When do I need prior approval?
The prior approval of the Foreigners' office for family reunification can shorten your shorten their application for the national visa. The Foreigners' office will forward the result to the German embassy in your home country, which will make the final decision on your application. It may happen that the embassy does not give its approval even though the Foreigners' office has already given its approval. In the end, however, only the decision of the embassy is valid.
You can obtain advance approval from the Foreigners' office for family reunification under various conditions to obtain it:
- There is a public interestwhich makes prior approval possible in accordance with § 31 AufenthV.
- You are a skilled workerwho can apply for an accelerated procedure for skilled workers according to § 81a AufenthG.
- You are entitlement to a Residence permit in Germany.
- You want to speed up the process of your speed up the application process (discretionary decision).
The preliminary approval of the Foreigners' office for family reunification is not the national visa (D visa). The embassy in the home country can still make a negative decision, its decision on family reunification is final!
What is the accelerated skilled worker procedure according to § 81a AufenthG?
The accelerated skilled worker procedure according to § 81a AufenthG can applied for by employers at the responsible Foreigners' office and and is an agreement between the employer and the authority. The skilled worker has an obligation to cooperate, which the employer must point out to the skilled worker. In return, the skilled worker's entry visa will be issued more quickly.
The connection with prior consent for family reunification results from § 81a Para. 4 AufenthG. If you come to Germany as a skilled worker under Sec. 81a AufenthG, you can also apply for a visa for family reunification of your spouse and underage children be issued.
Public interest according to § 31 AufenthV
According to § 31 Para. 3 AufenthV, you can also obtain prior consent if there is a public interest if there is a public interest. A public interest is given::
- If you wish to apply for one of the following Residence permit after entering Germany: Sections 18a, 18b, 18c (3), 19, 19b, 19c or 21 AufenthG.
- If there is an urgent case (this must be justifiable) that affects the public interest and advance consent can be granted. Such a case may be the care of a relative living in Germany.
Entitlement to a Residence permit in Germany
You can also apply for advance approval from the Foreigners' office for family reunification if you are entitled to a Residence permit § 28, § 30 or § 32 Residence Act. In this case, too, a public interest can be justified by the reunification of spouses, reunification with German citizens or reunification with children.
How quickly can I get advance approval from the Foreigners' office for family reunification?
You will receive advance approval from the Foreigners' office for family reunification, according to the Foreign Office in 1-2 weeks. In certain cases, however, it can also take 3 weeks. The more documents are available for examination, the longer the procedure will take.
In addition the Federal Agency, if consent is required, does not always need the same amount of timeto give its consent and forward it to the Foreigners' office .
How quickly can I get my visa?
The waiting time until you receive the national visa is faster with an accelerated procedure and prior approval than without prior approval. If you have prior approval, you will receive usually in 3 weeks an appointment for visa application and processing.
The pre-approval of the Foreigners' office does not guarantee that you will receive the visa or that you will be able to enter the country. The decision on the visa and entry is made by the German embassy in your home country.
What requirements must be met?
For the application for advance approval from the Foreigners' office for family reunification must the following requirements must be fulfilled:
- Passport (person joining you and the person already living in Germany)
- Indication of the residence permitwhich is applied for after entry with the D visa
- Proof of the degree of relationship between the person moving to Germany and the person living in Germany (birth certificate).
- Proof of livelihood (if required)
- Marriage certificate (for subsequent immigration of spouses)
- Language certificate (if required)
- Declaration of commitment on the granting of prior consent.
How much does the advance approval of the Foreigners' office for family reunification cost?
The declaration of commitment, which is required to obtain the preliminary approval of the Foreigners' office , costs according to § 47 AufenthV 29 €. An additional €75 is charged for the visa procedure. There are no further costs for you.
How long is the pre-consent valid for?
The advance approval for family reunification from the Foreigners' office in conjunction with the formal obligation is always valid for 6 months. During this period, the visa must be issued with which your family member can enter Germany to apply for a Residence permit .
If these 6 months are exceeded and a visa has not yet been issued, a new pre-consent must be issued. It is therefore important that you pay attention to the deadline of 6 months and check whether your advance approval is still valid.
Get help with your application for a German passport now
Family reunification with pre-approval from the Foreigners' office is even easier for your family member if you are a German citizen. There are many simplifications in the application process as far as proof is concerned. We at Migrando have years of experience in assisting foreigners with the Naturalization process. Let's take the path to your Naturalization together!
FAQ - Frequently asked questions about the Foreigners' office pre-ballot
A pre-approval from the Foreigners' office is an approval that allows your application for the national visa will be processed more quickly and your visa will also be issued more quickly. This is only possible in certain cases in accordance with Section 81a AufenthG (skilled workers), if there is a public interest (Section 31 (3) AufenthV), or if you are entitled to a residence permit.
The Foreigners' office will check together with the German embassy in your home country whether you meet the requirements for family reunification. If both the Foreigners' office Office and the embassy check are positive, your family member will receive a national visa.
The Foreigners' office will check together with the German embassy in your home country whether you meet the requirements for family reunification. If both the Foreigners' office Office and the embassy check are positive, your family member will receive a national visa.
If you apply for advance approval from the Foreigners' office for your relative before applying for family reunification, the family reunification process will be faster. Family reunification is also quicker if you are a German citizenbecause then the number of supporting documents is lower.
You will need a declaration of commitment for the preliminary coordination of the Foreigners' office . The declaration of commitment costs 29 €. In addition, there may be a visa fee of €75 (if this is necessary in your case).
