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Spouse or Partner of an Asylum-Entitled Person or Recognised Refugee — Timely Application

GermanyFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Which family relationships qualify?

The spouse (and the minor unmarried child) of the protected person; registered partners are treated like spouses.

See recorded sources

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

A person holding a residence permit under § 23(4) (resettlement), § 25(1) (asylum-entitled) or § 25(2) (refugee), or a settlement permit under § 26(3) or, after § 25(2) s.2, § 26(4) AufenthG.

See recorded sources

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

Reunification is refused if the marriage or relationship was concluded solely to obtain residence, or if there are indications of a forced marriage; both spouses must as a rule be at least 18. The official source does not list the documents required to prove the relationship.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured sources give legal limits on the relationship (sham/forced marriage, minimum age) but not the documents required to prove it.

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The secure-livelihood and sufficient-housing requirements must be waived if the application is made within three months of final recognition (or of the § 23(4) permit) and family life cannot be established in a non-EU country with which the family has special ties. The official source does not state health insurance requirements.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Health insurance is not addressed in the quoted provisions.

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

The three-month deadline is also met by a timely application of the sponsor; after a court-ordered recognition it runs from the new BAMF decision. Family members may work. The permit lasts at most as long as the sponsor's permit; on breakdown of the marriage it is extended for one year as an independent right if the marriage existed lawfully in Germany for at least three years (or the sponsor died). The official source does not describe the visa application steps.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Visa application steps are not described in the captured sources.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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