Ireland Sets Minimum Income Requirement for Citizens to Sponsor Foreign Spouses

• Ireland's immigration authority published the financial thresholds Irish citizens must meet to sponsor a non-EEA spouse or partner
• Irish citizens fall under Category A and must show a cumulative gross income of at least €75,000 over three years before applying
• The Irish government also made clear that sponsors cannot combine their income with a partner's salary to meet the required threshold

Ireland has published the minimum income requirements that citizens and residents must satisfy before they can bring a non-EEA spouse or partner to live with them in the country.

The Irish Immigration Service, under its Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, outlines that economic factors play a central role in deciding family reunification applications.

The State expects sponsors to take full financial responsibility for any family member they bring in, covering costs related to housing, education, healthcare, and welfare without relying on government support.

What Irish citizens must earn to sponsor foreign spouse

Irish citizens, classified as Category A sponsors under the policy, must demonstrate a cumulative gross income of at least €75,000 over the three years immediately before submitting an application. This works out to roughly €25,000 per year and applies to both spousal sponsorship and the sponsorship of unmarried minor children under the age of 18. The same income level is expected to be maintained after the application is approved.

One notable condition is that sponsors cannot pool their earnings with those of a partner or any other household member to reach the threshold. Only the income of the individual sponsor is counted.

Additionally, all sponsors must not have been mainly reliant on Irish State support for a continuous period of two years or more leading up to the application.

Other sponsor categories and their requirements

The policy divides sponsors into three categories based on their immigration status. Category B sponsors, such as Critical Skills Employment Permit holders and researchers, are not subject to a fixed income figure. Their immigration status is considered to already reflect sufficient earning potential, either currently or in the future, and they are recognised as individuals whose presence in Ireland is actively supported by government policy.

Category C sponsors, which include General Employment Permit holders, must show a gross income exceeding €30,000 in the year before they apply, with that income level expected to continue.

The financial thresholds apply in line with Section 9, Section 10, and Appendix D of the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy.

Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.

Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.

Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.

The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.

Source: Legit.ng