Family reunification lawyer in Belgium

My family reunification visa was refused. Is an appeal worthwhile, or should I submit a new application?

This depends on the reason for the refusal and the application that was submitted.

An appeal may be worthwhile if the Immigration Office applied the rules incorrectly, overlooked important documents or failed to give adequate reasons. The Council for Alien Law Litigation generally examines whether the decision was lawful when it was made. Annulment does not automatically mean that you will receive a visa.

If further evidence or changed circumstances are needed, a new application may be appropriate. I compare the options based on your file, prospects of success, costs and timing.

Send me the complete refusal, the date you received it and a copy of the submitted application. Have the appeal deadline checked immediately: a new application does not extend it.

I am self-employed and earn enough, but the family reunification visa was refused for insufficient resources. What can I do?

For self-employed people, both the amount of income and how it is documented matter. A company’s turnover or profit does not, on its own, establish your personally available net income.

I examine which income the Immigration Office accepted or disregarded, and why. I review your tax documents, social contributions, accounting records and bank statements. For company directors, tax form 281.20 and remuneration actually paid may also be important.

I then assess whether the existing evidence was misread or whether your income needs clearer supporting documentation, possibly with additional records from your accountant. We can then discuss whether an appeal or a fresh application is appropriate.

My visa was refused because documents were allegedly missing, although we submitted a complete application. What can I do?

We need to establish which documents were actually submitted and which the Immigration Office received and assessed.

Keep the complete application, document inventory, receipts, upload confirmations and emails with the embassy or visa centre. I compare these with the refusal and request access to the administrative file where necessary.

If documents submitted on time were overlooked, this may support an appeal. In some cases, it may also be possible to ask for a demonstrable mistake to be corrected. Whether that is possible and sufficient depends on the case.

Do not wait for the administration’s response before having the appeal deadline checked. A request to reconsider the decision does not suspend that deadline.

The Immigration Office considers our romantic relationship insufficiently proven. What can we do?

Having a genuine relationship and proving it sufficiently for a residence application are not always the same. The evidence required depends, among other things, on your nationalities and whether you are married, legally cohabiting or in a de facto partnership.

I examine why the Immigration Office does not accept your relationship. Is the evidence of its duration and stability insufficient, is its genuineness questioned, or is there an issue with a marriage certificate? These situations require different approaches.

Together, we set out your relationship history clearly, supported by relevant evidence of meetings, communication, cohabitation and shared plans. I then assess whether to appeal the refusal or submit a better-supported new application.

I am self-employed and earn enough. Why does the Immigration Office not accept my resources?

Sufficient income must also be demonstrated clearly with appropriate documents. For self-employed people, turnover, professional profit, remuneration and personally available net income after tax and social contributions may differ.

I examine the income counted by the Immigration Office and the documents it considers missing or insufficiently convincing. I distinguish between a sole trader and a company director.

I use your tax documents, accounting records and payment evidence to establish your financial position. Where necessary, I request specific clarification from your accountant. We can then assess whether the decision rests on a misreading or whether further evidence is needed, and identify the most appropriate next step.

The Immigration Office considers my relationship with my child insufficiently proven, although I am their parent. What can I do?

First, we must identify what is disputed: your legal parentage or your actual family relationship with your child.

If legal parentage is at issue, I examine the birth certificate, acknowledgment of parentage or court decision, for example, and the recognition of foreign documents in Belgium.

Where parentage is established, the dispute may concern your involvement in the child’s life. Depending on the procedure, evidence of contact, care, upbringing and emotional or financial ties may be relevant. This could include living arrangements, school contacts, medical appointments or other documents showing your role as a parent.

Not living with your child does not automatically mean there is no family life. I examine the circumstances, your child’s best interests and the reasons for refusal to determine how best to demonstrate or defend your family relationship.