Immigration Reform

Resolving the status of undocumented Irish migrants and future legal migration between Ireland and the United States are high priorities for the Irish Government and for many in the wider Irish-American community.

The issue of U.S. immigration reform is a very high priority for the Irish Government. Both directly and through our Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade have maintained contact with many key figures in the U.S. Government and Congress as exchanges have unfolded.

Ireland’s interest in U.S. immigration reform reflects the exceptionally strong historical and contemporary connection between Ireland and the U.S. There is deep concern about the position of the estimated 50,000 currently undocumented Irish immigrants here. There is also a pressing concern to create a facility for future legal migration that would adequately reflect the closeness of the relationship between the two countries. Resolving the status of the undocumented Irish and future legal migration are also issues that continue to unite and mobilise many in the wider Irish-American community.

The Government, Oireachtas, our Embassy and our Consulates General will continue working with Irish American lobby groups and others who seek to make U.S. immigration reform a reality.

If you would like to access specific immigration and naturalisation advice and services in the Chicago area, the Consulate recommends contacting Chicago Irish Immigrant Support (CIIS), a non-profit organisation, part-funded by the Irish Government, which provides a broad range of immigration and community services to the Irish Diaspora and Irish American community in the Chicagoland area. If you are not based in Chicago, CIIS can still offer advice, or direct you to an Irish Centre offering similar services closer to where you are.