This Board Subsection seems to be my own private estate!

Even still, I'm regretting not having stuck it out to get the Daughter her EUSS paperwork. Apparently I can come back, no probs, on my Irish citizenship (as before), but she cannot come with me.  I can't find a loophole, since Brexit, to get her in with me. Other than one that involves the EU and that would take years. I'm not actually sure I'd have enough time left, given all things, to pull that one off.  Since we're the only family we both have, I guess we don't get to come back to the UK. Well.... crud.

Too bad she's not a nurse or something. 

Sorry to hear that the route back for your daughter is closed or at least lengthy. All the best.

There's still one spider-web thin option. She applied for Irish citizenship in 2018 and has not yet been turned down. But it's going on 7 years now, so we don't know what's going on. She was advanced to "level 2" in 2019, which meant she'd cleared the various basic vettings.  Twice a year she writes for an update. About half of the time she'll get a response saying her application is "at an advanced state" and that they'll be back in touch when a decision has been made. The other half of the time there is no reply.  So we don't know.

Even still, I'm regretting not having stuck it out to get the Daughter her EUSS paperwork. Apparently I can come back, no probs, on my Irish citizenship (as before),
 

Under present rules you can but it's a "Memorandum of Understanding", whatever that means. I found this on the the Irish government site, if it helps.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/439c2-brexit-common-travel-area-cta/

It was only ever an Agreement, which allowed Irish citizens to move from Ireland to the UK and was granted long before the Irish could move to other EEA countries under Free Movement; the Agreement was not as good as Free Movement to the UK for them. I read in the Irish papers that following Brexit, the Republic of Ireland government asked the UK government to put this Agreement into International law but that was refused.

Since we're the only family we both have, I guess we don't get to come back to the UK. Well.... crud.

If you have decided that you don't want to live in the US anymore, have you thought about another EEA country? The EU still haven't closed the failed asylum seeker court ruling, which then meant that EEA citizens could now bring a non-EEA citizen spouse under Free Movement. They could then also bring their and their non-EEA spouse's, dependent family members to any EEA country under Free Movement (except their own EEA country, unless home laws allowed it).  Have you checked to see if your adult daughter can be your dependent? I recall some would bring their non-EEA siblings and their families; cousins and their families etc but not all EEA countries allowed that.

Under present rules you can but it's a "Memorandum of Understanding", whatever that means. I found this on the the Irish government site, if it helps.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/439c2-brexit-common-travel-area-cta/

It was only ever an Agreement, which allowed Irish citizens to move from Ireland to the UK and was granted long before the Irish could move to other EEA countries under Free Movement; the Agreement was not as good as Free Movement to the UK for them. I read in the Irish papers that following Brexit, the Republic of Ireland government asked the UK government to put this Agreement into International law but that was refused.

If you have decided that you don't want to live in the US anymore, have you thought about another EEA country? The EU still haven't closed the failed asylum seeker court ruling, which then meant that EEA citizens could now bring a non-EEA citizen spouse under Free Movement. They could then also bring their and their non-EEA spouse's, dependent family members to any EEA country under Free Movement (except their own EEA country, unless home laws allowed it).  Have you checked to see if your adult daughter can be your dependent? I recall some would bring their non-EEA siblings and their families; cousins and their families etc but not all EEA countries allowed that.

In Ireland, no, she's not considered my dependent. We went through many hoops with them (and via an immigration lawyer in Dublin) and I've been through the Irish immigrations' website and policy docs with a fine toothed comb for several years, yes. It's because of her age. If she were much younger, it might be arguable.  But adult children have no place in their process, it seems. They are lumped in under "other family members" and not part of the nuclear family. And it's a tough row to hoe to get one of those approved, I'm told.

The remaining naturalization option we have applied for her under is "association" - close association with an Irish citizen. It's an option that the Minister of Justice can approve as he/she sees fit.  It has not been denied yet - but it has not been approved, either. They keep throwing roadblocks up. Last spring they sent an email saying they still had 4,000 applications from prior to 2023 to process and that she should have received a link to their new online website. And to respond if that link had not been received. She responded with a no receipt of the link email, got an automated response from them, and then it's been radio silence again.  She sent off another email to them yesterday.

We've looked at a few other countries, yes. Each EU country has it's own little quirks. Since neither of us is really fluent in a foreign language, it's a little difficult.  She's got some French, and we both have a very little Spanish. She needs to be able to speak the country's language well enough to hold a decent job, which means it's down to English.  One of the loopholes to get her into Ireland would be to live in another EU country with her for a period of time, with her as a member of my household, and once officially accepted as settled in that country we could then move to Ireland. After a period of time there she could apply for citizenship via one of the other routes. At that time we could take advantage of the CTA.  Unfortunately, all of that would take years.

So for now I'm concentrating on trying to jog her application loose.

It's because of her age. If she were much younger, it might be arguable.  But adult children have no place in their process, it seems. They are lumped in under "other family members" and not part of the nuclear family. And it's a tough row to hoe to get one of those approved, I'm told. (

Recently on another forum, Polish citizens were asking if they could use their elderly parents in the UK, to live in the UK themselves and bring their adult child with them. They were told they would need their own visas and their adult child would need his own visa too.

I assume your daughter has looked to see if she can get a UK work visa?

The remaining naturalization option we have applied for her under is "association" - close association with an Irish citizen. It's an option that the Minister of Justice can approve as he/she sees fit.  It has not been denied yet - but it has not been approved, either.

Let us know how you get on. Somebody I know is from Irish descent, but he didn't have Irish citizenship. He had to work in Ireland to then naturalise as an Irish Citizen. He had been hoping to pass Irish citizenship on to his adult children but was unable to do so. If anybody can find a way, you  can.

We've looked at a few other countries, yes. Each EU country has it's own little quirks. Germany seems like a logical place, but their issue with foreigners right now isn't ideal.

It's the same in every European country that was/is very popular with immigrants.

Since neither of us is really fluent in a foreign language, it's a little difficult.  She's got some French, and we both have a very little Spanish. She also has a degree in Japanese, but that kind of is pointless here.... 

Malta? They speak English. Before Brexit, many non-EEA immigrants who naturalised as British and who wanted to bring elderly non-EEA citizens to the UK, used Malta for the EU Surinder Singh route. The earlier ones used Ireland but the Irish took a long time to give them a permit. The UK had shut down the adult dependent visa to make it virtually impossible to get, to stop the burden on the NHS.

Most EEA countries speak English as it's the business language of the EU. What about Portugal? They have a large number of British (and German) communities who retired to that country and they will speak English. It's a good source of revenue for Portugal as these retirees spend their pensions there and Portugal doesn't pay for their healthcare (until they have/if they want Settlement).

One of the loopholes to get her into Ireland would be to live in another EU country with her for a period of time, with her as a member of my household, and once officially accepted as settled in that country we could then move to Ireland. After a period of time there she could apply for citizenship via one of the other routes. At that time we could take advantage of the CTA.  Unfortunately, all of that would take years.

And things can change in that time.

Perhaps also keep an look out for any new UK visas your daughter might be able to get?

Hi. Yep, we're exploring all routes and watching for options.  At present a work visa to the UK or Ireland is highly unlikely - she is not trained in one of those fields where her skills are in high demand.  She got her degree in the UK in a very specific field that pretty much only exists in that part of the world, and with only a masters' there's not much chance of her finding work in it. She'd need to go on for a PhD and even then the job market isn't huge. She also no longer has the connections there that she'd need. (Or, in the case of Ireland, never got to make.)

I'll look at Malta, thanks. That was not on my radar. Portugal is definitely on the map - it's one of the places we were considering when we left the UK.  It ironic - it would be easier if our situations were reversed. If she had citizenship and I did not, it'd be doable in Ireland. I have enough income to support myself and private health insurance. I'm by no means a rich woman, but basically, I'd be a taxable asset to a country with minimal financial liabilities to them. But that's not how it goes, so....

Hopefully the mid-term elections in a year-and-a-half will give us a more solid feel of which way this country truly is going. At present, that direction is extremely troubling, so if there's not a significant backlash at the elections, we'll know it's time to go. But we both still want to get her the citizenship regardless of internal politics here, as it would open up many more doors for her. I'm not sure we could realistically plan on living elsewhere without it.

In the meantime, It's finally gotten up to 5F, and the frost is starting to melt on the inside of my double-pane glass windows. (Which are obviously faulty.)
I'm amusing myself with a pot of tea and looking alternately through seed catalogs, watching the birds eating out at the feeder on the porch (they are so fluffed up against the snow and cold that they are round), and watching haggis videos. My brain is melting. 

https://haggiswildlifefoundation.com/our-story/