Immigration mobility
Family reunification
Bringing a spouse, children or dependent relatives to live with a resident family member, with the documentation and the conditions each procedure requires.
What the procedure asks
Two things are examined: the relationship and the conditions
Every family reunification procedure looks at two questions. First, whether the family relationship is proven — through civil registry documents, legalised and translated to the required standard. Second, whether the resident can support the family member: income, accommodation and insurance.
Documentation is where these files most often stall. A birth or marriage certificate issued years ago in another country may need re-issuing, apostille or a sworn translation before it can be used at all, and each of those steps takes its own time.
The categories of relative who can be included, and the conditions attached, differ by country and by the permit the resident holds. This is not a procedure where a general answer helps: it has to be checked against the individual situation.
The dossier
What an application usually rests on
The exact requirements depend on the country, the resident's permit and the relative in question, and they are confirmed with an authorised professional.
- The resident's permit and the period of residence completed
- Civil documents proving the relationship, legalised and translated
- Evidence of sufficient and stable income
- Proof of suitable accommodation as the procedure requires
- Medical insurance where it is required
- Passports and civil documentation of each relative
- Consent and custody documents for minors, where applicable
- Proof of dependency for relatives in the ascendant line
- Criminal record certificates where the procedure requires them
- Consular appointment and the corresponding visa application
Our role
Sequence, documents and follow-up
We coordinate the preparation: which documents are needed for each relative, where they have to be obtained, how they must be legalised and translated, and in what order the steps run. Families come to us most often because a document was rejected, not because a rule was misread.
The legal and regulated work is carried out by duly authorised independent professionals, and the decision on any visa or permit depends exclusively on the competent authorities.
We coordinate the preparation of applications corresponding to different immigration categories, according to the country, the profile and the applicable procedure.
Arlen Global Mobility coordinates the preparation and follow-up of these processes. Legal services and other regulated activities are provided by duly authorised independent professionals or providers. The granting of visas, permits and authorisations depends exclusively on the competent authorities.
Questions
Family reunification — questions
Which relatives can be included?
It depends on the country and on the permit the resident holds. Spouses or registered partners and minor children are the most common; dependent relatives in the ascendant line are possible in some procedures under stricter conditions. It has to be checked for the specific case.
Why is document legalisation such a problem?
Because a certificate valid in the country that issued it is not automatically valid abroad. Depending on the country it may need an apostille, consular legalisation, a sworn translation, or a fresh issue within a recent time limit — and each of those is obtained somewhere different.
How long does the process take?
Two periods add up: obtaining and legalising the documents, which depends on the countries involved, and the processing time of the competent authorities, which we do not control. We give a realistic estimate for each part once the situation is known, and we do not shorten it to sound reassuring.
Next step
Planning to reunite your family?
Tell us your permit, the relatives involved and the countries where their documents were issued. We will set out the sequence and the documentation before anything is submitted.
Transparency
Immigration Disclaimer
Arlen Global Mobility provides immigration consultancy and mobility coordination services. It is not a law firm. Legal representation and specialized legal assistance are provided by qualified immigration and foreign-nationality lawyers with whom we coordinate when required.
Arlen Global Mobility provides immigration consultancy and mobility coordination services. Immigration applications and legal matters may be handled in coordination with qualified immigration and foreign-nationality lawyers when specialized legal assistance or representation is required.
Visa decisions, residence permits and work authorizations are issued exclusively by the competent authorities. Requirements and eligibility vary according to nationality, destination, profession and individual circumstances.
Arlen Global Mobility does not guarantee visa approval, immigration authorization or employment.