statements (we have enough cash to keep us going for a couple of months), our translated marriage certificate which has been stamped at the Irish Embassy here in Guatemala, and details of where we will be staying when we first arrive.

Would people recommend that I take anything else with me? Does anyone know what Immigration Officers tends to ask an EU citizen with a non-EEA spouse on arrival in Ireland?

Many thanks in advance for your advice!

Josephine

From my own experience, they hv asked us , r u coming to live temorary or parmanent, wht eu citizen gonna do here in ireland. Where eu national planning to work, However they are not suppose to ask such questions but they do, but there is nothing to worry, it will take 2,3 mins ,

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

From my own experience, they hv asked us , r u coming to live temorary or parmanent, wht eu citizen gonna do here in ireland. Where eu national planning to work, However they are not suppose to ask such questions but they do, but there is nothing to worry, it will take 2,3 mins ,

Well if one were asked such questions, apart from answering the actual questions, one could say please study directive 2004/38/EC and the corresponding Irish transposition. Apart from exchanging pleasantries, I would not be inclined to volunteer much more...

[JosephineO]

Hello again!

Just to let you know, my husband and I are now in Dublin and we passed through immigration without any problems. We first went to the EU section but were told to go to the Non-EU section and that I could go with my husband. The immigration officer was quite a young guy and the conversation went more or less as follows:

Immigration Officer: What is the purpose of your trip?
Me: We are planning on living in Dublin.
Immigration Officer: Have you got a return flight or are you here to stay?
Me: No, we have all our stuff with us.
Immigration officer: Are you planning on going back to the UK at some point?
Me: Yes but in time, our plan is to live in Ireland permanently.
Immigration Officer: Have you got jobs or somewhere to stay?
Me: I have an interview on the 16th July and we have rented an apartment in Dublin 8.
Immigration Officer: Oh ok, but your husband hasn't got a work permit or anything?
Me: No, but once I have a job we are going to apply for a residence card for my husband.
Immigration Officer: Do you have your marriage certificate with you?
Me: Yes, do you want to see it? It's translated into English.
Immigration Officer: No you're fine I don't need to see it. Ok to stay and work he needs a stamp 4 which I can't give here. The maximum amount of time I can give is 90 days and instead of starting a complicated process now that will take a long time I think it's best if I just give him a three-month tourist visa and that gives you time to sort things out.
Me: Yes I think that would be the best idea, thank you.

And that was it! Very straight forward and not at all threatening. Thank you all so much for your advice. It was greatly appreciated and we are now in Ireland and sorting our new lives out!

All the best.

Josephine

[member]

Hello all,

My Guatemalan husband and I (I'm British) are moving to Dublin on the 1st of July. We are arriving on the same plane, but I am trying to get my head around what to say to the immigration officer on arrival at Dublin airport.

i.e. they say "What is the purpose of your visit to Ireland?" and I say something along the lines of... "We are moving permanently to Ireland in order to find work. I am an EU citizen and therefore wish to spend the next three months looking for work and if/once I find a job we will apply for a residence card for my husband. If not, we shall leave."

I've had two separate email responses from INIS whereby I outlined our purpose of moving to Ireland and they came back saying that my husband doesn't need an entry visa and that once in Ireland we can apply for a residence card using Form EU1. So I am planning on printing these together with bank statements (we have enough cash to keep us going for a couple of months), our translated marriage certificate which has been stamped at the Irish Embassy here in Guatemala, and details of where we will be staying when we first arrive.

Would people recommend that I take anything else with me? Does anyone know what Immigration Officers tends to ask an EU citizen with a non-EEA spouse on arrival in Ireland?

Many thanks in advance for your advice!

Josephine

Do you mind telling whether your marriage cert got translated by a private translator or by the Irish Embassy in Guatemala as well.

[JosephineO]

We called the Irish embassy in Guatemala and asked what we needed to do to have our marriage certificate translated in a way that the Irish government would accept, and were told how.

The Guatemalan way was a bit convoluted - had to get it signed and stamped by the Ministry of Exterior Relations, then signed and stamped by the Ministry of Education, then translated by a translator approved by the Ministry of Education, then signed and stamped again by the Ministry of Education and then again by the Ministry of Exterior Relations.

We also translated by husband's birth certificate as above.

I'd say call the Irish embassy where you are/where your spouse is to find out. Hope that helps.

[member]

We called the Irish embassy in Guatemala and asked what we needed to do to have our marriage certificate translated in a way that the Irish government would accept, and were told how.

The Guatemalan way was a bit convoluted - had to get it signed and stamped by the Ministry of Exterior Relations, then signed and stamped by the Ministry of Education, then translated by a translator approved by the Ministry of Education, then signed and stamped again by the Ministry of Education and then again by the Ministry of Exterior Relations.

We also translated by husband's birth certificate as above.

I'd say call the Irish embassy where you are/where your spouse is to find out. Hope that helps.

Thanks for yr rapid and detailed reply.

[masterboy123]

Hi

I am wondering if you applied for a long term (D) visa before entering Ireland for your husband?

Do the irish embassy give the 90 days time on the visa (if applied) or is it the immigration officer who decides the time limit for non-eu spouse at the airport?

THanks

[courny]

Hi

I am wondering if you applied for a long term (D) visa before entering Ireland for your husband?

Do the irish embassy give the 90 days time on the visa (if applied) or is it the immigration officer who decides the time limit for non-eu spouse at the airport?

THanks

D visa is granted then the visa is valid for 3 months and allows u to travel to ireland.
at the airport depending on the office he might give u a stamp for 30 or 90.
but i think its usually 90 days and before that you have to register wiht GNIB.

[rowbert]

Hi Josephine.

Your posts are helping me a lot.

I have a question, do you know if the EU citizen need to be working for the husband (non-EU) get the STAMP4 ? I mean, my wife has EU citizenship, we want to go to Ireland to study english, but I wanted to work also, she just wanted to study. If we prove that we have money to stay for about one year, you think they gonna give me the STAMP4, same my wife does not having a job ?

Take care,

Jose Roberto