Joint Application
An application filed by the main applicant together with family members to include them in a single status-acquisition procedure.
A joint application is a single application that the main applicant files together with family members so that they are included in a common procedure for acquiring resident or citizen status. Such an application can usually include a spouse and children, and in some programs parents and other dependents who meet the program's criteria.
The main advantage of a joint filing is that the family obtains status through a single process, and often on more favorable terms than filing separate applications for each person. At the same time, each adult family member typically undergoes due-diligence checks in their own right.
The range of people who can be included in a joint application and the requirements for them (children's age, financial dependency, health) vary from program to program. It is therefore important to check the official criteria of the specific jurisdiction that define who qualifies as a dependent before applying.
“In a joint application the family stands or falls together: an adverse finding on one adult sinks the whole file, not just that person's part. Report any change — a birth, a marriage, a divorce — while the file is open.”
Susana Ablyamitova — LawyerFAQ
What happens to the whole file if one family member fails the checks?
The consequence depends on the program: sometimes it is enough to remove that person from the application, in other cases the refusal extends to the whole family. This is why risks are normally assessed before filing.
Can family members be added after status has been granted?
Many programs allow a spouse or a child born later to be added through a separate procedure, usually with its own fees and vetting. Whether and how depends on the country.
Is applying together cheaper than filing separately?
Generally yes: combined requirements and fees for a family in one application tend to be lower than individual filings. The actual difference depends on how the program structures its payments.
What happens on divorce, or when a child reaches adulthood?
Status already granted normally stays with each person who received it. If status has not yet been issued, however, a change in marital status or a child's age can take them outside the program's definition of a dependent.
Who carries the obligations under a joint application?
The main applicant answers for the investment, the payments and the accuracy of the file as a whole. Each adult included nonetheless remains responsible for their own documents and their own vetting.