# Verification record — `ie/irishimmigration/short-stay-visa-avats` v1.0.0 This file is the **source-review record** for this document version, per the [`manual-source-review-v1`](../../../../../practices/manual-source-review-v1.md) practice. ## Current claim - **`status`:** `verified` - **`verification.method`:** `manual-source-review-v1` - **`verification.lastVerifiedAt`:** `2026-07-03` - **`maturity.level`:** `verified-schema` ## Why this cycle picked up Ireland's AVATS visa application This is the recurring "GovSchema Standard Research" cycle ([GOV-803](/GOV/issues/GOV-803)). Visa remains the registry's weakest vertical: after `nz/inz/nzeta-application` (GOV-795) closed NZ's gap, Visa stood at 6/9 jurisdictions, with IE, SG, and DE the only gaps left — all three already recorded as `candidate`-status catalog entries from a prior discovery pass (`ie/irishimmigration/short-stay-visa-avats`, `sg/ica/visa-application-save`, `de/auswaertiges-amt/national-visa-consular-services-portal`). Of the three, Ireland's AVATS was judged the most tractable: a single applicant-facing online wizard (not a Singpass-intermediary flow like SAVE, and not a 28-purpose portal like Germany's Consular Services Portal), so this cycle authored it first. This document closes the IE x Visa cell (Visa now 7/9; SG and DE remain). ## Sources examined - **Document `(id, version)`:** `ie/irishimmigration/short-stay-visa-avats` / `1.0.0` - **Spec version:** GovSchema `0.3.0` - **Authority:** Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. - **Primary source (field-by-field walkthrough):** , Immigration Service Delivery's own detailed guide to giving AVATS details section by section (Nationality; Reason for Travel; Type of Visa or Preclearance; Single or Multiple Journey Visa; Purpose of Travel; Passport Details; Proposed Dates; Personal details; Application Number; Biometric information and exemptions; Immigration history and criminal record; Passport issue and expiry; Employment and college; Travelling with others; Contact/Host in Ireland; Your Family; Employment/Study Visa Application; Assistance with this form; Declaration; Submission of application and documents), last updated 2025-10-14, fetched directly with no access block. - **Secondary source (required documents):** , fetched directly (HTTP 200, no access block) and text-extracted with a zlib-stream + parenthesis-regex technique (the PDF is a plain printed-form text layer). Used for the `documents[]` checklist: application summary form, passport/travel document, previous passports, 2 passport photographs, proof of fee payment/exemption, residence-permission evidence (where applicable), documentation on previous refusals/immigration issues/convictions, travel/medical insurance, a signed application letter with specified content, an itinerary, proof of accommodation, and financial evidence. - **Live system verification.** Direct `curl`/`WebFetch` of `visas.inis.gov.ie/avats/OnlineHome.aspx` serves a JavaScript bot-verification interstitial — the same access-block class already recorded for other jurisdictions' portals in this registry (e.g. `france-visas.gouv.fr`). A headless Playwright/Chromium session with a realistic desktop user agent passes the challenge and reaches the real AVATS wizard. A mock application (an adult Indian national, "Visit - Tourist" reason, "Short Stay (C)", single journey, surname "Sharma", forename "Anita") was driven **field by field, with no data submitted**, through every page from the Welcome screen to the Family Details page: - Before-you-apply screen → privacy/terms checkbox (`ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_CheckBoxRead`) → "AVATS Online Application Form" button — matches the guidance's "General information page" exactly. - Eligibility/reason/passport/dates page (`ApplicantPersonalDetails`-preceding page): confirmed live controls `ddlCountryOfNationality`, `ddlVisaCategory` (full picklist captured — see below), `rdblstVisaStayType` (`Short Stay (C)` / `Long Stay (D)`), `rdblstJourney` (`Single`/`Multiple`), `txtPurposeOfTravel`, `ddlPassportType` (full picklist captured), `txtPassportNo`, `txtEntryDate`, `txtExitDate`. - `ApplicantPersonalDetails.aspx`: confirmed `txtSurname`, `txtForename`, `txtOtherName`, `txtDOB`, `rdblstGender` (`Male`/`Female`), `ddlCtryOfBirth`, `ddlCurrentLocation`, `txtAddressln1-4`, `txtPhone`, `txtEmail`. - `GeneralApplicantInfo.aspx` (immigration history/biometrics/criminal record): confirmed `lstNoOfYears`/`lstNoOfMonths`, `rdblstPermission`, `rdblstBiometric`, `rdblstVisaApply`, `rdblstVisaIssue` + `txtrefNo`, `rdblstRefusedVisa` + `txtlocOfAppRefuse`, `rdblstPreviousTripToIreland` + `txtPurposeOfTrip`/`txtDjelrRefNo`/`txtGnibNo`/`txtPPSNo`, `rdblstFamilyInIreland` + `txtSurnameFamilyInIreland`/ `txtForenamesFamilyInIreland`/`txtDOB`/`ddlRelationToApplicant` (picklist captured)/`txtDjelrNoFamilyInIreland`, `rdblstRefusedPerm`, `rdblstDeporation`, `rdblstRefusedVisaOtherCtry`, `rdblstDeportedOtherCtry` + `txtDetailsRefuseDeport`, `rdblstcriminalConvictions` + `txtConvictionDtls`/`txtConvictionLoc`/ `txtConvictionSentence`. The page also displays the applicant's unique 8-digit Application Number at the top (confirmed, e.g. `84706962`), matching the guidance's separate "Application Number" section — modelled here as descriptive text only, not a field, since it is system-generated. - `ApplicantPassportDetails.aspx`: confirmed `txtPassportNo`, `ddlTravelDocType` (a read-only echo of the earlier `ddlPassportType` choice — not modelled as a second field), `txtIssuingAuthority`, `txtIssueDate`, `txtExpDate`, `rdblstFirstPPT`, and — when "No" is selected — **two** previous-passport slots (`txtPPTNo1/2`, `txtIssueAuth1/2`, `txtIssueDate1/2`, `txtExpDate1/2`), **none of which carry a mandatory-field asterisk**, confirmed by screenshot. - `EmploymentCollegeDetails.aspx`: confirmed `rdblstCurrentlyEmployed`, `rdblstStudentCurrently`. - `TravellingCompanion.aspx`: confirmed `rdblstTravellingCo`. - `ContactHostInfo.aspx`: confirmed `txtAddressln1-4` (**four** lines, not three), `txtPhone`, `rdblstIsHostKnown`, and — on the "Yes" (personally known) branch — `txtSurname`, `txtForename`, `ddlNationality`, `txtOccupation`, `txtRelation` (free text, not a picklist), `txtDjelrRefNo`, `txtDOB` (optional), `txtEmail` (optional). The "No" branch's exact live field name was not independently reached in this pass and is modelled from the prose guidance alone. - `ApplicantFamilyDetails.aspx`: confirmed `ddlPersonalStatus` (picklist: `Single`/`Married`/`Widowed`/`Divorced`/`Separated`/`Unmarried Partner`/`Civil Partnership` — exact match to the reviewed prose), `rdblstIsPartnerTraveling`, `lstNoOfChildren`, and — on the "Married" branch — `txtSpouseSurname`, `txtSpouseForename`, `txtSpouseOtherName`, `txtSposeDateOfBirth` [sic, live control's own typo], `rdblstOwnPassport`, `txtSpousePPTNo`, `rdblstGender`, `ddlCountry`. - **Not reached in this pass:** the Form Assistance and Declaration pages (the flow's final two steps — modelled from the prose guidance alone, including the Declaration's exact attestation wording, which the guidance itself says is shown only within the live session), and the per-child repeating sub-fields once `lstNoOfChildren` is set above zero (modelled as a single collapsed free-text field, the same treatment used for `familyMembersInIreland`'s single-contact cap and `travellingWithOthers`' four-companion cap). - The AVATS homepage itself disclosed a fact not in the reviewed guidance: a phased online visa-fee-payment facility began 8 December 2025, with country coverage expanding over time — recorded on the `proofOfFeePayment` document entry. - **Retrieved / reviewed:** 2026-07-03. - **Reviewer:** GovSchema Engineering (Standards Engineer — initial authoring source review, including live-system verification). ## Corrections the live verification made to the prose-guidance reading Live-system evidence is authoritative over the (accurate but occasionally ambiguous) prose guidance per **source-of-truth fidelity**. This pass caught and fixed: 1. **`previouslyGrantedIrishVisaOrPreclearance` / `previouslyRefusedIrishVisaOrPreclearance`** are independently mandatory questions (`rdblstVisaIssue`, `rdblstRefusedVisa`), not conditioned on `previouslyAppliedForIrishVisaOrPreclearance` as the prose ("If you have been granted a visa... If you have been refused a visa...") reads. 2. The grant/refusal detail sub-answers are each a **single free-text field** (`txtrefNo`, `txtlocOfAppRefuse`), not three separate city/reference/year fields as originally modelled — collapsed into `previousGrantDetails`/`previousRefusalDetails`. 3. **`biometricsExempt`** is always asked (mandatory, with a "Checklist of Biometric Exemptions" link), not conditioned on the applicant's current-location country as the prose implies. 4. **Two** previous passports are accepted (`txtPPTNo1/2` etc.), not one — and critically, **none of the previous-passport fields are actually mandatory** even when `isFirstPassport` is false. 5. The host/contact address has **four** lines (`txtAddressln1-4`), not three, and the personally-known branch carries optional date-of-birth and email fields not mentioned in the reviewed prose. 6. The criminal-conviction section has **no separate trial-date input** — only reason, location, and sentence-length free-text fields; the standalone `convictionTrialDate` field was removed. 7. Family-in-Ireland surname/forename are **separate** fields, not one combined name field. 8. `familyMemberRelationship` and (already correctly modelled) `personalStatus` are **closed enumerations** picked from a dropdown, not free text — the exact `ddlRelationToApplicant` picklist was captured live. 9. `reasonForTravel`'s and `passportType`'s exact live picklists were captured and encoded as `eligibleValues`/`validation.enum` respectively, replacing free-text placeholders. 10. `spouseHasOwnPassport` is an explicit gating question (`rdblstOwnPassport`) the reviewed prose did not separately call out; `spousePassportNumber`'s `requiredWhen` was tightened to depend on it. ## Mock-data test run Per the issue's phase-4 instruction to test-run the schema with valid mock data, this was done in two ways: **1. Live system.** The exact mock applicant used for the schema-level check below (Anita Sharma, Indian national, Visit - Tourist, Short Stay (C), single journey) was entered field-by-field into the real, live AVATS wizard via a headless Playwright browser (see above) — the strongest form of test run available, short of final submission (which was never performed; no data was submitted to Immigration Service Delivery). **2. Schema-level condition evaluator.** A one-off Python script (not committed to the repo) implementing the same `equals`/`notEquals`/`in`/`greaterThan`/`all`/`any`/`not` grammar as GSP-0013's `Condition` type checked two scenarios against every `type`/`required`/`requiredWhen`/`visibleWhen`/`validation.enum` constraint in `schema.json`: **Scenario 1 — solo tourist, no branch triggers** (mirrors the live AVATS session above; 46/109 fields populated): Anita Sharma, Indian national, "Visit - Tourist", Short Stay (C), single journey, no prior Irish visa history, no family in Ireland, not employed/student, travelling alone, host not personally known ("Not arranged" accommodation), single. **Scenario 2 — branch-heavy case** (69/109 fields populated): the same applicant instead answers "Other" to Reason for Travel with elaboration; claims a biometric exemption; has a prior granted **and** a prior refused Irish visa/preclearance; has visited Ireland before; has a family member in Ireland; was once refused entry to Ireland; has a (minor) criminal conviction; is not on her first passport; is employed; is travelling with her spouse; has a personally-known host in Ireland; is married with a travelling spouse who holds their own passport, and one dependent child; and received agent assistance completing the form. ``` OK Scenario 1: solo Indian tourist, no branch triggers (mirrors live AVATS test session) OK Scenario 2: branch-heavy case (prior visa history, family in Ireland, conviction, married w/ child, agent-assisted) ``` Scenario 2 exercised every `requiredWhen`-gated field this document defines, each correctly required once its gating field was set and correctly *not* required in Scenario 1. The two `crossFieldValidation` rules (`exitNotBeforeEntry`, `passportExpiryAfterIssue`) were checked against both scenarios' date pairs and held. No defects were found in this pass. Both registry validators were run against the schema document itself and pass: ``` $ node tools/validate.mjs registry/ie/irishimmigration/short-stay-visa-avats/1.0.0/schema.json ok registry/ie/irishimmigration/short-stay-visa-avats/1.0.0/schema.json $ node tools/validate-ajv.mjs registry/ie/irishimmigration/short-stay-visa-avats/1.0.0/schema.json ok registry/ie/irishimmigration/short-stay-visa-avats/1.0.0/schema.json [v0.3] ``` The full registry (151/151 schema documents, 3/3 `mapping.json` companions) continues to validate after this addition. ## What is NOT modelled (out of scope), and why - **Preclearance applications** (offered instead of a visa to non-visa-required nationalities) — a structurally distinct application category the system routes to based on nationality; out of scope. - **Long Stay (D) visas** (e.g. Join Family, Employment, Study when the proposed stay exceeds 90 days) — a different `rdblstVisaStayType` value with, per the guidance, additional questions; out of scope. - **The Free Movement Directive pathway** for a family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss/UK national — a distinct, narrower application category; out of scope, the same exclusion `fr/france-visas/schengen-visa-application` makes for its own boxes 17-18. - **An application completed by a parent/legal guardian on behalf of an applicant under 18** — the guidance states the same person who completes and signs the form must be that parent/guardian; out of scope, the same minor exclusion used elsewhere in this registry. - **The additional Employment Visa Application and Study Visa Application question sets** (Employment Permit/Atypical Working Authorisation reference, course acceptance/fees/English-language proficiency/educational history/study sponsor) — each a substantial additional branch off `reasonForTravel`; out of scope for this initial Short Stay (C) visit/tourism/business schema, and each a candidate for its own future schema or a MINOR-version extension. - **The generated Application Form and Declaration's exact wording** — produced by the live system at submission time and not reproduced in the reviewed guidance; the `declarationAttestation` document entry records the requirement without inventing wording it cannot confirm. ## Scope and jurisdiction notes - This is Ireland's first Visa-vertical document. `ie/dfa/*`, `ie/dttas/*`, `ie/revenue/*`, `ie/dsp/*`, and `ie/cro/*` cover Passport/DMV/Taxes/National ID/Business Formation respectively; this document opens a fifth IE authority segment, `ie/irishimmigration/*`. - `id` uses the `irishimmigration` authority segment (the branded name Immigration Service Delivery uses for its own public-facing site, `irishimmigration.ie`) rather than a department-name segment, the same convention already used for `gb/ukvi/standard-visitor-visa` (a directorate/service name, not its parent department). - Conditional requiredness/visibility uses `requiredWhen`/`visibleWhen` (GSP-0013), targeting spec v0.3, the same as every other Visa-vertical document in this registry. ## Re-verification Per the practice's cadence, `nextReviewBy` is set to **2027-01-01** (6 months). Because this document's `status` is `verified` from a partial (not end-to-end-through-Declaration) live pass, a future review should prioritize reaching the Form Assistance and Declaration pages and the dependent-children repeating sub-fields, and re-confirming the online-payment country-coverage note, which the AVATS homepage itself describes as an expanding rollout.