My Wife is American. I am Irish. I think there may be conditions as you are married for such a short time. We married in the US and moved back to Ireland. My wife entered the country, clearly declared her intention to remain. You may have to leave and re enter after your marriage (may have to).
Next, within 90 days, she called the local Garda station. They directed her to the nearest station with a immigration officer, If you are rural expect a very easy going system with very little to do. If you are Dublin, expect long queuing times.
She went to the station. They asked her about 5 questions. She then got a year stamp in her passport. A stamp 4. She needs to go back every 12 months for a few years and will then apply for citizenship.
Other issue you may encounter include getting a pps number (ssn to you). Get one asap
Source: legal education
THE END
2nd comment. I just read that people were nervous about this. I have no idea why. We've done this twice and if anything it's way too easy. Looking at it now, I'd be more worried about getting an Irish driving license than your residency. You WILL NOT be deported. You have a right to remain and a definitive path to citizenship.
Worst case scenario? You'll be delayed a bit and might have to wait awhile for your stamp 4. If you feel hard done by about it, think about the poor sucker (me) who went to the US, paid $4,500 + for my green card and it took 1,800 and the fact that in most circumstances like yours, the foreign spouse then has to leave the US, apply for a fiancé visa, wait 6 months and then return. Then they must apply for a green card, spend a lot of money and wait another 6-12 months.
@cfinegan , thank you so much for your response. This really helps me better understand what to expect in the process - we will be doing the process in a rural area. I'll be updating as we go along!
Kelsey,
This is Steve, Mairead's husband replying, a US Citizen. Today we went up to the local Garda station with our passports, original marriage certification (we married in Ireland in 2005), and proof of residence (some mail with the family home's address on it and both of our names). The process was quick and easy, about 15 minutes, and thanks to being married to an Irish citizen, I did not have to pay the 300Euros fee. I got the G/4 stamp in my passport, good for one year and it allows me to work (though I am a semi-retired professor, I may do some consulting and other odd jobs). The Immigration Officer (who may have been the Garda Sergant, and was quite friendly) took my photo and prints from my index fingers and that was that. This was all quite different than the long, expensive and painful process of getting Mairead her green card to be a "permanent resident alien" in the US when we got married! Lawyers, fees, paperwork, letters of recommendation, grilling by unfriendly US Immigration and Naturalization employees, and a terrible time with the FBI because Mairead's skin is so smooth her fingerprints were "rejected"....Twice! 10 years later we can now finally laugh at this. But it was hell.
-Steve
My curiosity got the better of me, so I asked Steve/Mairead if they'd share a pic of the Stamp4 with us. They kindly obliged (the immigration officer's signature is blanked out)
@mairead thank you so much for sharing - it sounds like you had a really seamless transition. congrats on your move! 🙂
@moveclubadmin i so hope to be able to get that stamp soon. thanks for posting! this is making it all more tangible for me - i'm excited! 🙂
@mairead @moveclubadmin just one question - the Stamp 4 means that one can then work without the need for a work permit, correct?
Kelsey,
Short answer, yes.
Long answer... ( http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Policy%20for%205%20year%20workers%20and%20redundant%20workers)
"Persons who satisfy the eligibility criteria for this concession will be issued a Stamp 4 immigration permission for 1 year signifying the right to be present in the State and to be employed without a work permit. Terms and conditions include:
Permissions granted may be renewed annually.
Persons granted the permission are expected to work and to support themselves and any dependents and, if made redundant, the person concerned must seek new employment.
The holder of this permission cannot become an undue burden on the State.
The holder of this permission will be free to work in any employment and will no longer be limited to the current employer. Should they subsequently be made redundant they are free to seek other employment.
It is not long term residence and it cannot be seen as any guarantee of permanent status.
The Stamp 4 in this situation allows the person to establish a business or become self-employed.
The concession is being made irrespective of whether the person is currently an applicant for Long Term Residence."
@moveclubadmin Great. I tend to read into legal mumbo-jumbo and expect the absolute worst case scenarios every time.. 🙂
To summarize - Yes, Stamp 4 can work. It must be renewed annually and is often renewed without issue. There is no guarantee of renewal. Long term you should apply for long term residency.