A new scheme to allow undocumented people living in Ireland to regularise their status has been launched today.
It is estimated that the scheme could help up to 17,000 undocumented people living in the country, including up to 3,000 children.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced the scheme in early December, and today repeated how it will work.
People who are eligible under the scheme will have a period of four years residence in the State without an immigration permission, or three years in the case of those will children.
The scheme will be open from 31 January until 31 July, and will granted an immigration permission that allows unrestricted access to the labour market.
That permission will also be reckon able for the purposes of pursuing citizenship by was of naturalisation.
"There are thousands of people who live in this country and who are part of our community, many of whom are working and paying taxes, who are in our schools, and we might not even know that they have been living in an undocumented way," Minister McEntee told RTE's Morning Ireland.
"They have been living with a cloud hanging over them. This scheme will allow them to apply to regularise their status and to get on with their lives. For many of them they haven't been able to return to their home countries and they haven't seen family in many many years."
The scheme is not "open-ended" however, and certain criteria do need to be met, she reiterated.
Along with living in the country for specified periods of time, "you have to have evidence to show who you are, and that can be a birth cert or passport or some for of identity," she said.
You have to show that you're residing in the state of course - bills, bank account, receipts from where you work. Where you have family members or you also have to have documentation. In relation to children it could even be a letter from their school to say that they have been attending."
Having a deportation order does not automatically prevent an application being made or successful, but as Minister for Justice, McEntee said she must take into account the results of a vetting process.
There is also an independent appeals process for unsuccessful applicants.
"If it transpires that you have serious criminal convictions or if there is a reason that the Gardaí believe you should be unsuccessful then we, and I as Minister for Justice, have to take that into account.
She said a new team has been created to work through the applications, and successful applicants could receive their "positive decisions towards the end of the year".
A full list of necessary documentation and other criteria for how applications can be made can be found on this website.
