Spouses and civil partners of Irish citizens
Longer waiting times and new conditions. No income test.
Head 6 · Section 15A
| Now | Proposed | |
|---|---|---|
| Married / civil partners for at least | 3 years | 5 years |
| Continuous residence before applying | 1 year | 2 years |
| Plus | 2 of the previous 4 years | 3 of the previous 5 years |
| Total residence (island of Ireland) | 3 years | 5 years |
| Offences bar | — | Yes, no waiver |
| Language and civics tests | — | Yes, waivable |
| Income test | — | Not added |
Legal text
Highlighted: current wording proposed wording
15A.—(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 15, the Minister may, in his or her absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation to the non-national spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen if satisfied that the applicant—
15A.—(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 15, the Minister may, in his or her absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation to the non-national spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen if satisfied that the applicant—
(a) is of full age,
(a) is of full age,
(b) is of good character,
(b) is of good character,
(c) and that citizen—
(c) and that citizen—
(i) are married to each other, have been married to each other for a period of not less than 3 years, and are living together, as attested to by affidavit submitted by the citizen to the Minister in the prescribed form, or
(i) are married to each other, have been married to each other for a period of not less than five years, and are living together, as attested to by affidavit submitted by the citizen to the Minister in the prescribed form, or
(ii) are civil partners of each other, have been civil partners of each other for a period of not less than 3 years, and are living together, as attested to by affidavit submitted by the citizen to the Minister in the prescribed form,
(ii) are civil partners of each other, have been civil partners of each other for a period of not less than five years, and are living together, as attested to by affidavit submitted by the citizen to the Minister in the prescribed form,
(d) is, in the case of a spouse, in a marriage recognised under the laws of the State as subsisting,
(d) is, in the case of a spouse, in a marriage recognised under the laws of the State as subsisting,
(e) had, immediately before the date of the application, a period of one year’s continuous residence in the island of Ireland,
(e) had, immediately before the date of the application, a period of two year’s continuous residence in the island of Ireland,
(f) had, during the 4 years immediately preceding that period, a total residence in the island of Ireland amounting to 2 years,
(f) had, during the five years immediately preceding that period, a total residence in the island of Ireland amounting to three years.
Not in current law
(i) has not committed any offences listed in the first schedule to this Act at any point before or after an application for naturalisation;
(j) has demonstrated a proficiency of the Irish language or the English language, or Irish sign language to such a standard and verified in such a manner as may be prescribed by the Minister;
(k) has demonstrated an understanding of Irish civics to such a standard and verified in such a manner as may be prescribed by the Minister;