A sharp disagreement arose yesterday between Minister of State for Integration Conor Lenihan and the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) over residence rights for highly skilled migrants.
The council's chief executive Denise Charlton said conflicting advice from two Government departments about the long-term residence entitlements of "green card" holders reflected "extremely poorly" on the Government and "put migrants in an impossibly unfair position".
"The Department of Employment, Trade and Enterprise, on its website, tells people that possession of a green card 'will normally allow a pathway to permanent residency after two years'," Ms Charlton said.
"However, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform's website states that five years' residency in Ireland is a requirement for applying for long-term residency. This is just no way to treat people," she added.
However, speaking yesterday at a seminar on the Chinese community jointly hosted by the ICI, Mr Lenihan said: "It is regrettable that the Immigrant Council has spoken without properly examining the long-term residence provisions in the [new Immigration] Bill.
"There is indeed a standard requirement of five years' lawful residence for long-term residence, but the council's statement overlooks the fact that the Minister for Justice may make regulations setting that at a shorter time-limit for particular categories of people."
Once the Bill was passed, this provision would enable the Minister to provide the pathway to earlier long-term residence for holders of "green cards".
The "green card" scheme was introduced in February last year to attract highly skilled workers earning €60,000 or more a year, but also extending to occupations in the €30,000-€59,999 salary bracket where "strategically important" skills shortages have been identified.
