English Language School Refund Crisis: Dozens Still Waiting

Dozens of students from developing countries are facing significant financial losses due to delays in English language school refunds in Ireland after their visa applications were refused.

Challenges Surrounding English language school refunds

Students from non-EEA countries are required to pay course fees upfront before applying for an Irish study visa. To protect these funds, English language colleges must use ring-fenced escrow accounts, ensuring money is returned if a visa is not granted.

The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) reports that many prospective students are struggling to recoup these fees. The organization is aware of students from Senegal, Cambodia, Cameroon, Morocco, and Myanmar who have not been reimbursed.

Brian Hearne, Policy and Communications manager with ICOS, stated that the number of affected students is likely higher than the 30 documented cases. He noted that these applicants are “exceptionally vulnerable,” as the fees can represent six to 12 months of their annual salary.

Case of Delayed Reimbursement

Lorena Prasca Ramirez, an architect from Colombia, paid €2,810 to NED College in February 2025 for a 25-week course. After her visa application was refused in June, she requested a refund but received no response to her emails after October.

Following inquiries from ICOS and media outreach, Ms. Prasca Ramirez was notified that her refund was finally being processed through a payment partner. The college’s director, David Russell, stated that the school was working through refunds to the best of its ability.

Mr. Russell attributed the high volume of refund requests to a large number of visa refusals resulting from decisions made by the Irish Government and the Department of Justice.

Government Intervention and School Responses

The Department of Justice recently contacted English language colleges to remind them of the strict requirements for handling advance payments. The communication emphasized that funds must remain in escrow until a visa decision is determined and must be refunded within 20 working days of a refusal.

Beyond the cases handled by ICOS, reports indicate that five students in Togo are owed fees by a Cork-based school, English Talks. The school’s director, Asef Muhammad, stated that the college operates an escrow account and has no problem refunding students provided they provide further evidence of visa refusal.

ICOS continues to express concern that some colleges may not be abiding by the obligation to maintain separate escrow accounts for provisional fees.