Updated
GL-F-09
Glossary · Application and process
Family composition - who can join one application with you
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- The range of relatives who can be included in one application with the main applicant
- Who is almost always included
- A spouse and minor children
- Who is sometimes included
- Adult dependent children and parents, subject to the programme’s conditions
- What it affects
- The cost of the application, the volume of documents and the length of the check
- What is critical
- Kinship is evidenced by documents, and dependency separately
02 / In plain words
What Family composition means
Family composition is the range of relatives that a programme allows to be included in one application with the main applicant. In the basic version this is a spouse and minor children. Many programmes also allow adult children, if they are financially dependent and studying, and parents who meet certain conditions.
Each additional person affects three things: the cost — government fees and the check are usually charged per person; the volume of documents — each person needs their own set with legalisation and translation; the timing — the check covers everyone included, and questions about any one of them hold up the whole application.
A separate subject is evidence of kinship and dependency. Kinship is proved by certificates, while the financial dependency of adult children or parents is proved by a separate set of documents: certificates of study, evidence of financial support, sometimes medical documents. The rules differ from programme to programme, so the composition of the application is agreed at the start.
In Vanuatu the family composition sets the price: in the fund (CIIP) the amount is the same for a family of up to four, from the fifth person $26,500 each; in the contribution (DSP) the official schedule applies, +$10,000 for each additional person.
A case from practice
In one family a child was approaching the programme’s age limit. We built the timeline so that filing and the decision took place before that limit. A delay of a couple of months would have meant a separate application and an entirely different budget.
When this needs to be thought through
- An application for the whole family
- Adult children in education
- Elderly parents who are supported
- Children from a previous marriage
- Planning the programme budget
- Adding a family member later
03 / What it covers
Who can be included in the application
Basis
- Spouse
- Minor children
- Evidence of marriage and kinship
On conditions
- Adult dependent children
- Parents of the applicant or spouse
- Evidence of dependency
Cost
- Fees per person
- Check per person
- Documents and translations
Risks
- Questions about any participant
- Expired documents
- Children getting older
04 / How it works
How the composition of the application is formed
Define the range of relatives
Whom you want to include in the application.
Check against the programme’s conditions
We check age, dependency and programme conditions.
Gather evidence of kinship
Marriage and birth certificates with apostille and translation.
Evidence dependency
Study and support documents for adult children and parents.
File a single application
The whole family files together with the main applicant.
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01Core
Spouse and minor children
Included in almost every programme. Marriage and birth are proven by certificates with apostille and translation.
02Adult children
If financially dependent
Usually up to a set age and while studying. Dependency is proven with separate documents.
03Children's age
Counted at filing or decision date
A child may pass the age limit during processing. The reference date is checked in the programme rules.
04Cost
Grows with each member
Each person adds a contribution or fee, a check and a set of documents. The budget is calculated for the whole family.
Common mistakes
Missing that a child will pass the age limit
Check the age reference date and file with time to spare.
Assuming parents can be included
Check the conditions for parents: age, dependency, living together. They vary a lot.
Budgeting without per-person fees
Calculate contributions, checks and fees for each family member in advance.
Forgetting the other parent's consent
For children from another marriage, prepare the other parent's notarised consent in advance.
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
The composition of the application is fixed at the start and checked against the conditions of the particular programme: age limits, dependency criteria, requirements for parents. If a child is close to the age limit, the filing timeline is built with a margin. Dependency documents — certificates of study, evidence of support — are gathered in advance, not on request.
What we do for you. We fix the family composition at the very start and calculate the budget for everyone at once: fees, the check, documents. And we keep a separate eye on children’s age limits — this is a case where the calendar affects the budget directly.
Darya MelnikFamily relocation, schools, residency for nomads and retirees
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
Usually a spouse and minor children. Many programmes allow adult dependent children and parents, subject to conditions.
Yes, directly: government fees and the cost of the check are, as a rule, charged for each person included.
By a separate set of documents: certificates of study, evidence of financial support and, in some cases, medical documents.
They may drop out of the application, and a separate process will be needed. That is why, as the limit approaches, the filing timeline is built with a margin.
In some programmes, yes, through a separate procedure and at additional cost. The conditions depend on the programme.
Yes, the check covers everyone included. Questions about any one of them can hold up the whole application.
Related terms
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