European Union: Court Holds that In-Person Family Reunification Application Submission Requirement is Against EU Law
April 20, 2023
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that any EU country’s national legislation requiring a sponsor’s family members to submit a family reunification application in person without providing process-based expectations ahead of time is unlawful, particularly for refugees. The ECJ emphasized that submitting the initial application remotely is safer; however, family members may still need to appear in person at a later stage in the application process. EU Member States must follow ECJ rulings; however, in practice, amendments to national legislation to comply with ECJ holding may take several months or years.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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