Family reunification is the process of allowing family members to immigrate to a country to be reunited with relatives already established there. Immigration laws vary by country and may favor close relatives. Asylum applications may also involve family reunification. Qualifications for family reunification vary and may include age requirements and specific types of relatives.
“Family reunification” is a term used to describe the process of allowing family members to immigrate to a specific country to be reunited with family members who are already established in that country. Since most nations maintain laws that place some limits on the immigration process, family members who wish to relocate and join relatives in a new nation must meet the qualifications identified as part of those immigration laws. This allows the nation to effectively manage the immigration rate even as the state supports the ability of families to build new lives in a new environment.
Laws affecting the family reunification process vary from one nation to another, often based on current conditions within that nation. Some will favor immigration of close relatives while being less supportive of immigration efforts by distant relatives. For example, when the family reunification process involves the entry of an immigrant’s spouse or minor child into the country, the process is usually straightforward and easily managed, provided the immigrant spouse currently has no criminal charges or other issues that require a resolution that may hinder the immigration process. At the same time, family reunification laws may not make provisions for twice removed cousins, ex-spouses or others who are considered outside the state’s definition of an immediate family member.
It is not uncommon for family reunification to be involved in the asylum application process in another country. With this application, parents can send a child to a new country, allowing that child to be naturalized and establish a home and job in that new environment. Once this is done, the parents can request entry into the country, with the intention of also applying for asylum. As a close relative is already established in the new country, the immigration process is usually straightforward and the family can be reunited in a short period of time.
Different types of qualifications are required to comply with family reunification laws in different countries. In some cases, both spouses must be over a certain age for immigration to take place. Other times, laws may define specific types of relatives who are covered under the terms of the laws, including parents, grandparents, spouses, siblings, and children. In some countries, family reunification laws also make provision for the reunification of engaged couples in a new country, allowing the happy couple to marry in the country where they intend to settle permanently.
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