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New Proposal to widen eligibilty to apply for an Irish passport for U.S. citizens

17/3/2009

Taoiseach announces new proposal to make it easier for U.S. citizens with Irish ancestry to gain an Irish passport.

An Taoiseach Brian Cowen delivered a speech last week at the American Irish Historical Society on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. During it he proposed measures to make it easier for United States citizens to claim Irish citizenship which will reverse a decision that the Irish government took in 2005. “The connections between Ireland and America remain strong,” Mr. Cowen said, “but we cannot take them for granted.”

Under the current law the most distant ancestor that an American could claim and still qualify for Irish citizenship is a grandparent.  This new proposal to allow Americans whose nearest Irish ancestor is a great-grandparent to qualify for citizenship, provided that they have spent considerable time studying or working in Ireland, will open the possibility of Irish citizen to many people. “There are an awful lot of Irish-Americans who feel very cut off by the ‘grandfather rule,’ ” said Niall O’Dowd, the former chairman of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform and a founder of the Irish Voice newspaper in New York. “This would open up Irish citizenship to a whole new generation of Irish-Americans.”

To obtain an Irish passport, you must become an Irish citizen. As United States citizens may hold dual citizenship they do not need to give up their American citizenship in order to claim Irish citizenship.

Who currently qualifies to hold an Irish passport:

  • Anyone born in Ireland prior to 1 January 2005 is an Irish citizen, except children of parents holding diplomatic immunity in Ireland. The subject becomes a bit more complex for anyone born in Ireland after 1 January 2005 as the citizenship and residency history of both parents becomes relevant.
  • Anyone born outside Ireland whose father or mother was an Irish citizen at the time of the child's birth, is an Irish citizen.
  • If you have at least one grandparent who was an Irish citizen, the law infers that your parent was an Irish citizen due to his or her parent's citizenship and therefore you have a right to become an Irish citizen based on your parent's citizenship. At this time, only a grandparent's citizenship is recognized; you cannot apply for Irish citizenship based upon earlier generations. However this is where the change is now proposed.

If none of the above criteria can be met, citizenship is not automatic and must be acquired through application. Irish citizenship and a passport are possible for anyone with at least one grandparent who was an Irish citizen. However, an application must be made and documentation submitted.

Documents relating to the APPLICANT:

  • Full civil birth certificate (including details of parents);
  • Civil marriage certificate (if applicable);
  • Copy of current passport or identity document;
  • Two photographs of applicant (signed and dated by the witness from Section E on application form);
  • Copy of Identification (If a child does not hold a current passport then a school report or letter from the school will suffice);
  • Proof of Address;
  • Application form completed in full;
  • Appropriate fee.

Documents relating to the PARENT (through whom citizenship is claimed):
(These certificates MUST be included)

  • Full civil birth certificate (including details of parents);
  • Civil marriage certificate (if applicable);
  • Copy of current passport or identity document, if alive, or death certificate;
  • If application relates to a minor, parent must supply proof of address;
  • If parent has been naturalized or obtained foreign birth registration, original certificates must accompany the application.

Documents relating to the GRANDPARENT BORN IN IRELAND from whom citizenship is claimed:

  • Full civil birth certificate  if born after 1864, otherwise a baptismal certificate; together with proof that no civil registration exists;
  • Civil marriage certificate (if applicable);
  • Copy of current passport or identity document, if alive, or death certificate; 

It should be noted that additional information may be requested in support of the application.

Where the person to be registered is under 18 years, the declarant (parent) must sign the declaration on the application form and provide two of his/her own photographs(signed and dated by the witness from Section E of the application form).

Further information can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs website at http://www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie/home/index.aspx?id=267