Family reunification rules change: What families need to know

When politicians talk about migration, they focus on protecting public services and managing numbers. These are legitimate concerns that governments need to address. But here’s what often gets left out: families.

Family reunification doesn’t grab headlines like small boats or work permits do. Yet it affects hundreds of thousands of people every year.

Family migration makes up a small slice of overall immigration numbers. In the EU, family reunification accounted for 26% of all first residence permits (the first official “you can live here” permission – not a tourist stamp) issued in 2023 – nearly one million permits. In Ireland, family reunification cases account for around 15-20% of all residence permits.

These aren’t massive numbers compared to student or work visas. But behind every application is a child growing up without a parent, grandparents aging alone, families fractured across continents.

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Who qualifies for family reunification? Understanding the rules

Who counts as family when you apply?

When you apply to bring family members to most countries, the rules vary dramatically based on the relationship.

• Spouses and partners typically have the most straightforward path. You’ll need to prove your relationship is genuine and that you can support each other financially.
• Minor children (usually under 18 or 21) come next. If you’re a stepparent, you’ll need to prove the relationship existed before the child turned 18 and that you played an active role in their life.
• Elderly or dependent parents face the toughest barriers. Most countries require proof that your parent has no other family members who can care for them in their home country. If you have siblings back home, that often disqualifies your parent automatically.
• Adult children and siblings often don’t qualify at all, or face decade-long waits even after approval.

What documents do you need to prove your family relationship?

The evidence immigration officers want to see

Before you even get to income requirements, you need to prove your family relationship is legitimate.

Immigration officers want evidence you’ve built a life together:

• Joint bank accounts
• Lease agreements
• Wedding photos
• Text messages
• Statements from friends and family

If your wedding followed cultural traditions officers are unfamiliar with, you’ll need to explain everything. A small ceremony? Not hundreds of photos? Prepare for questions.

When birth certificates aren’t enough

For parent-child relationships, birth certificates should be enough. But they’re often not. When officers reject or question your birth certificate, you need secondary evidence:

• School records
• Medical records
• Religious documents
• Census records
• Affidavits from witnesses

If immigration authorities question your documents, they can offer or suggest DNA testing in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Finland, and Norway.

Even if the test confirms your biological relationship, a positive result still doesn’t guarantee approval. You still need to meet all other requirements.

Family reunification income requirements: What you must earn or save

Once you’ve proven your relationship is real, you hit the financial barriers. Almost every country requires sponsors to demonstrate they can support family members without relying on public funds.

Some countries set clear income thresholds – £29,000 in the UK. Others, like Ireland, use vaguer standards: “adequate resources” without a specific number. This vagueness creates anxiety. You think you’re fine, then get rejected because an officer decided otherwise.

Other family visa barriers: Language, housing, health checks, police certs

• Language requirements add another layer. Denmark mandates Danish classes. The Netherlands requires pre-entry Dutch exams. Germany wants basic German for most categories. Tests cost hundreds of dollars, and when you’re testing teenagers or requiring language proficiency before people have even set foot in the country, it starts feeling more about obstacles than integration.
• Housing requirements create complicated situations. Germany requires you to prove you have adequate housing before your family can join you. But landlords often won’t rent without knowing how many people will live there. And you can’t tell them because you don’t know if your family will get approved.
• Medical examinations are mandatory for most family migration. Your family members need health screenings, chest X-rays, blood tests. If they have chronic conditions or disabilities, applications get scrutinized more heavily.
• Criminal record checks can end everything. Everyone needs police clearance certificates from every country they’ve lived in for more than six months. Minor infractions can become major barriers. Countries have broad discretion to deny applications based on criminal history, even for offenses that wouldn’t be crimes in the destination country.

How hard (or easy) is family reunification? A country comparison

Not all countries make family reunification equally difficult. If you’re trying to bring family members to one of the world’s top migrant destinations, here’s what you need to know about how different countries compare.

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Countries where family reunification is relatively easier

Some major destination countries maintain more accessible family reunification processes, though none are without barriers.

If you’re in Canada (which hosts over 8 million immigrants), you’ll find one of the more family-friendly systems. Processing times for your spouse, partner, and children run about 12 months if they apply from overseas, eight months if they’re already in Canada.

In May 2023, Canada announced faster processing for spousal applicants and open work permits. However, if you want to sponsor your parents or grandparents, you’ll face limits – only 10,000 complete applications are accepted annually in 2025. That creates long waiting lists.

If you’re in Spain (home to over 7 million immigrants), you’ll encounter relatively straightforward family reunification processes compared to northern European countries. Southern European nations generally face less politicisation of family migration issues.

If you’re in Sweden, you’ll still find it ranks among better-performing countries for immigrant integration, though it introduced restrictions following the 2015/16 large-scale arrivals. Now, if you don’t have a refugee sponsorship, you must have a secure job with sufficient income.

Countries with moderate difficulty

Most major migrant destinations fall into this middle category, where family reunification is possible but increasingly challenging.

If you’re in the United States (hosting over 50 million immigrants – the world’s largest migrant population), you’ll find family-based immigration is a cornerstone of the system. Over 60% of new lawful permanent residents enter through immediate relatives or family-sponsored preferences.

However, if your relatives fall under statutorily capped preferences, you’ll wait 2 to 13 years depending on the category. If your relative is from Mexico, waits can exceed 22 years. The system allows reunification but tests your patience through massive backlogs.

If you’re in Germany (the world’s second-largest destination with nearly 16 million immigrants), you’ll see they issued approximately 123,475 family reunification visas in 2024. The majority went to the wives and children of foreigners living and working legally in Germany.

You’ll need to show adequate housing and German language skills for some categories. But in 2025, Germany suspended family reunification for two years for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. This affects tens of thousands of families – primarily Syrians.

If you’re in France (hosting over 8 million immigrants), you’ll face multiple pathways depending on your status. You’ll need to prove financial resources sufficient for your entire family, including meeting minimum income requirements tied to the French minimum wage. Processing takes several months.

If you’re in Turkey (hosting over 7 million immigrants, including 2.9 million Syrian refugees), you can apply through various visa categories. Processing typically takes 5-30 business days and costs $25-$80, but you’ll need to prove your relationship’s authenticity and your financial stability.

If you’re in Russia (with over 11 million immigrants), you can get family reunification visas issued for up to 12 months. You’ll need invitation letters from Russian citizens. Processing takes 5-10 working days, though bureaucratic complexity can create challenges.

Countries where family reunification is most difficult

Some of the world’s top migrant destinations have erected the highest barriers to family unity.

If you’re in the United Kingdom (hosting over 9 million immigrants), you’re now facing one of the most restrictive major destination systems. The £29,000 minimum income requirement represents a dramatic 56% increase from the previous £18,600 threshold – around the median employee’s salary of £29,700.

You’ll also pay additional costs, including health surcharges exceeding £1,000 per person per year. The Migration Advisory Committee called these thresholds too high, noting they exclude 40% of British workers.

If you’re in Australia (with nearly 8 million immigrants), you’ll face devastating waits for family members, particularly parents. The non-contributory parent visa takes 12 to 30 years to process – effectively making it impossible for many families.

Even if you pay for contributory visas costing over $50,000, you’ll wait years. For spouses and children, processing stretches 12 to 24 months.

If you’re in Saudi Arabia (the world’s third-largest destination with over 13 million immigrants), you’ll operate under strict sponsorship rules. While family reunification is technically possible, the kafala sponsorship system (labor sponsorship system used in several Gulf countries) creates significant barriers.

You must meet minimum salary requirements that vary by gender – generally more restrictive if you’re a female sponsor.

If you’re in the United Arab Emirates (where immigrants make up 74% of the population), you’ll need to meet specific minimum salaries: AED 4,000 (USD $1,089.17) or AED 3,000 (USD $816.60) plus accommodation if you’re a male sponsor.

If you’re a female expatriate, you face higher salary thresholds – a minimum monthly income of AED 10,000, or AED 8,000 if accommodation is provided. Sponsoring parents requires showing salaries typically higher than standard thresholds.

The pattern is clear: even among the world’s top migrant-receiving countries – the destinations that actively recruit and depend on foreign workers and families – family reunification ranges from moderately difficult to nearly impossible. Countries that welcome your labor don’t always welcome your loved ones.

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What you can do now if family reunification rules block you

Talk to a registered immigration lawyer before you apply. Yes, it costs money. But getting rejected because you followed bad advice costs more – in fees, time, and heartbreak.

Organizations like Reunite Families UK, the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, and Families Together Coalition advocate for policy changes. Joining these groups connects you with families in similar situations. You’re not alone, and collective action sometimes works.

If you’re facing income requirements, start planning early. Create a realistic timeline. Factor in application processing times, potential delays, and appeals if needed. Document everything – keep records of financial support you send home, evidence of relationships, proof of dependency.

Finally, don’t underestimate the psychological toll on everyone involved. Talk to friends, family, or a therapist. Many countries offer low-cost counseling services. If children are showing signs of depression, anxiety, or behavioral changes, seek help early.

Why this should be part of the migration debate

International frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognize that family unity benefits children’s wellbeing. Most countries have signed up to these principles. The question is how to balance them with other policy goals—not whether they matter.

The debate about migration policy could benefit from including family reunification more prominently. Not as an afterthought or purely a problem to manage, but as a real factor in how migration works in practice. What income thresholds actually make sense? How long should families reasonably wait? How do we balance financial requirements with children’s needs?

These aren’t easy questions. Different countries will answer them differently based on their circumstances, values, and resources. But the conversation should happen. Because right now, thousands of families are living the consequences of policies that were often designed without much public debate about their human impact.

Better policy comes from better conversation. And better conversation happens when we talk about all sides of migration, including the quiet one.