Waiting for the decision on your application for family reunification
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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.
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 is what happens in the event of a positive decision by the IND
Has the IND approved your application for family reunification? If so, you will receive a letter from the IND. That letter will tell you what to do next.
In your application, you specified an embassy to which your family members can travel upon a positive decision to pick up their visa. This visa is called a
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 not approved your application for family reunification? Then your family member will not receive a visa to come to the Netherlands. You can appeal the decision of the IND. This is best done with the help of a lawyer.
In objection to the IND decision
If you have received a negative decision, a lawyer can appeal on your behalf. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible. In fact, objections must be filed within 4 weeks after you receive the negative decision on your application for family reunification.
Did you file your application for family reunification before 1 December 2025, are you staying in the reception centre and need a lawyer to appeal, but do not know where to find one? Or do you have housing in the municipality?
Then make an appointment with someone from VWN on this page on RefugeeHelp. VWN may be able to refer you.Have you filed your application for family reunification after 1 December 2025, are you living in the reception centre or in a municipality that does not have a VWN and need a lawyer to appeal, but do not know where to find one?
Het Juridisch Loket can refer you to a lawyer .