After how long can my family members get a residence permit independent of me?

When a family member first arrives, their permit is linked to your status as the sponsor. This means their right to stay depends on the relationship and on you continuing to meet the conditions.

After three years of legal residence, a family member can apply for a residence permit that stands on its own and no longer depends on the sponsor. This is valuable for situations such as relationship breakdown, the death of the sponsor, or simply where the family member wants more security. Continuing to meet the general conditions, such as resources and health insurance, remains important when making this switch.