The Garda Immigration Bureau Helped To Make This Dublin Proposal Beyond Special

Megan Cassidy

“Everyone used to hate the queues at the Garda Immigration office, but I love them because if there were no queues, I would never have met the love of my life”.

Gaurav Juneja immigrated from India to Dublin over three years ago, and met his future wife in the queue for a resident’s permit.

While the long queues (now abolished in favour of an appointment system) were a nightmare for those applying for GNIB cards, for this lucky couple whose registration numbers were one after the other, they were a blessing in disguise.

Gaurav told us:

‘I met my fiancé for the first time in GNIB office queue 3 years before, we spent long time in queue and even our GNIB numbers are sequential.’

“Recently on her birthday I decided to propose her and I wanted to pick the same place where I met her for the first time.’

Gaurav decided to reach out to the Immigration Centre to see if they could help.

‘I sent an email with my story to immigration office asking for this massive favour’.

Luckily for Gaurav, he ended up on the line to HEO Des, who decided to make this moment extra special for the couple.

Gaurav continued: ‘Des and the entire team was so helpful that they helped me to plan the entire surprise.’

‘They called her on the day of her birthday saying that there was an issue with her GNIB card and it needed to be replaced.

‘She got really upset as it was her birthday and I agreed to go with her to the office where all the staff member knew our story.

‘They all acted serious and they checked her Passport and everything. They asked her to come inside the office while I waited outside.

‘Then they let me in through a back entrance and left us alone to have our personal moment.’

‘I proposed and she said YES.’

Gaurav and his fiancé Anastacia moments after getting engaged.

Des later told us: ‘It was a really uplifting story. They had met in the queue and their registration numbers were one after the after. It was fate.

‘We wouldn’t normally have granted a request like this, but these were unique circumstances. We decided to make an exception.

‘I fibbed a bit and told her there was a problem with her card. When they got in, I could see he was incredibly nervous.

‘But he went down on one knee and the rest was history.

‘All the staff members were waiting for the answer, and we had a box of chocolates waiting for them when they came out. Even the head of office happened to be there to congratulate the couple.’

Gaurav added:

‘I’ll never forget how amazing the team at the Garda Immigration Office were and the extent they went to to help me with this precious moment in my life.

That should warm the cockles on this miserable January day.