Waiting for a decision on your application for 'family reunification for asylum seekers (post-travel)'
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The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will now evaluate your application for family reunification. You will receive the decision by post.
Waiting for the IND's decision on your application
The
It may take some time for the IND to process your application
When the IND begins processing your application depends on a number of factors. For example, it depends on the date on which you submitted your application. It also depends on which family members you have applied for ‘family reunification for asylum seekers (post-travel)’ for. Furthermore, the type of asylum permit you have plays an important role.
Do you have an
Would you like to know how long it takes for the IND to process your application for ‘family reunification for asylum seekers (post-travel)’? The IND website contains up-to-date information on waiting times. This information is available in Dutch and English.
There is still something missing from the application
Even once the IND has started processing your application, it may take longer to assess it. This could be because some information is still missing, or because a significant amount of time has passed between the submission of your application and its processing. The IND will then send you a letter. This letter is called the ‘Herstel Verzuim-brief’ (return-to-work letter): this is a letter in which the IND asks you to supplement your application with certain documents that are still missing.
You must reply to this letter within 4 weeks. The IND may also ask questions in the letter. The questions are about you and your family members. They will therefore be different for everyone.
Examples include:
In your application, you stated that your family members had lost their passports. A considerable amount of time has passed since then. The IND would like to know what steps you have taken in the meantime to obtain a passport or other form of identification.
In your application, you stated that your family members have never held any documents. The IND would like to know why this is the case and how your family member managed to get by in their country of origin without any documents.
You have provided a brief explanation of how your family member is dependent on you. The IND would like further details on this.
Further investigation is needed: detailed investigation
It may also be the case that the IND needs more time to reach a decision on your application. This happens, for example, if the IND considers that there is insufficient evidence to prove that your family members are genuinely part of your family. The IND may also have doubts as to whether you and your family members are genuinely dependent on one another.
If the IND wishes to carry out further investigations, you will receive a letter. This letter will explain why the IND needs more time and how long the investigation is likely to take. It will also state what kind of investigation the IND will be carrying out.
There are two possibilities:
1. DNA test
The IND may request a DNA test. This test can be used to determine whether there is a family relationship between you and your family members.
As the referent (the person submitting the application for ‘family reunification for asylum seekers (post-travel)’), you must make an appointment yourself at an IND office in The Hague to provide a DNA sample. Your family members will be contacted by telephone by the
2. Video hearing
The IND may also opt to conduct a video hearing with your family members. To do this, your family members must go to a
During the video hearing, the IND will ask questions about, for example, their daily life, work, family and relationships. The IND will also ask whether they are able to look after themselves. If not, the IND will want to know why not. In addition, the IND will ask why they want to come to the Netherlands and what their main reason is for wanting to live here.
Do you have any questions?
Do you have any questions about a letter from the IND or the detailed investigation? Or are your family members unable to travel to a neighbouring country (in time) for the detailed investigation appointment? If so, please contact the IND.
You can call the ‘post-travel helpline’ from Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 16:30. The telephone number is 088 0430400. You can call this IND telephone number if you have any questions about your application for ‘family reunification for asylum seekers (post-travel)’. You can call in Dutch or English. The telephone number will also be listed on the IND’s contact page. View this page
There are two possible decisions
After the IND has made a decision on your application, you will receive the decision in a letter. This decision is either positive or negative:
Positive decision: your family member may come to the Netherlands.
Negative decision: your family member may not come to the Netherlands.
This happens in the event of a positive decision from the IND
Has the IND approved your application for 'family reunification for asylum seekers (post-travel)'? If so, you will receive a letter from the IND informing you of this. The letter will explain what you need to do next.
In your application, you specified an embassy to which your family members can travel to collect their visa if your application is successful. This visa is known as an ‘
To collect this visa, your family members must first make an appointment with the embassy. Once they have made this appointment, they will receive a confirmation email from the embassy detailing exactly what they need to bring with them to the embassy. Please read this email carefully and follow the instructions exactly. Please read on in this step-by-step plan for further information.
If there is no Dutch embassy in your country of origin, your family member will have to go to a neighbouring country where there is a Dutch embassy. The IND will inform you about this.
After arriving in the Netherlands, your family member will receive the residence permit.
This is what happens in the event of a negative decision by the IND
Has the IND rejected your application for ‘family reunification for asylum seekers (post-travel)’? If so, your family member will not be granted a visa to come to the Netherlands. You can then lodge an appeal against the IND’s decision. It is best to do this with the help of a lawyer.
In objection to the IND decision
If you have received a negative decision, a lawyer can lodge an appeal on your behalf. Please contact a lawyer as soon as possible. This is because you must lodge an appeal within 4 weeks of receiving the negative decision on your application for ‘family reunification for asylum seekers (post-travel)’.
Het
Ask the IND officially to make a decision within 2 weeks if they are late
Has the deadline for a decision passed and has the IND still not made a decision? In that case, you and your lawyer can ‘
You do this as follows:
Ask your lawyer to assist you with this and
to complete the IND form.
The IND will only process the notice of default if it is received by post or fax. Send the form, which you have printed and completed, by registered post to:
Immigration and Naturalisation Service
PO Box 14
9560 AA TER APEL
or to the fax number: 088 043 29 51Make sure you have completed all fields. Is your application not complete? Then the IND can reject your application. Make sure that your application is complete at the moment you send your application to the IND.