Irish Rings Invade Consulates

Individuals with Claddagh rings and Irish wedding bands on their fingers invaded the offices of US consulates in order to receive naturalization prior to a recent change in the Irish citizenship rules.  Prior to the November change in regulations, an individual could receive their citizenship from Ireland by simply applying for the status from the US after the marriage had taken place.  The new rules requires you to pack your bags and take a trip to the Emerald Isle.   The new change requires that the individual apply for a certificate of naturalization, and furthermore, they must reside in Ireland for a certain amount of time.  Due to this new stricture, over 1500 Americans filed for naturalization through their US consulates.  This is over the four times the number of people that filed similar papers the prior year. 

The new rules affect married couples only and have no bearing on the status of current US-Irish citizens, or the automatic citizenship bestowed on children of Irish citizens.  So if you have married an Irish citizen, you must now spend an extended vacation in Ireland before you can enjoy a similar status.