The Draft First Amendment of the Immigration Regulations, 2014, has been published for comment. The deadline for comment is October 14.

The draft can be accessed here.

According to the draft, its publication follows consultation with an Immigration Advisory Board.

The amendments relate to changes to the immigration regulations announced in 2014, including that visa applications be made in person and children under the age of 18 produce an unabridged birth certificate, with additional requirements if one or both parents are not travelling with the child.

The new draft amendments include a definition for unabridged birth certificates as follows: “any document or birth record issued by the relevant authority reflecting the full names and surnames, the date of birth of the child and the names and surnames of the parents of such child.”

The new draft amendment also includes a substitution to the requirement that children under the age of 18 produce an unabridged birth certificate as follows: “Where a parent or parents, from a visa exempt country, who is or are travelling with a child, such parent or parents may be required by an immigration officer to produce the child’s unabridged birth certificate upon admission into or departure from the Republic…”

It further states that where an immigration official requests the production of the unabridged birth certificate and it is not provided, the official may refuse a child admission or departure from the Republic.

Do you think changes in the draft amendments adequately address the ‘unintended consequences’ of the existing regulations? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.