If you have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the United Kingdom then you will, in most cases, be able to bring your immediate family to join you in this the country under the terms of the Family Reunion scheme.
The purpose of the Family Reunion rules is to make sure that refugees in the United Kingdom can get their families to this country without those families themselves having to make an asylum claim. The principle of Family Reunion is very important in international refugee law.
A claim for Family Reunion can be made from whichever country your family members are currently living – it does not have to be made from their home country.
The rules recognise that many families may have been forced to leave their homes to find safety. It also recognises that family members may not always have passports or travel documents if they have been made to leave their homes in such a way. There is no visa fee for Family Reunion where it concerns the immediate family.
What is the definition of Immediate Family?
Your immediate family will be your partner (Spouse or Civil Partner) and any children under the age of 18. You must have all been together as a family before you left your home
country. This does not always mean you had to be physically living together (as events like war or natural disasters could have separated you). Still, it does mean that your family unit should have been one that would have been living together if this had been possible.
What about other family members?
Children over the age of 18 who were still part of the family unit and have not formed independent lives of their own can also be included. In some cases, other relatives, such as parents or cousins, might also be included if they were also part of the same family unit.
However, these cases are more complicated, and we need to look at the circumstances very carefully before we can advise you in detail.
How long does it take to get a UK family reunion visa?
The time can vary, but it can take up to six months to get a decision after an application has been made. In most cases, a decision will come sooner than this. If an application is refused, then your family will have the right to appeal to an independent judge of the Immigration Tribunal.
What will Cromwell Wilkes do for you and your family?
We take Family Reunion cases very seriously. We believe that if you have been granted refugee status in this country, then it is essential that your family is brought here to join you quickly and safely.
If you are a refugee who needs to bring your family to join you in this country, then Cromwell Wilkes will do everything we can to help you.
We will start with a detailed assessment of your needs and find out the safest and quickest way to get your family here with you. We will help you gather all the evidence you need to support the case and we will make the visa applications for you. We will write strong arguments for the UK government to support the case.
In the event that the application is refused, then we will go to court and fight the case in front of an Immigration Judge.
If you have a genuine case for Family Reunion, then we believe Cromwell Wilkes will win that case for you. Contact our team today for a free consultation: www.cromwellwilkes.co.uk/contact-us
