If we could do stickies it would be great, and if anybody has suggestions I missed. This has come up in several threads and I am going to try and summarize it. I am not an immigration lawyer nor pretend to be one.
The following can live and work in Ireland:
Irish citizens. family members that are not Irish will need a visa/satisfy immigration requirements.
EEA citizens. This includes their non-EEA family as covered in the EU family reunification rules. In some situations this can be up to grandparent/grandchild and in-law of same range. They have to be dependent on you in some way. For example my mother in law has a terminal illness and if I or my wife were her caregiver she could move under these rules. Yes this is less restrictive than the rules for Irish citizens because of how EU rules and individual nation sovereignty interact.
There are some visas for other citizens that allow working. This can include some working with an education visa or skilled labor.
There are some visa statuses that allow you to live but not work like Stamp 0.
As for the EEA Citizen category many people may qualify based on family history. Most EEA countries recognize citizenship based on blood not birth. This means it isn't where you were born but what your family was. In some cases living family members in previous generation can claim their citizenship and extend the eligibility.
Good idea, David. I made this one 'sticky'. I'll find a couple of links to add to this too, to make it easier for people to find stuff on the site.
Other relevant forum topics:
Permission to Remain in Ireland as the spouse of an Irish National
Work permit for American w/ Irish Spouse
Ireland via another EU country
Employment and job permit for spouse of EU citizen
What obstacles have you faced as a returning Irish emigrant?
Relevant blog posts:
Stamp 0 clarifications from a current applicant
Stamp 0 clarifications from the Dept of Justice
Fancy a working holiday in Ireland? There’s a visa for that
About Dual Citizenship children of UK citizens who emigrated
How can returning Irish emigrants immediately satisfy the Habitual Residency Condition
Investing in Ireland – Yes you can move to Ireland if you have cash on hand
Hi,
My name is Gordon, my wife and I have been thinking about moving to Ireland from South Africa. I'm a UK citizen, my wife and daughter are South African passport holders.
Would I still be able to move to Ireland and be treated as a EEA citizen even though having lived in South Africa for the last five years?
I would also like to know what the best way of moving over will be? I have stared to send my CV to companies in Ireland. My wife will stay at home to look after our daughter. So it will just be me working for the time being till our daughter is old enough to go to nursery.
People have told us to just go to Ireland and then apply when we get there. That seems like a bit of a gamble, also they don't have a child to think about.
Could I go over first and then have them follow once I'm settled with a job and place to stay?
I would appreciate any assistance or some guidance in the right direction.
NOTE - I am using "SHOULD" because there is always a possibility of running into issues. As a UK citizen you should be able to work in Ireland. Also under EU reunification rules you should be able to have your family join you.