Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) has released its weekly dashboard of visa files currently under examination in the Dublin Visa Office, giving prospective travellers a clearer picture of waiting times across 13 application categories. The table—updated on 22 September 2026—shows that Business visas lodged on 27 August 2026 are being assessed, while Employment-category visas are back to 25 July 2026. Student visas are at 22 June 2026, but Join-Family visas, the most document-heavy category, remain in mid-2024, underscoring the complexity of family-reunification adjudication. The data confirm anecdotal reports from corporate mobility managers that short-stay and business travel is largely back to pre-pandemic rhythms, whereas long-term settlement routes still face considerable delays. ISD attributes the imbalance to “detailed constitutional and human-rights assessments” required for family cases and to surging demand from non-EEA professionals seeking to bring dependants after Ireland’s post-COVID hiring rebound. For companies moving staff into Ireland, the figures mean that arranging exploratory business visits or initial work-permit entry is feasible within six to eight weeks. However, managers should prepare relocating employees for a potentially year-long wait before spouses and children can join. Immigration lawyers are advising applicants to double-check proof-of-relationship and financial-support documentation to avoid ‘further information’ requests that can add months. The publication also lists more than 900 recent visa decisions, illustrating ISD’s drive for greater transparency. Although refusal rates remain high for Tourist visas (around 40 %), approval ratios for Business and Employment visas exceed 80 %, reflecting Ireland’s pro-enterprise stance. ISD reiterates that dates are refreshed every Tuesday and cautions travellers not to book flights until a visa label is affixed. With university term having started, the Study-visa queue is expected to shorten in October. Meanwhile, a cross-departmental task-force is examining whether parts of the family-reunification process can be digitised to reduce paperwork and accelerate decisions in 2027.
Source: Immigration Service Delivery
