Government announces amendments to policy on family reunification

With effect from 12 June 2026, amendments have been made to Family Reunification for those granted International Protection.

The main changes included in the revised Family Reunification Policy are:

• People granted international protection status will be required to wait two years from the date they were granted protection before becoming eligible to apply for family reunification under the new International Protection Act.
• Such sponsors must also demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources to support family members without placing an undue burden on the State. There are certain exceptions to this where the sponsor is a minor.
• The sponsor must also not be in receipt of certain social protection payments or housing supports and must not owe a debt to the State for a defined period prior to submitting an application.
• Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, regardless of when they received their declaration, will no longer be eligible under the Family Reunification Policy, unless they are applying for family members where the relationship formed after they entered the State. (Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection can still apply for Family Reunification under the International Protection Act).