University College Cork’s College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (SEFS) would like to cordially invite you to be a part of an engaging webinar to be presented by our esteemed panel of Academics and Faculty members. 

The session will be introduced by Professor Sarah Culloty,  the Head of the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (SEFS). We will be joined by Dr. Justin McCarthy, Chair of International in the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science. UCC staff will also be joined by recent graduates and Mr. Tony Tynan, Berkley Group (recruitment) who will tell you about job opportunities in Ireland.

As part of the webinar we would like to take the opportunity to discuss and share with you more details and plans in place for Semester 1 2020-21. The session will include a Q&A session and we would be keen to hear your thoughts during that time. 

Date and Time – July 1^st   (Wednesday) at 11.00 Irish Local time / 15.30 India Local Time / 18.00 Beijing local time. It will be a one-hour session.  See start date/time for your location clickHERE

Webinar link –  Topic: SEFS International Offer Holders Webinar

Time: Jul 1, 2020 11:00 AM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89716920787?pwd=anNxM3BwY1pNd0d6K3VnQnlUU0l0Zz09

Meeting ID: 897 1692 0787

Password: 295868

For the second year in a row, UCD has an improvement in its position in the QS World University Rankings published, Wednesday 10 June 2020 with an upward movement of eight places to 177.

Recent QS Subject Rankings listed 4 subjects at UCD in the top 50, 13 in the top 100 and 33 in the top 200.

Irelands’ COVID-19 Response
Global survey names Ireland among the top countries in the world for innovating during the COVID-19 crisis.
Ireland is ranked 6th for producing innovative solutions during the pandemic – see full details of the survey in the below given link.

• Students who lost their job as a result of Covid-19 are eligible to apply for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €350 per week for the duration of the crisis.
• Students whose Irish Residency Permit was due to expire between March 20 and May 20 had their visa permission automatically renewed for this period.
• All students have free access to the Irish healthcare system for treatment related to Covid-19 – and relative to accommodation “you cannot be evicted during the coronavirus pandemic”
• Confirmation that on a ‘once-off basis’ students who are due to start their studies in an Irish Institution in September, but because of Covid 19 will have to complete the first semester online and will complete their studies in Ireland, will also be allowed avail of the post-study work visa

Ireland Visa Processing
Irish Department of Justice plans to resume the acceptance of visa applications, through their commercial partner, VFS, in the seven locations overseas where they have visa offices, as well as in their Dublin office fromMonday 22nd June.

1. Confirm you wish to accept your place at CIT
2. Request a deferral to September 2021
3. Decline your offer and request a refund of your deposit/tuition fee, if already paid
4. Apply to enroll in one of CIT’s fully online courses (but without the option to avail of stay-back visa options)

Update on Irish Visas

Colleagues,

Just a quick email to update you on our plans to resume visa services. You will be aware that since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have suspended the acceptance of all visa applications globally, with the exception of certain priority/emergency visas as identified on our website.

Notwithstanding restrictions still in place locally, it is our intention to resume the acceptance of visa applications, through our commercial partner, VFS, in the seven locations overseas where we have visa offices, as well as in our Dublin office from Monday 22^nd June. Our seven visa offices overseas are based in China, India, UAE, Turkey, Nigeria, Russia and the UK. There are still restrictions in place in some of these countries, so where it isn’t possible to resume from the 22^nd June, we intend to resume accepting visa applications as soon as is possible thereafter. The initial resumption of services may also be on a limited basis in certain locations – for example, in China, only four of the fifteen Visa Application Centres (VACs) will be allowed to open initially and in Turkey and elsewhere, initial opening hours may be limited.

In all other locations, the resumption of services will be at the discretion of our colleagues in Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT), as visas in those locations are processed by DFAT staff in the mission network. Our understanding is that they hope to resume services as soon as local restrictions allow them to do so.

During the initial phase of re-opening, we will only be accepting Long Stay “D” visa applications, including Study, as well as those identified under our current criteria as Emergency/Priority Short Stay visas. 

There are also contingency plans in place to process applications in our Dublin office should the situation on the ground in other locations prevent us doing so there.

We will endeavour to keep you updated on any further developments as they arise.

If your application is refused, you will be informed of the reasons for this refusal with a letter and you may lodge an appeal. The letter outlining the refusal reasons will specify the address to which an appeal should be sent.

An appeal can be made within two months of receipt of the refusal notice, and must be made in writing – fax or email appeals will not be considered. Visa appeals must be submitted by post directly to the Visa Office in New Delhi (VFS will no longer accept appeals).

There is no charge for lodging an appeal.

The following should be done when lodging an appeal:

1.  You should address each refusal reason in your appeal.

2. You should supply clear and relevant evidence in your appeal that will address any deficiencies in your initial application.

3. Any further information or documentation that you wish to have taken into account should also be included with your appeal letter.

4. On receipt of your appeal, the Appeals Officer will review the application, taking account of any additional information or documentation that you have supplied. Provision of additional material does not guarantee approval of the application on appeal.

Explanation of Visa Refusal Terms you might see and how you can counteract them in your original application:

The Departments of Justice and Equality and Education and Skills have recently held discussions on the operation of the Third Level Graduate Permission Scheme (TLGPS)/ Graduate stay back option during this unprecedented time and have agreed the following. 

1. On a once-off basis students who were residing in Ireland and attending Irish Institutions, but who returned home due to Covid 19 and completed their studies and exams online abroad, but who will receive their award from the Irish Institution will be entitled to avail of the programme and also allowed to apply from overseas. 

2. On a once-off basis those students who are due to start their studies in an Irish Institution in September intake, but because of Covid 19 will have to complete the first semester online and who will complete their studies in Ireland will also be allowed avail of the programme.

The above 2 points are strictly one off arrangements as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic and subject to the usual criteria of the programme.   

3. Those students who intend to study for the full year online with an Irish Institution will not be allowed avail of the programme.