Consulate of Ireland, Hong Kong
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Study Visa

From the 14^th July, 2008, all student visa applications should contain a copy of an Electronic Transfer of Funds from the applicant to the Irish Bank of the college, showing details of beneficiary's name, address, bank details and the same details for sender.

Your application should contain the following documents. Please note the following list is not exhaustive and applications should be supported by all information considered relevant.

Passport (please include a photocopy of the passport bio page, all visas and all stamps)

Two (2) copies of the signed summary of your online application form. Please refer to our Application Forms section for details.

Two (2) passport sized colour photos taken in the past six months that meets our specifications

Photocopy of Hong Kong Identity card

Full contact details (address and daytime number)

A letter of Registration from an Irish university, college or school stating that you have been accepted on a course of study, which complies with guidelines issued by the department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform. This letter must name you (the applicant), verify the nature / duration of the course and confirm that all tuition fees and accommodation fees (where applicable) have been paid in full.

Please read the section on the Payment of Tuition Fees

Full private medical insurance. If medical insurance is included in fees paid then the letter from the school should contain details of the insurance cover taken out on your behalf by the host university, college or school in Ireland .

Resume. This should contain an explanation as to how your education and / or work history is linked to your proposed course of study in Ireland

If you are currently studying, an original letter from your current place of study that verifies the information given in your resume. This letter should include a contact name, address and phone number for the school.

If you have graduated from senior middle school, you must supply your original graduation certificate. If you have graduated from a 3 rd level course then you need only supply your most recent graduation certificate.

Parents' letter of employment.

Applicant's letter of employment (if applicable).

Statement of finances.

Photocopy of applicant's family hukou, if applicable

Submitting documents and other material in support of your application

You should submit any additional documents that you feel will assist the Visa Officer in making a decision on your application.
Submission of false or misleading information will result in a visa application being refused. This will also be taken into account in any future visa application the applicant might make.
All information requested may potentially be needed during investigation of an applicant. An applicant who fails to provide information such as phone numbers or other contact details requested is hindering our ability to carry out checks and as a result we may be unsatisfied as to the applicant's bona fides.
Applicants should expect verification checks to be undertaken in respect of the information and documents supplied.
Originals of all documents must be submitted along with a translated copy in English. Documents not translated from Chinese to English will not be considered.
Please supply one photocopy of all documents that you would like returned to you. If you do not supply a photocopy the original document will not be returned to you.
Two passport-size colour photographs, taken in the previous six months, should be attached to the application form.
Photocopy of your family hukou or Hong Kong Identity cards

Payment of tuition fees

It is a requirement for study visa applications that full fees are paid in advance of submitting an application.

An application must include an original letter of acceptance from the university, college or school in which the applicant intends to study which clearly states the cost of tuition (and other fees payable) for the course and the exact sum paid by the applicant.

Proof of fees paid

Evidence of fees paid must be submitted in the form of an original letter issued by the school. This letter must be accompanied by details of the relevant bank transaction from the Irish bank confirming that the funds for the named individual have been received in the school's account.

Under guidelines issued by the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform it is not expected that an applicant pay more than a total of Üp?,000 in fees prior to a visa being issued. This does not affect requirements of individual educational institutions.

Passport

The passport must be submitted with the visa application.
Please include a photocopy of the passport bio page, all visas and all stamps
The passport must have no less than six months validity from the date of the completion of the course.
If you held a passport previous to your current valid passport or are currently travelling on a replacement passport you must submit the original of your old passport with your application. If you no longer have the original of an old passport you must submit a photocopy of the passport. Photocopies of old passports must include every page of the passport, not just those with visas. You must clearly explain why you replaced your old passport and include any relevant police reports in your application. A decision on a visa application will not be issued until all relevant passports are seen by the Visa Office.

Advice for study visa applicants

Should I use an agent?
The Visa Office does not use different criteria to assess applications lodged by individuals and applications lodged by an agent.

If you decide to use the services of an agent when making your visa application remember that you are responsible for the documents submitted even if they are submitted by an agent on your behalf.

If it is found that you have used false or misleading documents in support of your visa application then this will affect all future applications for an Irish visa. Submit authentic documents only. Applicants should expect verification checks to be carried out on all documents that are submitted.

Planning and Preparation
It is expected that a genuine student will have done sufficient planning and preparation to be capable of answering all questions on both application forms. Have you researched how much money you will need to entirely cover your tuition, accommodation and maintenance for the duration of your study plan? Does the proposed length of stay on your application form correspond with the verified course acceptance details that you will submit with your application?

Your Curriculum Vitae
Do not leave gaps in your curriculum vitae. Give details about how you are currently spending your time. Explain what you have been doing since you graduated Senior Middle School. If you have been studying part-time, explain how you are spending the rest of your time and submit documents to support this.

Study Plan
Does your study plan clearly show the thought and research that you have invested in your decision to study in Ireland? Do not leave gaps in your study plan. If you plan to spend four years studying in Ireland then explain exactly where and what you will be studying. You should also explain why you have selected specific courses and how they relate to your experience. Include details of your intentions after you have completed your study plan.

Standard of English
We need to know your current standard of English so we can assess whether or not your study plan is feasible. Your English level should be recorded in documentary evidence, for example in the form of a test score.

Funds
You must satisfy the Visa Office that you can afford to complete your study plan. A bank statement that shows a large sum of money on deposit will not prove that an applicant has sufficient funds unless it is supported by clear and transparent supporting documentation. It must be clear that all monies genuinely belong to the applicant and his or her sponsor and that the money was not deposited solely for the purposes of the application. Savings records covering at least a twelve-month period must be provided. The savings records should be consistent with the income of the applicant and his or her sponsor. Any inconsistencies must be explained.

Adhering to the following guidelines will ensure that your application is processed without delay:

Submit all requisite documents with your application.
Arrange documents in a logical order
Do not send documents to the Visa Office prior to lodging your application.
Read and take note of all relevant information on this website and on the visa application form before submitting your application
Do not use any clips, staples or files to attach sheets together in your application.

Entitlement to take up casual employment

From 18 April 2005 new non-EEA national students granted permission to remain in the State on registering with the Garda National Immigration Bureau will not be permitted access to employment unless they are attending a full-time course of at least one year's duration leading to a qualification recognised by the Minister for Education and Science.

A register of approved programmes compiled by the Department of Education and Science for this purpose is published on the Department's Website and will be updated on a monthly basis. Click here for a direct link to the registers.

Those permitted access to employment may enter casual employment only (defined as up to 20 hours part time work per week or full-time during normal vacation periods). Access to employment is not permitted to other students.

The entitlement to take up employment will cease upon the expiry of permission to remain as a student. Having been in casual employment will not, in itself, entitle a person to further permission to remain. It will continue to be a breach of their student conditions to be in full time employment, other than during vacation periods.

This will not affect students who have current permission to remain at the date of introduction (18 April 2005 ). Their access to employment may continue for the duration of their permission to remain.

Please note that the expectation of any earnings from casual employment while in Ireland will not be taken into account in determining whether or not the person has sufficient funds to support himself or herself while in the State.

Students who wish to continue in employment following the completion of their course of studies will require a work permit to do so. Visa required nationals will be required to return home while the work permit is being processed and to apply for an employment visa in order to return to the state. Please see the section on Employment Visas

Renewal of permission to remain

From 1 January 2005 students on courses other than full-time courses of at least one year's duration leading to a recognised qualification recognised by the Minister for Education and Science will be allowed to renew their permission to remain only where the total period of permissions granted and sought does not exceed 18 months.

In the case of students already having permission to remain before that date, the period of 18 months will be calculated from 1 January 2005.

Note to Applicants

Please prepare TWO [non double-sided] photocopies of all required documents when submitting your application. If you do not supply a photocopy the original document will not be returned to you.

We regret that we do not provide photocopying services at the Consulate.

Processing Time

We aim to make a decision on your application as soon as possible however, please allow 20 working days for your application to be processed.

Useful Links

Education Ireland
A government website which has useful information relating to the Irish education system, third level institutions, courses, learning English and further links.

ACELS
The Advisory Council for English Language Schools established under the auspices of the Irish Department of Education & Science to control standards in EFL schools. Contains the official list of schools and organisations recognised by the Department of Education & Science.

Government of Ireland
This site will help you to find government organisations or information by providing links, indices of recent publications and a search engine that searches all government sites. There is also general information about Ireland.