New Danish rules on bringing foreign spouses to apply 'at point of decision'
Anyone whose application to come to Denmark to join a Danish partner is still outstanding when new rules come into force on July 1st will be treated under the new rules, the Danish Immigration Service has confirmed.
This means that they will only have to deposit 57,000 kroner in an account for their local municipality, rather than 114,000 kroner under the existing rules, and also means the Danish partner will not have to prove they have reached Danish 3 or higher in a Danish test if they have worked in Denmark full time for five years or more.
The new rules, which make small but still significant changes to Denmark's draconian system of family reunion for spouses, are set for their final vote in the Danish parliament on May 30th.
READ ALSO:
- What Denmark's plans to change family reunion rules mean
- What's in the new law on bringing a foreign spouse to Denmark?
"If the proposal is passed, the new rules will come into force on 1 July 2024," the service said in a press release. "However, it will also be possible to have an application submitted before this time processed under the new rules when they come into force."
In the press release, the service said that it planned to contact those who have already submitted applications under existing rules to ask whether they wanted to delay a decision until after the new rules have come into force.
It also said that people whose applications for family reunion were refused before the proposal was presented to the Danish parliament on April 11th, either because they could not meet the financial guarantee or because of the language requirement, would be able to submit a new application after the rules come into force on July 1st.
Many spouses who have moved to Denmark under the existing rules still have more than 100,000 kroner sitting in a bank account reserved for the use of their local municipality should they become unemployed, or require other support.
The Local is waiting for clarification from the agency over whether they can now withdrawn some of the funds -- in some cases as much as 57,000 kroner -- so that the amount reaches the lower level of 57,000 kroner stipulated in the new rules.
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This means that they will only have to deposit 57,000 kroner in an account for their local municipality, rather than 114,000 kroner under the existing rules, and also means the Danish partner will not have to prove they have reached Danish 3 or higher in a Danish test if they have worked in Denmark full time for five years or more.
The new rules, which make small but still significant changes to Denmark's draconian system of family reunion for spouses, are set for their final vote in the Danish parliament on May 30th.
READ ALSO:
- What Denmark's plans to change family reunion rules mean
- What's in the new law on bringing a foreign spouse to Denmark?
"If the proposal is passed, the new rules will come into force on 1 July 2024," the service said in a press release. "However, it will also be possible to have an application submitted before this time processed under the new rules when they come into force."
In the press release, the service said that it planned to contact those who have already submitted applications under existing rules to ask whether they wanted to delay a decision until after the new rules have come into force.
It also said that people whose applications for family reunion were refused before the proposal was presented to the Danish parliament on April 11th, either because they could not meet the financial guarantee or because of the language requirement, would be able to submit a new application after the rules come into force on July 1st.
Many spouses who have moved to Denmark under the existing rules still have more than 100,000 kroner sitting in a bank account reserved for the use of their local municipality should they become unemployed, or require other support.
The Local is waiting for clarification from the agency over whether they can now withdrawn some of the funds -- in some cases as much as 57,000 kroner -- so that the amount reaches the lower level of 57,000 kroner stipulated in the new rules.
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