Ireland has refused only a small number 63 applications for immigrant investor program applications during the period from 2012 to 2018.
- Refused applications – 63
- Withdrawn applications – 18
This was revealed by Minister Flanagan, Minister of Justice and Equality in the parliament.
IIP applications are assessed by an Evaluation Committee on the basis of the profile of the applicant, the commercial viability of the project, employment outcomes associated with the proposed investment and the overall benefit to the Irish State. The Evaluation Committee makes recommendations to me on those applications that it decides should be accepted and approved under the Programme.
The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced by the Government in April 2012 to encourage inward investment for the creation of business and employment opportunities in the State. The IIP provides non-EEA nationals with a number of options to invest in Ireland, and successful applicants are granted a permission to reside in Ireland for a fixed period.
- Applicants must be high net worth individuals with a personal wealth of at least €2 million.
- An investment of €1 million in projects must be made for a minimum of three years, which may be renewable following a review.
| Year | Approved | Refused | Withdrawn |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 30 | 2 | 1 |
| 2015 | 65 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | 272 | 53 | 0 |
| 2017 | 294 | 8 | 1 |
| 2018 | 45 | 3 | 15 |
Note: It should be noted that a total of 420 applications were received in 2018 of which 357 are currently being processed.
A decision on a significant number these applications is expected in the coming weeks once processing has been completed.
A major external review of the IIP is underway and a tender process will be launched shortly to select a suitable candidate to undertake an independent evaluation.
It is expected that the review will be concluded in the second half of 2019.
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Irish immigrant investor program (IIP) took third place in the latest Golden visa rankings 2019, with Ireland scoring top marks great education, healthcare, quality of life for wealthy investors.
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