scholesy18:
I'm currently on the Critical Skills permit and my wife applied for her Join Family Visa in September 2021. It's been 6 months of regular emails and 'still pending' replies and we are frustrated. I wonder if anyone has received their Join Family visas recently, and how long theirs took?

8BitGee:


Hi, a lot of people are in our shoes. I know people who applied in June 2021 who just heard back in February 2022. One can not really be sure as to why it is taking this long post-covid as it didn't according to people who got it pre-covid time. The priority appears to be student visa.

You can find and follow the weekly report published every Monday in the link below, however, Join Family visa is not specifically labelled.

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/nigeria/our-services/visas/weeklydecisionreports/

Sunshineandrain:
Hi,
I am currently on critical skills visa and applied for my husband in June 2021, the visa got rejected after 6 months. We have just put in an appeal and hoping for the best.
Spoke with someone here in similar circumstances and he said after over one year of submitting an appeal, he still hasn’t heard back from the embassy.
The whole process just isn’t fair nor transparent, it’s shocking!

8BitGee:


Hi, a lot of people are in our shoes. I know people who applied in June 2021 who just heard back in February 2022. One can not really be sure as to why it is taking this long post-covid as it didn't according to people who got it pre-covid time. The priority appears to be student visa.

You can find and follow the weekly report published every Monday in the link below, however, Join Family visa is not specifically labelled.

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/nigeria/our-services/visas/weeklydecisionreports/

8BitGee:


Hi, a lot of people are in our shoes. I know people who applied in June 2021 who just heard back in February 2022. One can not really be sure as to why it is taking this long post-covid as it didn't according to people who got it pre-covid time. The priority appears to be student visa.

You can find and follow the weekly report published every Monday in the link below, however, Join Family visa is not specifically labelled.

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/nigeria/our-services/visas/weeklydecisionreports/

8BitGee:


Hi, a lot of people are in our shoes. I know people who applied in June 2021 who just heard back in February 2022. One can not really be sure as to why it is taking this long post-covid as it didn't according to people who got it pre-covid time. The priority appears to be student visa.

You can find and follow the weekly report published every Monday in the link below, however, Join Family visa is not specifically labelled.

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/nigeria/our-services/visas/weeklydecisionreports/

Blueberry111112:
Hi, Could you disclose if these people have kids? Because June to Feb is about 8months. Someone else has said she applied for her husband in June 2021 and got response by December 2021 being 6months.

scholesy18:
I'm currently on the Critical Skills permit and my wife applied for her Join Family Visa in September 2021. It's been 6 months of regular emails and 'still pending' replies and we are frustrated. I wonder if anyone has received their Join Family visas recently, and how long theirs took?

8BitGee:


Yes, at least one couple have two kids. Their application was submitted in June 2021 and they are only after hearing back in February 2022.

Blueberry111112:
Ok. Thanks. Were they granted?

Dwebb55:
Wow! All these stories can scsre someone. A friend who applied got the family's visa after 3 months. I am sure that this thread will provide more highlights on what is needed to ensure that applications are made in the right manner and without hitches.

One thing about Ireland that I have noticed is that they are particular about finances. When submitting your bank statements, ensure that any lodgment or withdrawal N100k and above and €100 and above are well explained in your statements.

Finally, put everything to God in prayer because without Him, we can do nothing!

8BitGee:


One can't say what has happened at the embassy in Abuja, but join family applicants can feel some throttling. In the beginning we assumed it was due to the covid lockdowns, now, that shouldn't be the case anymore.

Even before the lockdowns were eased, I heard of two people from a different region who got theirs in late 2021 in less than a month.

scholesy18:
I'm currently on the Critical Skills permit and my wife applied for her Join Family Visa in September 2021. It's been 6 months of regular emails and 'still pending' replies and we are frustrated. I wonder if anyone has received their Join Family visas recently, and how long theirs took?

Sunshineandrain:
Hi,
I am currently on critical skills visa and applied for my husband in June 2021, the visa got rejected after 6 months. We have just put in an appeal and hoping for the best.
Spoke with someone here in similar circumstances and he said after over one year of submitting an appeal, he still hasn’t heard back from the embassy.
The whole process just isn’t fair nor transparent, it’s shocking!

Blueberry111112:



Yeah, something may have caused this dramatic change. At least if they even make it transparent by putting the periods they are working on as is done in other categories, people will be well guided and prepared.

Right now critical skills or no critical skills they do not appear to make any distinction in the time they are taking to process the applications.

Marimart:

Hello sir, please what are the steps and criteria for obtaining the critical visa?
Thanks.

lanrayx:


Did they give a good reason for refusing the application, that you are able to share? Or PM
I am on a CSEP and my wife has applied to join me.
Seeing your post gave me the chills

Sunshineandrain:


Yes, they gave a number of reasons as to why they refused the visa. A lot of which didn’t make sense because we fulfilled all the criteria and requirements.
Really it’s hard to tell what they’re looking for and I don’t believe they are going by the books anymore, it all just depends on the visa officer’s discretion which is quite unfortunate. Someone in an exactly the same situation as yours might receive a different decision. It’s crazy.
All I can say is just stay hopeful, and don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If there’s anyone that can afford coming through a student visa I would recommend that rather than the join family process. It’s not worth the emotional roller coaster at all.

Is there anyone awaiting an appeal decision right now?

8BitGee:
I know someone who applied in early August, 2021 whose visa was approved on Monday 4th April, 2022. I know another brother who applied in mid August that is yet to hear back.

Ours was submitted in mid-September, 2021, meaning it's going on 7 months in a few days.

I may be wrong, however, it appears the applications are left in storage until it's > 6 months since they were submitted.

scholesy18:


Interesting. That's very possible as I'm convinced there could be some throttling causing this. Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully we are close to the end.

8BitGee:


Hi guys, did anyone hear back this morning. I saw a lot refusals and just one approval in what looked like join-family applications made around August 2021. Many broken hearts and dreams. And the appeals process does sound even more daunting, it's terrifying.

Olaiyatunnex:
Decision is supposed to be out within 3 months for critical skills and that's normal, anything after that means something is wrong. Strong and detailed application is needed to be put forward, pls email olaiyatunnex@gmail.com sometimes some people need to get vital info from people that have gone through the process so as to put in a strong application.

scholesy18:


Decision should be within 3 months but this has not been the case for the Ireland embassy in NG in the past year+, maybe due to covid.
At the moment the current processing time, which you will get from the embassy is 6-12 months whether you're a CSEP holder or not. It almost looks like there's no distinction again.

Do you know anyone who recently received feedback in 3 months (From the embassy in Nigeria)?

scholesy18:


Decision should be within 3 months but this has not been the case for the Ireland embassy in NG in the past year+, maybe due to covid.
At the moment the current processing time, which you will get from the embassy is 6-12 months whether you're a CSEP holder or not. It almost looks like there's no distinction again.

Do you know anyone who recently received feedback in 3 months (From the embassy in Nigeria)?