Ireland
Closed: no spouse during the degree. This route is not ranked.
Verdict
Ireland fails the main requirement: a taught master's student cannot bring a spouse. Your spouse gets no work rights until you land a Critical Skills job, realistically 1.5 to 2.5 years after arrival. Tuition alone is about USD 17,000 to 25,000, paid before the visa.
The earliest realistic start is September 2027, and your passport must be posted to New Delhi. The long-term route is good: up to 2 years of post-study work, Stamp 4 about 3 years after arrival, citizenship in about 6, and no language test. It works only if you are willing to go alone first. Not recommended for you as a couple.
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source money plan for this route compare
- Can the spouse come
- No
- Conditions
Three official pages agree: there is no dependant route for a taught master's student. The ISD student FAQ says: "No, students are typically not permitted to bring family members" (only very exceptional circumstances).
Citizens Information (edited 16 Apr 2026) says spouses can apply in their own right, but not on the basis of their relationship to a non-EEA student. The exceptions are PhD students and some recognised foreign-government scholarship holders.
The only student-spouse status that exists at all is Stamp 2A "spouse of financially independent student". It is granted in limited circumstances and gives no right to work.
Your spouse cannot come at the same time as you, and cannot join during the Stamp 1G graduate period either (ISD: on 1G "other permissions and conditions remain the same as for Stamp 2"). Your spouse can join only once you hold a Critical Skills Employment Permit (immediately, no income threshold stated).
The other route is after 12 months on a General Employment Permit or Stamp 4, with income tests and, since 12 Jun 2026, documented accommodation tests. Otherwise your spouse needs a status in their own right: their own study visa with their own tuition and their own EUR 10,000, or their own employment permit.
- Spouse work rights
- None
- Spouse work in detail
Your spouse has no status as the spouse of a taught-master's student, so no work rights (even the rare Stamp 2A spouse permission bars work). Later, once you hold a Critical Skills Employment Permit, your spouse gets Stamp 1G: they may work without a permit and may study, but may not run a business or be self-employed.
It is renewed yearly, and your spouse may apply for Stamp 4 after 5 years on 1G. The spouse of a General Employment Permit holder gets Stamp 3 (no work), and only after a 12-month wait.
- Student work hours
Stamp 2: up to 20 hours a week in term; up to 40 hours a week from June to September inclusive and from 15 December to 15 January (ISD FAQ and Citizens Information).
- Cash before landing
- about 32.2 lakh USD 25,800 inside the 35 lakh ceiling
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- First year for two
- about 67.7 lakh USD 54,300 before earnings over the 35 lakh ceiling
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Tuition in detail
Not free. A non-EU taught master's costs roughly EUR 13,000 to 30,000 for the one-year programme. University of Galway MSc Business Analytics: EUR 22,250 total non-EU for 2027/28 (EUR 22,100 tuition + EUR 150 levy). Fees at Dublin Business School, Maynooth and IBAT are not confirmed.
DCU's January-intake page links to a 2026-27 fee schedule but shows no amounts.
- Money to show in detail
Student only (a spouse cannot be included, so there is no spouse amount). ISD: for courses starting after 1 July 2023, you need immediate access to at least EUR 10,000 for one academic year, plus EUR 10,000 and course fees for each further year. Funds must not rely on casual work.
Citizens Information (edited 23 Jun 2026) also requires evidence that the course fees are paid in full. Evidence: an up-to-date bank statement covering the last six months, on headed paper, with name, address, account number and account type visible. Your own statement is required even if you are sponsored.
Large or irregular lodgements, including student loans, must be fully explained. Savings accounts need a bank letter confirming access. Credit cards are not accepted.
Family or friend sponsors are allowed: they need proof of relationship, their six-month statements, an employer letter plus 3 payslips or business registration, and proof they can still maintain themselves.
Alternative for degree students (pilot): an education bond of at least EUR 10,000 lodged with an approved fee-payment service (TransferMate), held from application until registration in Ireland.
- Budget note
Rates used: EUR 1 = USD 1.1052 and INR 104.16 (ECB, 13 Nov 2026); USD 1 = BDT 124.86 (Bangladesh Bank, 12 Nov 2026). Tuition is EUR 15,575 to 22,250 (USD 17,200 to 24,600), and the show-money is EUR 10,000 (USD 11,052). All 'couple' fields are really student-only or hypothetical, because your spouse cannot come as a dependant.
Visa fees of USD 427 are student only: the INR 9,000 multi-entry visa (about USD 95; single-entry INR 5,300 is about USD
56) plus EUR 300 registration (USD 332). Up-front cash for you alone is about USD 25,800: tuition about USD 19,900 paid before the visa, visa and registration USD 427, insurance about EUR 690 (USD 760), one flight about USD 900, and two months' living about EUR 3,500 (USD 3,870).
Your first year alone is about USD 40,000 to 46,000 at EUR 1,500 to 1,800 a month living. The USD 33,200 couple living figure (EUR 30,000) and the USD 54,300 first-year total are estimates only; no official couple figure exists. Show-money can be sponsor funds or an explained loan, but tuition is real cash.
- Realistic earnings
Minimum wage is EUR 14.15 an hour in 2026 and EUR 14.94 from 1 Jan 2027 (both not confirmed). At 20 hours a week you would earn about EUR 1,225 a month gross at EUR 14.15 (EUR 1,295 at EUR 14.94), and about EUR 2,450 to 2,590 a month at 40 hours in the holiday windows.
Your spouse: zero, with no right to be in Ireland or work as a student's spouse. It is an English-speaking market, so part-time work is accessible. It will not cover Dublin rent plus living, which is about EUR 1,500 to 2,445 a month for one person on DCU and UCD figures (not confirmed).
Visa rules also say funds must not rely on casual work.
Applying
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Visa
- Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (applied for on AVATS), then Stamp 2 student permission / Irish Residence Permit registered after arrival
- Lands
- September 2027 (you alone) An estimate, not a promise.
September 2027 for you alone. January 2027 is open for admission at DCU until 4 Dec 2026, but it is not realistic. It needs an unconditional offer, fees paid, a posted application to New Delhi and a decision at the fast end of 4 to 8 weeks, all within about 6 to 8 weeks of 14 Nov 2026. Your spouse: not during the degree.
The earliest is about late 2028 to 2029, once you hold a Critical Skills Employment Permit and your spouse's own join-family visa is processed.
- Next intakes
- January 2027 (limited programmes; DCU lists MSc Management (Strategy), MSc Finance, MSc Computing (Data Analytics), MSc Computing (Artificial Intelligence), plus engineering master's)Deadline: DCU: 4 December 2026 for all listed January courses (MSc Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence already closed). Dublin Business School and Maynooth January deadlines: not confirmed.Still open: Yes for admission at DCU until 4 Dec 2026, but not realistic for the visa from Bangladesh (full fees, passport posted to New Delhi, 4 to 8 weeks processing)
- September 2027 (main intake, all universities)Deadline: Rolling. University of Galway MSc Business Analytics has no specific closing date. Many others close around May to June 2027, and competitive courses earlier (not confirmed course by course).Still open: Yes
- Typical length
- 12 months
- Where to apply from Bangladesh
There is no Irish embassy or visa centre in Dhaka. Complete AVATS online, print and sign, then post your documents and passport directly to the Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi, or send them to a third-party agent in Kolkata who lodges at VFS Kolkata. No biometrics for Bangladesh residents.
The fee is INR 5,300 single-entry or INR 9,000 multi-entry, by INR demand draft made out to the Embassy (available from Sonali, BRAC or Pubali Bank). The Embassy also states that from Monday 16 Nov 2026 the visa fee must be paid during the AVATS online application.
There is no routine interview, but the Embassy may phone you or your sponsor if the case cannot be approved on first assessment. Your passport is held until the decision, and you must arrange collection from VFS Delhi or Kolkata. Original documents are required.
Visa and passport risk
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Risk for a Bangladesh passport
- Unconfirmed
- Why
No official approval or refusal rate by nationality was found. The New Delhi office publishes decisions by reference number only (the list covers 1 Jan to 12 Nov 2026). No suspension or Bangladesh-specific restriction appears on the Embassy or ISD pages as of 14 Nov 2026.
The Embassy says cases that cannot be approved at once go to in-depth verification of banks, employers and sponsors, possibly with a phone interview, and it warns of fake agents. Practical risk points: your passport is posted abroad, sponsor funds are scrutinised, and a study visa requires you to confirm your intent to return home.
Recent press reports on Bangladesh are not confirmed.
- Visa processing time
New Delhi visa office (handles Bangladesh), update dated 5 Nov 2026: study visas take 4 to 8 weeks for a first decision, counted in working days from receipt at the Embassy to decision, not guaranteed. Appeal decisions take 6 calendar months (an appeal must be lodged within 2 months of refusal and is free).
The office says it is receiving a very high volume and gives no status updates. Add postal transit both ways from Bangladesh. Apply up to 90 days (3 months) before travel. ISD's general guide says about 8 weeks.
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Hassle
- 9 out of 10 10 is the most hassle. This site's rating, not a checked fact.
After the degree and PR
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Work after the degree
Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G): for a Level 9 master's, 12 months at first, renewed for a further 12 months only if you show steps taken to find graduate-level work. So it is up to 24 months, and the second year is conditional.
You may work full-time for any employer without a permit, but may not run a business or be self-employed. You must apply within 6 months of the award while holding a valid Stamp 2, and register before leaving Ireland. The fee is EUR 300 per registration. No family reunification while on it.
Time on 1G counts as reckonable residence for citizenship.
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- PR route
Step 1: a one-year master's on Stamp 2 (not reckonable). Step 2: Stamp 1G for up to 24 months. Step 3: you or your employer apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit.
It needs a job offer of 2 or more years and a salary of at least EUR 40,904 in a listed occupation (from 1 Mar 2026), EUR 36,848 if the qualification was awarded within the previous 12 months, or EUR 68,911 for non-listed eligible roles. The fee is EUR 1,000, and the employer must not have over 50% non-EEA staff.
Step 4: your spouse can then apply to join immediately and gets Stamp 1G work rights. Step 5: Stamp 4 after 21 months of work on the permit (Citizens Information; the ISD stamps page says 2 years).
Step 6: citizenship by naturalisation after 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9, including 1 continuous year before applying (at most 70 days abroad in that year), or Long Term Residence after 5 years on employment permits.
Slower alternative: a General Employment Permit, with Stamp 4 after 5 years and your spouse joining only after 12 months and without work rights. Ireland has no separate 'PR card' for this route; Stamp 4 is the practical equivalent.
- Language for PR
None found. ISD's naturalisation guide lists identity, 5 years of reckonable residence, good character, intention to reside and a declaration of fidelity. It mentions no language or civics test. Stamp 4 has no language test on the pages read.
Recent rule changes
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- 2025 and 2026
26 Nov 2025: revised non-EEA family reunification policy (Critical Skills holders keep immediate reunification; students still excluded). 1 Mar 2026: Critical Skills salary thresholds raised to EUR 40,904, EUR 36,848 (recent-graduate rate) and EUR 68,911. 1 Jun 2026: no appeal for short-stay visa refusals (study-visa appeals remain). 12 Jun 2026: further amendments to the family reunification policy.
General Employment Permit and other Category C sponsors must document accommodation, sponsors in certain supported accommodation are ineligible, the Irish-citizen sponsor threshold rose to EUR 75,000 gross over 3 years, and other thresholds are indexed. 16 Nov 2026: visa fee to be paid online during the AVATS application (New Delhi Embassy notice).
Proof of funds is unchanged at EUR 10,000 since 1 Jul 2023. ISD news to 3 Nov 2026 shows no new student, Stamp 1G or study-visa rule change. ISD reports very long IRP renewal backlogs in 2026. 1 Jan 2027: minimum wage EUR 14.94 (not confirmed).
- Corrected in this check
- Visa fee: Bangladesh applicants pay in INR via New Delhi (INR 9,000 multi-entry is about USD 95, INR 5,300 single is about USD 56 at the ECB INR rate of 13 Nov 2026), not EUR 100. The student-only total with the EUR 300 registration is about USD 427.
- Up-front cash, itemised at the rates of 13 Nov 2026: about USD 25,800.
- First-year cost for you alone is about USD 40,000 to 46,000.
- Earnings: EUR 1,295 a month at 20 hours a week is the 2027 rate; at the 2026 rate of EUR 14.15 it is about EUR 1,225 a month.
- Post-study work: the second 12 months of Stamp 1G for Level 9 is conditional on showing job-seeking steps, and the application must be made within 6 months of the award. The 24 months are not automatic.
- 2026 rule change: the 12 June 2026 amendments to the non-EEA family reunification policy (accommodation proof for General Employment Permit sponsors, indexed thresholds).
- A Stamp 2A 'spouse of financially independent student' permission exists in limited cases but bars work, so your spouse still has no work rights.
- Online AVATS fee payment from 16 Nov 2026 is announced on the Embassy's processing-times page, not the 'Visas for Ireland' page.
- Naturalisation: the ISD guide lists no language or civics test. It requires 1 year of continuous residence with at most 70 days of absence, and the fees are EUR 175 + EUR 950.
- Intakes: the DCU page lists January (not February) 2027 only; the 4 Dec 2026 deadline applies to all listed courses.
- Critical Skills route: it needs a 2-year job offer, and the employer must not have over 50% non-EEA staff.
- Source list: some listed sources were not checked on 14 Nov 2026.
Not verified
unverified- Refusal or approval rate for Bangladeshi study-visa applicants: no official per-nationality figure, and recent press reports on Bangladesh
- Whether a minimum EUR 6,000 tuition prepayment is accepted instead of full fees (Citizens Information says fees paid in full)
- Minimum wage EUR 14.94 from 1 Jan 2027 and EUR 14.15 for 2026
- UCD and DCU living-cost figures (EUR 1,735 to 2,445 a month at UCD) and the UCD insurance price (about EUR 690)
- DBS, Maynooth and IBAT fees (Dublin Business School MSc Business Analytics EUR 15,575; Maynooth MSc Business Analytics EUR 18,000; IBAT MSc Business Management EUR 13,000) and their January 2027 deadlines: agent listing only
- DCU non-EU fee amounts for January 2027 programmes and the exact January start date
- Stamp 4 timing: Citizens Information says 21 months, the ISD stamps page says 2 years on a Critical Skills permit
- How the 16 Nov 2026 online AVATS payment applies to Bangladesh postal applicants, and whether the INR demand draft is still accepted
- Whether the Critical Skills thresholds rise again in 2027 under the Minimum Annual Remuneration roadmap
- Full text of the 12 June 2026 Family Reunification Policy (only the ISD summary was read)
- Long Term Residence rule (5 years on employment permits)
- Family reunification policy changes of 26 Nov 2025 (law-firm summary only)
- Couple living-cost figure is an estimate; no official couple figure exists because spouses cannot accompany
Confidence in this page: High.
Programmes
0 in the programme listSources
23 official pagesStudents have no right to bring family; spouses cannot apply on basis of relationship to a non-EEA student; PhD exception; 20/40 work hours and holiday windows; EUR 10,000
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/moving-to-ireland/studying-in-ireland/immigration-nonEEA-students/ISD FAQ: students typically not permitted to bring family members; registration fee EUR 300; medical insurance required; work hours
www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/frequently-asked-questions-for-students/EUR 10,000 immediate access for courses after 1 Jul 2023; six-month statements; sponsors allowed; loans must be explained; EUR 10,000 education bond alternative; no reliance on casual work
www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/what-are-my-study-options/a-fee-paying-private-primary-or-secondary-school/information-on-student-finances/Student visa needs evidence fees paid in full, funds, insurance, intent to return; visa gives no right for anyone to join; fees EUR 60 / EUR 100
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/visas-for-ireland/student-visas/Long-term study visa process: AVATS, apply up to 3 months ahead, about 8 weeks, appeal within 2 months free of charge
www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/what-are-my-study-visa-options/how-to-apply-for-long-term-study-visa/Bangladesh residents post documents and passport to Embassy New Delhi or use a Kolkata agent; no biometrics; INR 5,300 / 9,000 by INR demand draft; passport collection from VFS Delhi or Kolkata
www.ireland.ie/en/india/newdelhi/services/visas/visas-for-ireland/New Delhi study visa processing 4-8 weeks, appeals 6 calendar months (update 5 Nov 2026); AVATS online fee payment from 16 Nov 2026; short-stay appeals ended 1 Jun 2026
www.ireland.ie/en/india/newdelhi/services/visas/processing-times-and-decisions/Visa fees: single entry EUR 60, multi entry EUR 100, non-refundable; Bangladesh not on fee-exempt list
www.irishimmigration.ie/preclearance-and-entry-visas-fees/Stamp 1G conditions for graduates and Critical Skills spouses; 1G reckonable, Stamp 2 not reckonable; Stamp 2A spouse of financially independent student cannot work
www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/information-on-registering/immigration-permission-stamps/Third Level Graduate Programme: Level 9 gets 12 months, renewed for a further 12 if job-seeking steps shown; apply within 6 months of award; EUR 300
www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arrived-in-ireland/third-level-graduate-programme/Critical Skills permit: EUR 40,904 / EUR 36,848 / EUR 68,911 from 1 Mar 2026; fee EUR 1,000; 2-year job offer; Stamp 4 after 21 months; spouse gets Stamp 1G
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/working-in-ireland/employment-permits/green-card-permits/Family can join Critical Skills holders immediately; other permit and Stamp 4 holders after 12 months; students excluded unless PhD or recognised scholarship
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving-country/moving-to-ireland/rights-of-residence-in-ireland/residence-rights-of-family-members/12 June 2026 amendments to non-EEA family reunification policy (accommodation proof for General Employment Permit sponsors, indexed thresholds)
www.irishimmigration.ie/amendments-to-policy-on-non-eea-family-reunification/ISD news list to 3 Nov 2026 shows no new student or graduate-scheme rule change
www.irishimmigration.ie/news-and-updates/Naturalisation: 5 years reckonable residence in last 9 plus 1 continuous year; Stamp 2 does not count, Stamp 1G counts; no language test listed; fees EUR 175 + EUR 950
www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/become-an-irish-citizen-by-naturalisation/DCU January 2027 intake course list; applications close 4 December 2026; Business Analytics and AI closed
www.dcu.ie/global/januaryintakeUniversity of Galway MSc Business Analytics non-EU EUR 22,250 (2027/28), 1 year, no specific closing date, starts September 2027
www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/business-analytics.htmlEUR/USD 1.1052 and EUR/INR 104.1575 (ECB reference rates)
www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/eurofxref/eurofxref-daily.xmlUSD/BDT 124.8614 reference rate
www.bb.org.bd/en/index.php/econdata/rfrexrateFamily reunification policy changes effective 26 Nov 2025
www.fragomen.com/insights/ireland-changes-to-family-reunification-rules.htmlJanuary 2027 intake fee listings for DBS, Maynooth, IBAT
educationireland.net/intakes/UCD living cost estimate EUR 1,735-2,445/month, insurance about EUR 690
www.ucd.ie/global/study-at-ucd/scholarshipsfinances/livingcosts/Minimum wage EUR 14.94 from 1 Jan 2027
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money-and-tax/budgets/budget-2027/