English language schools have called on the Government to pause new rules that would see a further increase in the amount of money an international student must have before being granted permission to study in Ireland.
An increase that takes effect on June 30th will see students who don’t require a visa to provide proof of €6,665 in funds, up from €4,680.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan defended the move in the Dáil in recent weeks. “One of the key conditions applicable to a student coming to Ireland is that they must be able to support themselves without claiming State benefits,” he said.
English Education Ireland (EEI), a national body representing more than 60 accredited English language schools, has called for an “immediate review and pause” of the new rules.
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“Effective from June 30th, students from countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Argentina will be required to show €6,665 in available funds to study in Ireland for eight months – a 120 per cent increase on the 2023 threshold of €3,000,” the group said.
English Education Ireland chief executive Lorcan O’Connor Lloyd said: “This change has come without consultation, justification, or notice.
“It is difficult to see how a 120 per cent increase in two years can be considered proportionate when the cost of living has risen just 2 per cent annually.”
He said the affected students are legally permitted to work part-time while in Ireland, “yet are now being required to show financial backing as if they were not”.
“This policy undermines the very structure of Ireland’s work-study visa system,” he said.
The group warned that “if unchallenged”, the policy will lead to “mass cancellations, reputational damage to Ireland, and loss of key emerging markets that have helped rebuild the sector post-pandemic”.
The Department of Justice was contacted for comment.
