Every day, people worldwide migrate and leave their families and loved ones to settle in safer and more economically viable places, hoping to be reunited with their families later.
For many of these people who find themselves at the other end of the border facing uncertain futures and new realities all by themselves, people working in immigration administration represent their only hope of uniting with their families. If you’re currently in immigration administration training, here’s what family unification entails.
Understanding Family Reunification in Immigration Administration Training
Family reunification, or family sponsorship/family-based immigration, is the process that seeks to legally reunite family members who have been separated due to migration. In the US, the UK, and several other countries, specific provisions allow refugees and asylum seekers to reunite with their spouses, children, and parents after a certain period.
The laws also allow permanent citizens and residents to sponsor their relatives to join them. The processes require some documentation and verification, but they are managed properly to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and long waiting times.
In immigration administration training, you’ll discover the laws that permit permanent citizens to sponsor their relatives to join them
Navigating Legal Requirements
The legal provisions for family reunification will vary from one country to another, mainly depending on the immigration laws specific to the host country. In immigration administration training, you can learn about the specific eligibility criteria, application processes, and documentation needed for different types of family sponsorship visas.
While the eligibility criteria and application process usually relate to the petitioner’s immigration status, the documentation may include marriage certificates, birth certificates, and proof of relationship. Your chances of success as a petitioner bidding to reunite with your family depend on the smooth processing of family reunification applications.
The Family Unification Process
As discussed earlier, the family unification process will typically vary across different countries and depend on the existing conditions, all of which you will learn in career college. However, the success of the process almost always rests with the petitioner looking to reunite with his family.
The petitioner can usually sponsor their relative’s migration because of their status as a permanent resident or citizen or because they are under special conditions, such as refugees or asylum seekers.
As you’ll discover in immigration administration training, the family unification process will typically vary across different countries
They must file a petition (or form) with the relevant body charged with matters of family Unification (IRCC in Canada and USCIS in the USA) seeking to sponsor their relative’s migration. The petition or request will require the sponsor to establish their qualifying relationship with the other party, which involves submitting all relevant documentary evidence.
Challenges and Considerations of Family Unification
While family unification aims to keep families together, the process can be lengthy and challenging. Due to annual visa limitations and backlogs, there may be significant wait times. In other cases, specific inadmissibility grounds, like criminal records or health-related issues, may complicate or ultimately prevent the family unification process.
As an Immigration administration professional, you must stay up-to-date with the process’s constantly evolving policies, regulations, and procedures to effectively guide your clients through the family unification process. While you get to learn all this from your immigration administration courses at AOLCC, it helps to do your own research as well. After the relevant body reviews the applications and the supporting documents, a decision is made if the application is granted.
Are you ready to start your journey of family unification?
Your career awaits!
