Reunion Visa

Hello,

As it is recommended to any newcomer, READ the code of conduct.

You will find tips like:
- READ the guide of the country which you will find under the tab "to discover"
- READ old posts using the search function via the magnifying glass next to your avatar.

99% of newcomer questions have already been answered dozens of times.

I think I understand what you want to know but honestly the English is pretty bad and hard to figure out.
Someone on a study visa (for University) can apply for a family reunification visa for their spouse.
But one doing an Ausbildung (vocational training) can only have them visit short term as a tourist – NO family reunion visa is allowed! I am posting a link and a quote about the relevant information:

https://www.germany-visa.org/training-internship-visa/

“If you are in Germany with an Internship/Training Visa and you want your family to come over, then they can apply for a tourist visa in order to visit you. However, they are not eligible to apply for a family reunion visa”

And in response to phipiemars’s comment. Yes, we advisors get tired of answering the same basic questions over and over. But  this question is very specific and took me over an hour to find an answer  after searching many sites including on the BAMF or German Immigration Authority site! The usual given information there about family reunion visas doesn’t mention spouses of non-EU citizens doing a vocational training; about students - yes, vocational trainees - no. There are some differences in the visa requirements and benefits between the two.  And I don’t think this exact question was ever answered on this site.

TominStuttgart wrote:

I think I understand what you want to know but honestly the English is pretty bad and hard to figure out.
And in response to phipiemars’s comment. Yes, we advisors get tired of answering the same basic questions over and over. But  this question is very specific and took me over an hour to find an answer  after searching many sites including on the BAMF or German Immigration Authority site! The usual given information there about family reunion visas doesn’t mention spouses of non-EU citizens doing a vocational training; about students - yes, vocational trainees - no. There are some differences in the visa requirements and benefits between the two.  And I don’t think this exact question was ever answered on this site.

Hi Tomin,

There are 164 topics on "reunion visa". That's why I said that 99%...

Whatever you done a good job by searching. But a study visa NEVER give access to reunification process.

I am a bit perplexed about Tom's reply that a student visa holder can apply for a family reunion visa for his/her dependents:
Does in this case the financial and other requirements (i.e. income of min. €9000/year per person, plus sufficiently large accommodation) not apply?
A student is not likely to earn above €18000/year (especially as he/she can only work limited hours besides studying), so if the same requirements apply, this is a largely theoretical possibility.

phipiemar wrote:

There are 164 topics on "reunion visa". That's why I said that 99%...

Whatever you done a good job by searching. But a study visa NEVER give access to reunification process.

WRONG, one on a student visa CAN bring their spouse on a family reunion visa. Look at publication Working Paper 85 about the Attracting and Retaining of Foreign Students on the BAMF website. Specifically section 4.5.2 on page 36. I have referred and linked to this before. Your claim is out of date or simply incorrect. And I'm curious why  a Belgian living in Ghana suddenly claims to know more about the German system than the German experts...

http://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/E … cationFile

beppi wrote:

I am a bit perplexed about Tom's reply that a student visa holder can apply for a family reunion visa for his/her dependents:
Does in this case the financial and other requirements (i.e. income of min. €9000/year per person, plus sufficiently large accommodation) not apply?
A student is not likely to earn above €18000/year (especially as he/she can only work limited hours besides studying), so if the same requirements apply, this is a largely theoretical possibility.

Well yes, the rules are that one can get a family reunion visa but they also have the same requirements of space and enough money in a blocked account. Thus such a situation is not financially easy but the legal possibility is there. I think there are 2 factors why this came about. One is that married couples and families should fundamentally not get separated and that its part of an effort to attract more foreign students. Anyone thinking to study in Germany should certainly read through the Working Paper 85 from BAMF that I have linked to above.

TominStuttgart wrote:

phipiemar wrote:

There are 164 topics on "reunion visa". That's why I said that 99%...

Whatever you done a good job by searching. But a study visa NEVER give access to reunification process.

WRONG, one on a student visa CAN bring their spouse on a family reunion visa. Look at publication Working Paper 85 about the Attracting and Retaining of Foreign Students on the BAMF website. Specifically section 4.5.2 on page 36. I have referred and linked to this before. Your claim is out of date or simply incorrect. And I'm curious why  a Belgian living in Ghana suddenly claims to know more about the German system than the German experts...

http://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/E … cationFile

Hi Beppy,

Because I'm curious and also like confrontation of ideas.

The student visa is always issued for one year. And must be renewed for each year. Because it is not automatically renewable. Then comes into play, the financial means of subsistence, the foreign student has a living and study costs to bear. On this fact, we must add the required minimums required to declare being able to be head of the family. So the student has to work. So either he studies or he works. And with the German job market that is very competitive, I doubt that he finds a job of a few hours a day well enough paid for him to still have time to go to school ...

What makes that even if one can under certain conditions bring his wife, 9X out of 10 this request is always refused.

Of course you know more about Germany than me, I always knew it. But I travel around the world for work and I am constantly confronted with the legislation of the countries where I find myself and also with those of the countries where the subcontractors of my employer are. The company I represent in Ghana is of French origin. It is present on five continents and brings together about 70,000 people.

So in conclusion, it's just the confrontation of different points of view as summarized in this picture.

Phipiemar: The post you referred to wasn't from me, but from Tom.

While further thinking about the topic, I realised that I know somebody who came to Germany (from outside EU) to pursue a PhD on a scholarship (of around €14000/year, paid by her government) - and she brought along her husband and son on a family reunion visa!
I remember she needed to find a rental apartment before getting the visa (which is very difficult without already being in Germany!), but there was never a mention of financial requirements.
So maybe there is a loophole and it is possible somehow. With the incredibly complicated regulations governing this, we'll never find out for sure unless we study immigration law.
(Remark: Of course the scholarship isn't enough for them, so now he works in odd jobs to make ends meet. They seem happy, but certainly poor.)

beppi wrote:

Phipiemar: The post you referred to wasn't from me, but from Tom.

While further thinking about the topic, I realised... They seem happy, but certainly poor.)

Oups, sorry.

beppi wrote:

Phipiemar: The post you referred to wasn't from me, but from Tom.

While further thinking about the topic, I realised that I know somebody who came to Germany (from outside EU) to pursue a PhD on a scholarship (of around €14000/year, paid by her government) - and she brought along her husband and son on a family reunion visa!
I remember she needed to find a rental apartment before getting the visa (which is very difficult without already being in Germany!), but there was never a mention of financial requirements.
So maybe there is a loophole and it is possible somehow. With the incredibly complicated regulations governing this, we'll never find out for sure unless we study immigration law.
(Remark: Of course the scholarship isn't enough for them, so now he works in odd jobs to make ends meet. They seem happy, but certainly poor.)

I'm a bit confused about the skepticism about students and family reunion visas. I did not just post a personal opinion; I quoted and gave a link to the rules from BAMF. One need just read their information.

And nobody says the rules are easy to fulfil! That is not the point. The question is if something is legally possible and how. And the standard for foreign students is that they have enough money in a blocked account rather than the expectation that they have to work in addition since they are limited to 20 hours a week. And all of the requirements for a family reunion visa still apply; enough money and space for the whole family…

So it is quite possible that some people would theoretically be able to get a visa but not meet the other requirements. C’est la vie; this how all immigration situations are. But some foreigners might have enough money, or get a scholarship, or have relatives willing to sponsor them and take financial responsibility for their expenses. But it would be false to make people think there is no legal way to do so - as seems to be the case for spouses of people doing an Ausbildung, which by the way was the original question.

phipiemar wrote:

Then comes into play, the financial means of subsistence, the foreign student has a living and study costs to bear. On this fact, we must add the required minimums required to declare being able to be head of the family. So the student has to work. So either he studies or he works. And with the German job market that is very competitive, I doubt that he finds a job of a few hours a day well enough paid for him to still have time to go to school ...

Sorry but this is a false assumption. Yes, the student would have to fullfil the requirments to finance both themselves and thier family. But to conclude one has to work is false. One usually has to show enough money in a blocked account or have someone take legal responsibility as sponsor. And yes, some foreingers might have the money, get scholarships or maybe borrow the money.

I thought I would make a follow up comment to the link I posted above to the German Immigration Authority (BAMF) website. I noticed today that they have done a major redesign of the site and most of the English language content seems to be unavailable. Hopefully this will be corrected soon.