The person referred to by the Deputy created an online Visit visa application on 30 November 2021.
Visa applicants in Nigeria are required to provide biometrics as part of the application process. To submit an application, the person concerned needs to book an appointment with VFS in either Abuja or Lagos to have their fingerprints taken and to submit their supporting documents.
The visa sponsor has sent documents directly to the Visa Office in Abuja. However, until such time as the applicant attends a VFS appointment to submit their application, the Office cannot start to process the visa. The creation of an online application does not start the examination process. It is only when an application is fully submitted and the fee is paid that the processing starts.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.