Tag: Visa

GNIB Registration — AKA Hell on Earth

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Ireland, Visas5 Comments

Hello all! As I’ve just gotten onto the right sleep schedule, I’m ripe and ready to crank out the blog posts on all I’ve learned in the past few days. One topic being the dreaded GNIB or Garda National Immigration Bureau. When you receive your Working Holiday Authorization, it informs you that you have to register with the GNIB within 90 days of entrance by going to their office in Dublin, which is over by the Liffey. Once you do this, you’ll be given a GNIB card, which is necessary to have as a form of proof of ability to work. What they don’t tell you is that this process is by no means as easy as it sounds.

First of all, the GNIB is only open Mondays and Tuesdays from 8am-9pm. While this time period seems long, you have to get there VERY EARLY in order to be seen. Each day, they give out a certain amount of appointment numbers and if you arrive too late, you may not be able to get a slot.

While the office opens at 8am, it is extremely important you get there early to procure a spot in line. I would suggest arriving at 6am or earlier if you want to get in and out before they close. I know this sounds absurd, but people sleep overnight to get spots, and many arrive between 5am-6am.

I personally arrived at about 5:45am, and ended up with the appointment number 95, which was lucky as I saw others who got numbers in the 200s.

When the GNIB opens, they’ll slowly start letting people inside. You’ll queue up in order to get your appointment number, and once you have this, you sit and wait until the screen flashes your number. This can take a very long time. I was in the door at 8:10am and was in the second group of people they let in, and I wasn’t seen until around 12:30pm.

Once your number is called, you will walk up and speak to a representative. Make sure you have…

  • Your passport
  • Your Working Holiday Authorization
  • An Irish address and phone number for them to have on file
  • A credit card/debit card to pay the €300 fee

From there they’ll have you pay the fee and take your picture for your GNIB card (which looks just like any sort of identification card). They’ll hold on to your passport while you go back to the waiting room.

At this point in the process you’ll have to wait until they call your name over the loudspeaker. It is good to sit in the far corner of the room during this process (over by the entrance to the bathroom) because the speaker is the best there and it’s easier to hear your name called. It took about 2 hours for this to happen in my case, with them presenting me with the card (and returning my passport) at about 2:30pm.

All in all, I spent 9 hours at the GNIB in order to fully complete the process. You are allowed to leave while everything is processing, however if you miss your appointment that would be on your head. I was personally too nervous to leave during my time, but a very kind friend brought me coffee, which was a relief. Definitely bring a book, your iPod or a laptop to use, because the waiting is basically like the DMV on crack.

So, in conclusion, the GNIB is like the 9th circle of hell, but once you do it you’ll be home free (JUST DON’T LOOSE YOUR CARD!!). So when it comes to the Immigration office, may the odds be ever in your favor…

**Side note – Avoid the bathroom at all costs as it is terrifying. The whole thing is lit up blue with a strobing light overhead in order to apparently keep people from shooting up (?????!!!!). Excuse me while I continue to have stress nightmares about peeing there.

***Second side note – I went on the 4th of July and never have I enjoyed the concept of freedom better than when I walked out of the GNIB doors, I literally almost kissed the dirty pee-stained sidewalk (I didn’t though, for the sake of dental hygiene).

 

Working Holiday Visa Requirements – Update

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Ireland, Travel, VisasLeave a comment

Hello all!

Less than two weeks until my arrival in Ireland and I’m just now letting the packing-themed panic set in.

To avoid thinking about outlet converters, sleep schedules and how many pairs of underwear I can fit into one suitcase, I’ve decided to do a post on the newly updated requirements for the Irish Working Holiday Authorization for USA natives.

So, a little while ago I posted about the various requirements for a United States college student/graduate to be able to work abroad in Ireland. While most of the requirements hold true to my previous write up, there have been a few changes made, which are reflected in their new website format.

To clarify these, I’ll list out all the requirements below…

  1. The first step is completing the application page provided by the Irish Consulate which can be found at this link. It’s pretty basic information and can be filled out fairly easily.
  2. A photocopy of the applicant’s US passport, which must be valid for the entirety of the stay in Ireland.
  3. Two identical passport photos with the applicants name on the back. These can be done at most CVS or Walgreens stores.
  4. A current resumé with at least TWO references (before it said “references” and now it stipulates the number).
  5. Evidence that the applicant is in secondary-education or has graduated in the past twelve months. I ordered a copy of my official transcript from my university as proof.
  6. An original bank statement proving that you have at least $4,000 (this is also different, before it was you needed proof of either $4,000 or a return plane ticket and proof of $2,000).
  7. A money order or cashier’s check (no personal checks) for the allotted amount based on which embassy you are sending your application to.

Finally, if your application is accepted which should take anywhere between 6-12 weeks, you have to send them further materials including…

  1. Return airline ticket (which doesn’t have to be back to your original country, just out of Ireland).
  2. Certificate of health insurance coverage for the duration of your stay in Ireland (check with your insurance company on their policy for travel abroad and see if they can email you an official proof of coverage document).
  3. The applicant’s Passport.

So there you have it! I didn’t want anyone to read my previous post and think they were sending the wrong documents. Make sure to send your info early, as mine took eight weeks to process! Any questions don’t hesitate to comment.

~Irish Consulate Website Link~

 

 

Working Holiday in Ireland – Next Steps

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Ireland, Travel, VisasLeave a comment

I have finally received my Irish Working Holiday Authorization! After many emails and calls to the consulate and more than one mini panic attack, I have in my hand the laminated piece of paper that will give me the ability to work for an entire year. 

I sent the application in March 18th and received my acceptance on May 25th. At this point I was required to send the consulate copies of my plane tickets (to and from Ireland) as well as proof of insurance for the duration of my time period there.

After emailing them the same day with copies of the documents requested, I was pleased to discover my WHA in my hands by May 27th! 

All in all it took a little over eight weeks to get approved. So, if you’re planning your year abroad, make sure to apply at least 2 months ahead of your departure date. It seems it was actually a blessing in disguise that I didn’t do the Au Pair position I initially hoped for, because both my passport and working authorization wouldn’ve still been processing within the Irish Consulate!

So, now that the WHA is all sorted, I’ve also secured my spot for Stint Ireland. A group that helps coordinate internships and gap years for college students and recent grads!

I officially booked my place with them, including a room in one of their awesome Stint Houses in a trendy little part of Dublin called Portobello!


So things are on the up and up and I can’t wait for my new departure date June 27th!

**Side note — in an earlier post, when I was first applying for my visa, I was wondering whether I needed to provide proof of a flight all the way to your home country (which is the United States in my case) or just out of Ireland. I finally got my answer, which is it just has to be out of Ireland not necessarily back to your country of origin.

Visas for Americans

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Travel, Visas3 Comments

As a sophomore in college, I studied abroad in London, UK and absolutely loved it. I was completely enamored by the bustle of the city, the history and the lifestyle that was lead by europeans in general. It was in that four month time period of museum visits and weekend trips to foreign lands that I decided once and for all that I would move to the UK as soon as I graduated.

Pop.

Did you hear that? That was my bubble of hope popping. As it turns out, being an American, while extremely entertaining when chanting U.S.A at frat parties, is troublesome when you want to go anywhere else. Since the United States is not a member of the European Union, we do not have the inherent right to work or study abroad without going through a heinous amount of paperwork.

Even then, in most cases you would need to be hired by a company which would sponsor your visa before you would be allowed in. So, what are we Americans to do? Find the best options.

1. Working Holiday Visas

A working holiday visa is essentially a pass for you to get a job in a country for (usually) up to a year. The countries that U.S. citizens can acquire Working Holiday Visas for are…

  • Australia
  • Ireland
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • North Korea

This is a very limited list, however some of these can be great options if you’re interested in the particular cultures of said countries. Each different nation has its own requirements (from monetary restrictions to age and education) along with a different length of stay. If you’re curious I recommend checking out GoOverseas which has an awesome article about each of the options.

2. Student Visas

While it is difficult to obtain a visa just to work, student visas are slightly easier to obtain. If you want to enhance your education while abroad, this is the option for you. In order to obtain a tier 4 student visa for the UK, you must be enrolled or have been offered a position at an institute of learning that is licensed. You also must have enough money to support yourself while you’re over there.

These visas can be for extended periods of time depending on how long you’re taking classes. The longer the classes or the more classes you take sequentially, the higher the probability it’ll be possible to extend your visa.

The kicker, many times you can legally work when you have this visa! The amount or hours of work you can do is dependent upon the type of classes you’re taking and the school you have sponsoring you. This is a great option for many people who want to live abroad in a country that doesn’t provide working holiday visas.

3. Shortened Stay

If, by chance, you want to live in a country for less than 3 months doing au pair work or another option that pays cash, you could opt not to get a visa at all. Many countries allow U.S. citizens to enter without a visa on the condition that they are tourists leaving within the allotted time limit.

Students with summers free would find this option especially appealing, as it eliminates the complicated visa process. Au Pair jobs are especially abundant in the summer in places like Spain and Italy. For more info on this I would suggest Au Pair World, which has a ton of resources for anyone considering this option.

 

Looking into international living can be stressful and disheartening, especially when you’re from our corner of the world. It’s all about sifting through the plethora of information and finding the plan that works best for you!