Family reunification PARENT OR A DESCENDANT of a third-country national - "STEP by STEP"fact leaflet for direct descendants and parents from ...

Family reunification PARENT OR
A DESCENDANT of a third-
country national
"STEP by STEP"fact leaflet for direct descendants and
parents from another country
+ specimen letters and certificates

Contents
      Preliminary explanations
      Terminology
      Obligations to which the sponsor is subject
       ◦   Length of stay
       ◦   Stable income
       ◦   Appropriate housing
       ◦   Health insurance
       ◦   Exception for individuals having refugee status
      Steps to be taken by the family member
       ◦ Documents to be produced: by whom and to whom?
              By the member of the group
              By the sponsor
       ◦ Translation of documents
       ◦ Legalisation of documents
       ◦ If answer yes
      If answer no
       ◦ What does the answer "no" mean?
       ◦ What can be done if the answer is no?
      Annexes

Preliminary explanations

    This fact sheet is aimed at third country nationals (individuals
     who come from a country outside the European Union or
     similar countries - Note1) who have a residence permit (e.g.:
     salaried employee) or refugee status and who wish to conduct
     family reunification with their descendants (children aged under
     18) or direct parents for whom they are responsible (mother or
     father).
     !!! Note: Citizens of another country who are married to a
     European must apply for a family reunification of their
     descendants under the conditions applicable to European
     citizens!!! (see Note 2.)
     A student does not come into this category and has no
     right to family reunification
    This leaflet attempts to offer accurate information with practical
     guidance, specimen letters, certificates and useful addresses.

Note1: These are considered as similar countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
Note 2: Unlike European citizens, who have the right to form a family reunification of their descendants up to age 21,
citizens of other countries can do so only up to age 18.

TERMINOLOGY
   Sponsor: a citizen of another country who has a residence permit for
    the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and who wishes to accommodate
    members of his family
   Group member: the individual with whom the sponsor wishes to
    reunite
   Family reunification: entry and residence in Luxembourg of family
    members of a person who is already legally based in the coutnry. The
    aim is to support and guarantee the family unit, regardless of if the
    family links were established before or after the sponsor's arrival to
    Luxembourg.
   Descendant: an unmarried child of the sponsor or his/her spouse
    (marriage or civil partnership) aged under 18, provided they have the
    right as guardians and/or are responsible for the child.
   Direct parent: ascending relative in the direct ascending line for whom
    the sponsor or partner (marriage or civil partnership) is liable, if the
    parent is their responsibility and is deprived of necessary support in his
    native land

Obligations to which the sponsor is subject
    Length of stay
      ◦   A sponsor who wishes to group one or more members of his/her family here in Luxembourg must have
          been legally resident there for at least 1 year and intend to reside in the country permanently
    Stable income
      ◦   The sponsor must prove that he has had sufficient income over the past 12 months (Note 3) to meet his
          needs, such as those on which he can count without, however, drawing social security (proof of adequate
          income: an employment contract, financial statements for the last 12 months, etc.)
    Appropriate housing
      ◦   The sponsor must have appropriate housing (with a tenancy agreement, etc.)
      ◦   !!! Note!!! A studio apartment for one person will be deemed inappropriate for housing parents (direct
          parents) and/or children (descendants)
    Health insurance
      ◦   The sponsor must have health insurance both for himself and the members of his family (certificate of
          membership of the Caisse Nationale de la Santé [National Health Insurance] – CNS)
    Exception of a citizen with refugee status
      ◦   People who have had recognised refugee status for less than 3 months can apply for family reunification
          without having to prove that they have a stable, regular and adequate income to meet their own needs
          and those of their family members without drawing social security

Note 3 The income is assessed by reference to the average monthly rate of the minimum company salary for an unqualified
worker over a period of twelve months

The steps to be followed by the MEMBER
      OF THE GROUP

Note 4: A visa is not needed for applicants of all nationalities. You may find a list with the countries
exempted from a visa pass attached.

What documents are needed?
 A. If the member of the group is the descendant:
 -    A copy of the full valid passport, certified as a real copy of the original
 -    The child's birth certificate
 -    in case of divorce: the judgement awarding custody of the minor to the parent residing in Luxembourg and
      whether the other parent has a right to visit or a right to accommodation: a notarised authorisation from the
      parent residing abroad testifying to his/her agreement that the minor can reside in Luxembourg;
 -    in a case of joint custody: a notarised authorisation from the parent not residing in Luxembourg testifying to his/
      her agreement that the minor can reside in Luxembourg

 B. If the member of the group is a parent:
     a copy of the parent's full valid passport, certified as a true copy of the original;
     the parent's birth certificate;
     a recent CRO (Criminal Records Office) extract or an affidavit from the parent drafted in his country of
      residence;
     a document testifying to the parental link (e.g. birth certificate of the member of the group or of his/her
      partner/spouse)
     a document certifying the marital status and family situation of the applicant, as well as proof that he is deprived
      of necessary family support in his country of origin (e.g. family booklet or any other equivalent document issued
      by the authorities in the applicant's country of origin);
     proof that the parent was looked after by the sponsor before his application for family reunification (e.g. proof of
      regular payments by the sponsor to the parent's address);
     a document which demonstrates the financial situation of the parent in the country of origin (e.g. proof of own
      means of existence such as income, property, etc).

Note 5: All documents to be provided must be translated by a sworn translator into French, German or English
and must either be endorsed with an apostille or be legalised by the competent local authority and authenticated
by the embassy.

If answer ‘yes’

◦ The member of the group will then receive a C visa (valid for a
  period of 3 months) to join the sponsor in Luxembourg, the visa
  being issued by the embassy following a letter from the Ministry
  of Immigration.
◦ Within three days of his arrival in Luxembourg, he must
  report to the local authority offices of the place where he
  intends to reside to make an arrival declaration. He will then be
  given a copy of this declaration which will be issued to him as a
  receipt.
◦ The family member will then apply to the Ministry of Foreign
  Affairs to be issued with his residence permit as a "family
  member". This permit will be valid for one year and will be
  renewable on application by the member of the group provided
  that the conditions for obtaining it are still met.

   Translation of documents
    ◦ All documents which you must attach to your application for
      family reunification must be translated by a sworn translator.
    ◦ What is a sworn translator? The law stipulates that a sworn
      translator is a translator who is licensed to translate official
      documents. The translation attracts a fee. The translator's
      stamp will be affixed in part on the translation and in part on
      the document which was presented for translation.
    ◦ Where will I find a sworn translator? A list of sworn
      translators can be requested from the Cour Supérieure de
      Justice [High Court]. Tel.: 00352.47.59.81-1
    ◦ The time taken and the price of translation? It varies
      according to the number and sizes of the documents. You
      can ask the translator for an estimate before deciding.

   Legalisation of documents

    ◦ Legalisation certifies the origin of a document. It is the
      authentication by an official authority of the sincerity of a
      signature, the capacity of the signatory and, where
      relevant, the identity of the stamp or endorsement on the
      document...
    ◦ Foreign documents must be legalised in their country of
      origin. Unless these documents have been endorsed with
      an apostille, they must be legalised by an authority of last
      resort, such as an embassy or a consulate which
      represents Luxembourg abroad.
    ◦ Any foreign document must be legalised beforehand by a
      central authority (in general, the Ministry of Foreign
      Affairs) of the country where this document was issued.
    ◦ The Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office: this takes care
      of legalising signatures by Luxembourg public bodies
      applied on documents intended to be served on public
      bodies of a foreign country.

   If answer ‘no’
    ◦ What does the negative answer mean?
      It may be that the conditions which you must meet to be
      entitled to family reunification are not fulfilled. (e.g. you are
      earning less than the minimum salary)
    ◦ What action do you take if the answer is no?
       The family member can appeal to the administrative court
         against a decision by the Minister within three months of
         notification of the refusal.
       If you accompany the appeal with an application for a stay
         of execution or a suspension order, deportation cannot
         take place as no interim order has been made.

   Where the family member must file the
    application

     For questions:
    ◦ The following telephone number is permanently
      manned every day from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: (00352)
      247- 84040. (except at weekends)
    ◦ To send a fax, please dial this number: (00352) 22
      16 08.

16_Cond.MF.P3-081201

       MINISTÈRE
DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES

  Direction de l’Immigration

                                Autorisation de séjour du membre de famille
                                      d’un ressortissant de pays tiers 1

      Le ressortissant de pays tiers qui souhaite s’installer sur le territoire luxembourgeois pour une
      durée supérieure à trois mois en tant que membre de famille d’un ressortissant de pays tiers,
      doit, avant son entrée sur le territoire, introduire une demande auprès du ministre ayant
      l’immigration sans ses attributions.

      Il doit indiquer son identité (nom, prénoms et coordonnées) et joindre les documents
      suivants :
          ! la copie du passeport intégral, certifiée conforme à l’original ;
          ! un acte de naissance ;
          ! un document attestant de l’existence du mariage, du partenariat enregistré ou du lien
               de parenté (pour les enfants du regroupé la preuve qu’il en a le droit de garde et la
               charge) ;
          ! un extrait du casier judiciaire ou un affidavit.
                                                                                                     2
      Il doit en outre joindre les pièces suivantes concernant la situation du regroupant :
            ! copie du titre de séjour du regroupant valable pour une durée supérieure à un an ;
            ! certificat de résidence du regroupant ;
            ! preuve des ressources du regroupant équivalant au salaire social minimum sur une
                durée de 12 mois ;
            ! preuve d’un logement approprié sur le territoire luxembourgeois ;
            ! preuve d’une assurance maladie couvrant tous les risques sur le territoire
                luxembourgeois.

      Une demande incomplète sera retournée au requérant.

      Attention ! L’entrée sur le territoire luxembourgeois doit se faire dans les 90 jours suivant
      l’émission de l’autorisation de séjour, à savoir:
          ! ou bien le visa doit avoir été sollicité avant l’expiration du délai de 90 jours ;
          ! ou bien, s’il n’existe pas d’obligation de visa, l’entrée sur le territoire doit avoir été
               effectuée avant l’expiration du délai de 90 jours, et la déclaration d’arrivée auprès de
               la commune de résidence devra avoir été faite.

      N.B. Les documents à produire doivent soit être apostillés par l’autorité locale compétente du
      pays d’origine, soit être légalisés par l’autorité locale compétente du pays d’origine et
      authentifiés par l’ambassade. Si les documents ne sont pas rédigés dans les langues
      allemande, française ou anglaise, une traduction conforme par un traducteur assermenté doit
      être jointe.

      1
         articles 68 à 77 de la loi du 29 août 2008 sur la libre circulation des personnes et l’immigration
      2
          Ne sont pas visées les personnes qui accompagnent un travailleur hautement qualifié,un travailleur salarié
      transféré ou un chercheur et dont la demande d’autorisation de séjour est concomitante à celle du regroupant.

   Countries for which you must apply for a
    Visa
    Afghanistan; South Africa; Algeria; Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Angola, Saudi Arabia,
    Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana,
    Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo
    (Rep.), Congo (Democratic Republic), North Korea, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica,
    Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana,
    Grenada, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica,
    Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lesotho, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya,
    Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, North Marianas (Islands), Morocco, Marshall (Islands), Mauritania,
    Malawi, Micronesia, Moldavia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger,
    Nigeria, Oman, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar,
    Republic of Serbia, Central African Rep., Dominican Rep., Republic of Montenegro, Russia,
    Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Solomon (Islands), Western Samoa, São
    Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Swaziland, Syria,
    Tajikistan, Tanzania, Chad, Thailand, East Timor, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
    Turkmenistan, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Vanuatu,Vietnam,Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

   Countries for which no Visa is required
    Albania, Germany, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados,
    Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, South Korea, Costa
    Rica, Croatia, Denmark, El Salvador, Spain, Estonia, United States, Finland, France, Greece,
    Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia,
    Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius (Island), Mexico, Monaco,
    Montenegro, Nicaragua, Norway, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
    Czech Republic, Romania, United Kingdom, Saint Martin, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Serbia,
    Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Uruguay,Vatican,Venezuela.

What does an apostille look like?

                              Opposite is a legalisation apostille used by the
                              Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.
                              The original is, however, in colour.

Useful addresses
   Cité judiciaire: CRB extracts (Criminal Records Bureau)
    ◦ Address:       Bâtiment BC
                          L-2080 Luxembourg
    ◦ Telephone:          00352 - 475981-346
    ◦ Opening times: from Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
                          from 8 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

   Bureau des légalisations [Office for legalisations]
    ◦ Address:       43, bld. Roosevelt
                            L-2450 Luxembourg
    ◦ Telephone:     00352 - 247 - 88300
    ◦ Opening times: from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

   Ministère des Affaires Etrangères [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
    ◦ Address:           12-16 Avenue Monterey
                                 L-2163 Luxembourg
    ◦ Telephone:          00352 – 247 – 84040
    ◦ Opening hours:      8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m from Monday to Friday, except for special
        timings during school holidays

How do I know which embassy to
approach?
   If there is no embassy of Luxembourg in another country, please
    approach an embassy which represents either Belgium or the
    Netherlands.
   A list of countries in which Luxembourg has diplomatic
    representation is on the website www.mae.lu
   To find out where there are Belgian embassies, go to the website
    http://diplomatie.belgium.be , heading: embassies and consulates
    abroad
   For Dutch embassies, go to the following link
    http://www.minbuza.nl/en/services/embassies-and-consulates/dutch-
    embassies-and-consulates-abroad
   Almost all embassies have a website. You can therefore find the
    address of your chosen embassy with ease by launching a simple
    search on the "google" search engine.