What does the change mean? Stakeholders have until Oct. 31 to submit comment on a host of proposals, including lowering annual income requirements, introducing a mandatory pre-clearance system and taking into account age and health when considering applications to retire in Ireland.

• Implementation time frame: Ongoing.
• Who is affected: Non-EEA nationals seeking to retire in Ireland.
• Business impact: The business impact is minimal. The government has said that the “arguments in favour of offering retirement options in the Irish immigration system are social and cultural rather than financial.”
• Next steps: Submissions are due no later than Oct. 31 and may be sent by email to retireesreview@justice.ie. Additional information is available in this report, which describes the government’s review of its immigration policy for retirees.

Background: The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service recently conducted a review of Ireland’s immigration policies for non-EEA retirees, aiming to strike “the appropriate balance between the aspirations of prospective retirees and the interests of the State.” Among other proposals, INIS suggested: reducing net annual income requirements from €50,000 per person to €40,000, or €60,000 for couples; introducing mandatory pre-clearance for all applicants; requiring applicants to demonstrate a “close connection” to Ireland; limiting applicants to those between the ages of 60 and 75; and limiting applications to those who have insurance and are in good health. The program would be open to people from any non-EEA country, including visa-required nationals.

BAL Analysis: Ireland is aiming to establish clear criteria on its immigration policies for non-EEA retirees. Those interested in providing feedback should familiarize themselves with the proposals and offer their submissions no later than Oct. 31.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in the United Kingdom. For additional information, please contact uk@balglobal.com.

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Source: Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP