Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 8th May, 2015.

I, FRANCES FITZGERALD, Minister for Justice and Equality, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 17 of the Immigration Act 2004 (No. 1 of 2004) (as adapted by the Justice and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 138 of 2011 )), hereby order as follows:

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) (Amendment) Order 2015.

(2) This Order comes into operation on 9 May 2015.

2. The Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2014 ( S.I. No. 473 of 2014 ) is amended-

(a) in Article 3(b)-

(i) in subparagraph (iv), by the substitution of "New York Convention," for "New York Convention, or",

(ii) in subparagraph (v), by the substitution of "Schedule 2, or" for "Schedule 2;", and

(iii) by the insertion of the following subparagraph after subparagraph (v):

"(vi) a passport issued by the competent authorities of the United Arab Emirates that is described on its face as a ‘special passport’;",

(b) in Article 4 by the insertion of ", subject to Article 4A," after "declared that",

(c) by the insertion of the following Article after Article 4:

"4A.The declaration in Article 4 does not apply to non-nationals who are nationals of Ethiopia and who-

(a) having travelled directly from Ethiopia, arrive at a port in the State for the purposes of passing through the port in order to travel to Canada or the United States of America, and who, at the time of such arrival, have permission given by the competent authorities of the state concerned-

(i) to enter or be in that state,

(ii) to land in that state, or

(iii) to arrive at a port in that state for purposes of passing through the port in order to travel to another state,

or

(b) having travelled directly from Canada or the United States of America, arrive at a port in the State for the purposes of passing through the port in order to travel to Ethiopia, where, at the time they departed Canada or the United States of America, as the case may be, they were in the state concerned in accordance with the terms of a permission given by the competent authorities of that state-

(i) to enter or be in that state,

(ii) to land in that state, or

(iii) to arrive at a port in that state for purposes of passing through the port in order to travel to another state.",

and

(d) in Schedule 2 by the insertion of "United Arab Emirates" after "People’s Republic of China".

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

6 May 2015.

FRANCES FITZGERALD,

Minister for Justice and Equality.