Applying for a student visa is a bit time taking as it may take up to 8 weeks in certain cases, and requires some meticulous form filling and documents. It is important that one must make a judicious and quick decision regarding the university that one wants to choose so that the visa applications may proceed as quickly as possible. The complete details for visa applications can be found here.

Steps for applying for a student visa in Ireland:

You can apply for a study visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to Ireland.

The course  that you are going to pursue  must be included in   the Internationalisation Register    administered by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) (Visit www.nqai.ie for more information). The maximum time a student may stay in Ireland for the purpose of attending

courses at degree level is limited to seven years and students are responsible for managing their studies to ensure compliance with this time limit.

It is not permissible for Students who come to Ireland on a Degree Programme course to enroll in a Non Degree or Language Course.

Students may apply for an Irish student visa through the Irish Embassy at india and the following documents are required of the students, so as to ensure quick and error free visa processing:

• A Letter of Acceptance from the college, confirming you have been accepted and enrolled on a course of full-time day-time education.
• You  must have  proof that fees  have been paid to  the college (fee recipt).  Where your fees are below €6,000, the full amount of the fees must be paid in advance. Where  your fees exceed €6,000 then at least this amount must be paid in advance;
• A bank statement, from an Irish bank, showing that from 1 April,  you have  access  to €3,000  at first registration,  to support yourself, live  in Ireland  without going  into business or  getting a job, or  availing of any State Benefits.

Students   are required   to have private   medical insurance at   time of registration. Thereafter   at every subsequent registration students   are required to have proof that they were in  possession of private medical insurance for all of the previous registration period for example by way of a letter of renewal(Insurance must cover hospitalization).
 

• If  the student has received scholarships in full or partial, documents supporting the same must also be presented.
• If the student has any relatives in Ireland, there names and addresses in full is to be produced.
• True copies of Transcripts for language proficiency tests and graduate examinations are to be submitted.

The fees for Irish visas are:

Once in the country the student has to register with the GNIB (Irish police). The GNIB will issue you with a residence permit/GNIB card. The fee for this card is 300 euros.

Some points for you to note.

When making a visa application you must:

• Complete the online application form
• Check the Irish Embassy details where your documentation is to be sent
• Provide a passport sized photo
• Ensure your passport is valid for 12 months
• Pay the application fee
• Provide a signed letter of application which explains why you require the visa
• A Letter of Acceptance from the Irish university, college or school, confirming you have been accepted and enrolled on a course of full-time education, involving a minimum of 15 hours organised daytime tuition each week.
• This letter must name you (the applicant) and verify the title/duration of the course
• It should also confirm the amount of fees payable for your course, and that this amount has been paid.
• If the college has taken out medical insurance on your behalf, details of this must be contained in this letter of acceptance. If it is not arranged by the college, you must organise this yourself and provide evidence with your application. 
• Show evidence of language proficiency, you must show that you have the capacity to fully partake in your chosen course through the medium of English requires IELTS of 5 but most Irish universities and colleges generally require IELTS of 6.5 
• Make sure you keep copies of all documents submitted

Post-Study Work Visa

2 years post-work visa is available on the completion of the degree.

It may be possible to stay in Ireland after you complete your studies for the purpose of seeking employment under the Irish Third Level Graduate Scheme. This scheme exists to allow legally resident non-EEA third level graduates to remain in Ireland for the purpose of seeking employment and applying for a green card or work permit.  During the period of permission under the

Irish Third Level Graduate Scheme a student can work full time (up to 40hrs per week).

The permission the student will have will remain that of student. The permission under the Irish Third Level Graduate Scheme is non renewable. A student can only avail of the Third Level Graduate Scheme once. Once a student has availed of the Irish Third Level Graduate Scheme they are not permitted to re-enter full time education and to be registered as a student at the end of this period. One Year Permission under the Third

Level Graduate Scheme Permission To be eligible for a one year permission under the third level graduate scheme a student is required to have

•Studied in Ireland and completed a qualification at Level NFQ 8-10,  

•An award granted by a recognised Irish awarding body (overseas accreditation  will not be accepted), i.e.

1. Dublin Institute of Technology

2. Higher Education Training and Awards Council

3. Institutes of Technology with delegated authority

4. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

5. Universities

6. Other bodies that have statutory award-making powers in Irish law

Checking on your visa status

• You should apply as early as possible for your visa as it normally takes eight weeks for it to be processed but in busy periods it may take longer than this.

• You can check online to see if your visa has been processed (using your Visa Application Number). This list is updated weekly.

• If you get approval for a visa, the Embassy to which you sent your documents will affix a visa to your passport.

If you are refused a visa you may appeal the decision within 2 months.