Student Visa Ireland
A non-EEA national, if they wish to reside in Ireland to study, can seek residence permission from Immigration Service Delivery to reside in Ireland while they engage in the course.
A visa required national can apply for a D student visa before coming to Ireland.
Separate financial criteria applies to visa v non visa required nationals.
Degree level students, for example, should engage in full time study, adhere to state laws, should not avail of state benefits and its important to progress academically on the course.
Changing a course from full time to part time is generally not permitted.
Non-European Economic Area students studying in Ireland must resister with the Garda National Immigration Bureau GNIB.
If you have any questions about student visas, we will be happy to help.

Documents & Fees
The documents required for the application and application fees are listed on the Irish Immigration Services website at www.inis.gov.ie
You will need evidence of your enrollment on the course with your letter of acceptance, proof of medical insurance, finances, passport plus photographs, proof of course fees payment, proof of academic ability etc.
You can apply on the AVATs portal at www.inis.gov.ie
Language and Non Degree Students
A non-national can apply to reside in Ireland to engage in an English Language Course. They can also seek permission to engage in a full time course at level 5 or 6.
The course must be on the interim list of eligible programmes. The English Language course must be full time and there is a finite time a student non-national can obtain a visa for. For English Language Students, 3 permissions of eight months only per course is permitted.
It will generally not be possible to change from a degree course to a language course.
Immigration Registration
Both visa and non visa required nationals must register with the immigration officer in accordance with S.9 of the Immigration Act 2004.
Students in the state for longer than 90 days must register with the immigration office where you live.
Stamp 2
Stamp 2 affords persons permission to study in Ireland in a full time course which is listed on an eligible course. Stamp 2 permission is of a temporary nature and residence periods on a stamp 2 are not reckonable for citizenship applications.
Casual Work
A non-EEA national student who obtained a student visa can engage in casual work up to 20 hours in the academic semester and this can extend to up 40 hours during the college holiday periods.
Third Level Graduate Programme
If you wish to stay in Ireland after graduation, here is an information post on the Third Level Graduate Programme.
Immigration Lawyer
If you have questions about visas, you can speak with an immigration lawyer on (01) 546 1121 or (052) 612 1999.
Disclaimer
Please be advised that the above-mentioned material is intended as an overview and as a broad outline of the topic discussed. It should not be considered as complete and comprehensive legal advice, nor act as an appropriate substitute.
Due care has been taken in the publication of this article and we do not accept legal liability as a result of reliance on any material covered in the above article.