When will the IND start with my application for family reunification?

You receive a letter (confirmation of receipt) when the IND has received your application for family reunification. It takes a number of months before the IND starts processing your application. This is because there are a lot of applications for family reunification. Usually, the IND processes the applications for family reunification in order of entry. Sometimes there are reasons that the IND will process an application submitted later earlier. You receive a letter when your application is due. This is the moment when the processing of your application begins. In this letter you read whether the IND requires any more information. And whether you can expect more letters.

The processing of your application

After you receive the letter, it may take several months before you receive the decision. How long this takes exactly is different for each application. There are 3 options:

• Your application is complete. The letter states when you can expect the decision.
• Your application is not complete. The letter states what you need to send. And when you can expect the decision.
• Does your family member have no or insufficient documents? The IND can conduct more research. For example, a DNA test or an interview with you and your family member. You receive a letter stating which investigation the IND is starting.

When the IND starts processing your application depends on the date of your application. The table below this paragraph shows your waiting time. Find the month of your application for family reunification in the first column. The second column shows when the IND starts with your application.

Example of calculating the waiting time for a application for family reunification 

You submitted your application for family reunification in October 2023. The IND processes your application in March 2025. Has this month passed and have you not yet received a letter? Then ask an employee of the Netherlands Council for Refugees (VWN) whether they can contact the IND. Following this example, you can ask VWN for help by April 2025.

Application submitted earlier but due later

Sometimes, applications for family reunion that are submitted later than yours, are due earlier. There are different reasons why the IND can start processing an application earlier:

• There are special individual circumstances. For example, a family member of the applicant has serious medical problems. 
• An employee in training or less experienced employee processes the application. These employees mainly process less complex applications. These are, for example, applications that are submitted completely. And for this reason do not require extra research. Or applications that still have sufficient decision period.

The IND understands it can be unpleasant when you sumbitted an application earlier, but is due later.