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Information for Workers Awaiting IRP Renewal – Unlawful Dismissal

An employee who submits an application to renew their IRP card before it expires is legally permitted to remain in the state and continue working after expiration under the exact same terms and conditions for a 12-week grace period while the application is being processed. The 12-week grace period starts from the date your IRP card expires.

The Department of Justice has provided guidance on this point – notice available here: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/notice-to-employers-regarding-employees-awaiting-renewal-of-their-irp-card/  

If an employer dismisses an employee based on an expired IRP card during the 12-week grace period, the employer may be found liable for substantial compensation claims under the Unfair Dismissals Act.  

In the 2024 case Poliane Fernandes Lima v Elland Distributors Limited t/a Born Clothing (available here) the Workplace Relations Commission awarded a worker €25,000 where the worker had applied for IRP renewal in advance of its expiration and while she was waiting for the renewal application to be processed, the employer dismissed her without allowing any discussion, investigation, or opportunity for appeal.  

STEPS TO TAKE FOR WORKERS WITH IRP RENEWAL PROCESSING DELAYS: 

  1. Provide your employer with proof that you applied to renew your IRP card before it expired. Once the IRP renewal application has been submitted an application completed e-mail is sent to the applicant. This email confirmation can be used as proof of registration while the applicant awaits the delivery of their new IRP card. 
  2. Provide your employer with the Department of Justice’s Notice to Employers stating the rights of employees awaiting renewal of their IRP Card. https://www.irishimmigration.ie/notice-to-employers-regarding-employees-awaiting-renewal-of-their-irp-card/  
  3. Tell your employer that because you applied to renew your IRP card before it expired, you are entitled to continue working under the same terms and conditions for a 12-week grace period while your IRP is being processed. 

If your employer dismisses you while you are waiting for your IRP card to be processed, contact MRCI.