Germany Federal Administrative Court limits family reunification for adult children

The German Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has ruled that adult children no longer have a legal claim to family reunification with a parent recognized as a refugee if they reached adulthood after the parent's refugee status was granted.

The ruling follows a case involving an Iraqi national born in 2005 who applied for a visa to join her father in November 2023. Her father had been granted refugee status by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in February 2022. Because the applicant had already reached the age of majority by the time she applied for the visa, the court determined she did not meet the criteria for family reunification under EU Directive 2003/86/EC.

The court clarified that for children who reach adulthood after the parent is recognized as a refugee, the status of the child at the time of the visa application is the deciding factor. No grace period is permitted for those who have already become adults.