@dsolvie Hi there! I’ve submitted my request and supporting documents to the INIS in mid July. I received confirmation that they’ve received my Info a few weeks later. So, I’m still WAiting for final approval for my Stamp 0 request. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!

@godiva1 First, Betsy, thank you so much for recommending Jim O'Donovan. He is INCREDIBLE. I would refer anyone to him. Lovely to work with and competent! We had contracted with a law firm in Dublin and got NO WHERE before cutting them loose. For those of you looking for someone on a Stamp O, a word of advice. If they only have on their website something about submitting financial Info in "tabular columns" they don't know what they're doing or what's required. Jim has very specific financial reports that the INIS requires. He's successful for a reason.

@pam That's great news, congrats to you and your family. 2021 off to a good start 🙂 Thanks also for the solicitor recommendation. Useful Info for the next applicants. Safe travels to your mom when the time comes.

James and Lani, I've chatted with many people over the years on this site on this particular topic, and I don't ever recall a mention of financial requirements for Stamp 4. Have you read this post on the site on the topic? It's worth reading, however I'll caution that some of the process may have changed in the last year or so, so not all may be applicable today. I'd love if you can come back and update us with how your applications go. New/current Info is great to have from people with first hand experience. Let me know if there's other Info you need. Liam

I can't answer too much about the SE taxes, but this company has some great Info about taxes for Americans and dual citizens abroad.You'd pay taxes to Ireland while you were there and you'd have to file in the US but unless you make over a certain amount (ca. 100k) you would not owe additional in come tax to the US. I don't know how this interacts with the SE payments for social security, etc. But the company referenced above seem to have their Info straight.It's worth reading through their site- there's some crazy fallout from recent regulations (FATCA, FBAR) intended to stop off shore tax dodging strategies that makes being an American abroad quite complicated. Particularly if you have any investment income at all.

Interesting question today from new forum member @westfamily722 today. Are there home schooling options in Ireland? I haven't spent a ton of time on this as of yet, but from my initial research it is not anything like the US system, whereby parents can home-school their kids, without a whole lot of restrictions. The Irish system seems to be very much on an as-needed basis i.e. special education needs, medical grounds, maternity related needs. I'll look into this in more detail, but for now, here's the official Info/link and application details. Please add to this topic if you find more relevant Info.

... you should find the Info you need. Cost of living is so relative. Obviously location can have a big impact. Dublin rent vs Sligo rent would be significantly different. That's probably the one stand out difference, as a lot of day to day things would be much the same - groceries, petrol, utilities, etc. For rent prices, check daft.ie and myhome.ie for ideas of what it would cost you. This topic WAs discussed elsewhere on the forum too in the past. You'll find some useful Info and links here.

... country. your #3. that fee is the case for people in your position. Among others, for spouses of Irish citizens, that fee is WAived. More Info here your #4. that's cool 🙂 However, it's probably still in your best interests to apply as early into your arrival as possible. You mentioned your other posts...they are very useful. Here's is a link to everything you have posted on the forum. Thanks again for always coming back and updating us with new Info as you find it. Enjoy your well deserved time in Ireland. Liam

@comitan Hey Philip, good to have you here. Happy to answer specific questions as they come up. for now, I'd suggest using the 'Forum Search' tool on the sidebar of the page. There's so much Info here that will help guide you. Looking forward to hearing from you as the move takes shape.

Great Info, John, thanks. Especially the piece above. So many people have questions about what qualifies as legit income.