{"id":2080,"date":"2011-02-13T17:55:55","date_gmt":"2011-02-13T17:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mth-partner.de\/rechtsanwaltsblog\/?p=130"},"modified":"2026-01-02T07:15:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T07:15:54","slug":"auslanderrecht-ehegattennachzug-unrechtmasig-bei-ungesichertem-lebensunterhalt-der-familie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mth-partner.de\/en\/foreigners-law-spousal-reunion-unlawful-with-insecure-livelihood-of-the-family\/","title":{"rendered":"Foreigners\u2018 Law: Spousal Reunion Unlawful with Insecure Livelihood of the Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

Federal Administrative Court, November 16, 2010, Case No.: 1 C 20.09<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the case of spousal reunification to Germany, a distinction must be made between the Spousal reunification with German<\/a> (Section 28 (1) No. 1 AufenthG) and to foreign nationals (Section 30 AufenthG).<\/p>\n

If one of the spouses holds German citizenship, Article 6 of the Basic Law (GG) provides special protection to the German citizen. It is generally not to be denied to the German citizen to live with their spouse and family in Germany. Therefore, securing livelihood (\u00a7\u00a7 5 Abs. 1 No. 1, 2 Abs. 3 Residence Act) is usually not a prerequisite for spousal reunification with Germans due to the unrestricted residence right of Germans in the country, according to \u00a7 28 Abs. 1 S. 3.<\/p>\n

Spousal reunification with foreign nationals is governed by \u00a7 30 Residence Act. \u00a7 30 Residence Act requires that the foreign national holds one of the residence permits listed exhaustively in \u00a7 30 Abs. 1 No. 3 letters a to f Residence Act and, in the case of residence permits under \u00a7 30 Abs. 1 No. 3 letters d to f, meets the additional requirements specified. Additionally, the livelihood of both spouses and any minor children living with them must generally be secured.
\n\"Residence_authorisation_according_to_the_AufenthaltsG\"<\/a>
\nThe Federal Administrative Court had to decide a case regarding spousal reunification with a foreign national and the related issue of secured livelihood in the judgment mentioned above.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Facts of the Case:<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/span>Turkish man seeks spousal reunification with his wife living in Germany<\/span><\/h3>\n

The plaintiff, a 37-year-old Turkish national, sought a residence permit as a spouse under \u00a7 30 Abs. 1 Residence Act. In 2002, the plaintiff married a Turkish woman living in Germany, with whom he had three children. In 2005, he entered Germany with a visa for family reunification.<\/p>\n

<\/span>After the entire family started receiving Hartz IV benefits, the immigration authority refused the residence permit.<\/span><\/h3>\n

After the plaintiff began receiving benefits under the Social Code II (SGB II) for himself, his wife, and their youngest son in September 2006, the defendant (Land Berlin) denied the plaintiff\u2019s application for a residence permit in 2008, stating that the family\u2019s livelihood was not secured. The Administrative Court of Berlin dismissed the lawsuit, while the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg ordered the defendant to issue a residence permit.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Higher Administrative Court only considered the livelihood of the foreign spouse as relevant<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Higher Administrative Court believed that it was sufficient if the livelihood of the arriving foreign spouse was covered. This was the case here, as the plaintiff\u2019s income was now sufficient for his own needs, even if it was not enough for his wife and minor son.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Federal Administrative Court Ruling:<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/span>The Federal Administrative Court rules that all family members must be provided for<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Federal Administrative Court did not follow the view of the plaintiff and the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg in the above decision. According to the BVerwG, it is not sufficient if the arriving spouse can cover their own needs in isolation but relies on public social benefits for their spouse and children. Spousal reunification generally requires that not only the livelihood of the arriving foreign spouse but also the livelihood of the family unit be covered without resorting to public social benefits. This was not the case here, as the family continued to receive benefits under the SGB II.<\/p>\n

Source: Federal Administrative Court<\/p>\n

Important Note: The content of this article has been prepared to the best of our knowledge and belief. However, due to the complexity and constant evolution of the subject matter, we must exclude liability and warranty.<\/b> Important Notice: The content of this article has been created to the best of our knowledge and understanding. However, due to the complexity and constant changes in the subject matter, we must exclude any liability and warranty.<\/p>\n

If you need legal advice, feel free to call us at 0221 \u2013 80187670 or email us at info@mth-partner.de.<\/p>\n

Lawyers from Cologne advise nationwide on immigration law.<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not only the livelihood of the applicant but also the livelihood of the family must be secured. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3667],"tags":[703,1456],"class_list":["post-2080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-familiennachzug","tag-ehegattennachzug-zu-auslandern","tag-rechtsanwalt-koln-ehegattennachzug"],"yoast_head":"\nAusl\u00e4nderrecht: Ehegattennachzug unrechtm\u00e4\u00dfig bei ungesichertem Lebensunterhalt der Familie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Beim Ehegattennachzug in Deutschland ist grds. zwischen dem Ehegattennachzug zu deutschen und zu ausl\u00e4ndischen Staatsangeh\u00f6rigen zu unterscheiden\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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