We are a group of Indians who are residing in Germany and have been going through more than a year of an excruciating ordeal to reunite with our families in the midst of the Covid pandemic. Many among us have not been able to meet our families in these challenging times for more than a year.

We request the following from the German authorities so that families can reunite in these difficult times: -

• Please process the Family Re-Union Visa with priority.
• Please allow people who have already secured visa under family re-union category to travel to Germany.

Current Challenges Regarding Processing of Family Re-Union Visa

These have been the approximate timelines from most of our experiences since last year.

• It takes days or sometimes weeks of persistent effort through emails and calls to get a visa appointment.
• Visa appointments are typically 3 months from the date we are able to secure an appointment.
• From the day of the appointment, it takes 3 to 6 months to complete the visa process from Germany. The processing time is more in cities like Berlin and Munich.
• Once the visa processing is completed in Germany, it takes days or weeks for the applicant to receive the visa depending on the response time of the German consulates in India.

The whole process is filled with uncertainty and has induced anxiety and suffering for the families going through this ordeal. The life of the families has been put on hold for more than a year. We have spouses who have not seen one another for more than a year, we have children separated from their parents. Many of us have not even been able to travel to India because we are expecting communication from the foreigner's office in Germany regarding the family reunion visa for months. Our whole lives have been disrupted and it is really painful in these uncertain times.

Current Challenges For Families Who Already Got the Family Re-Union Visa

Families have undergone months of uncertainty to get the visa. Due to the unfortunate developments in India pertaining to Covid situation, they are not able to travel even after securing a visa. This has huge implications for those who are affected.

• The flights are booked with the anticipation of travel. There is no certainty that they can travel.
• Children are hugely affected emotionally.
• Plans made for the next term pertaining to children's education are affected.
• Arrangements have been made for accommodation in Germany with legal contracts signed.
• Many spouses have left their jobs after entering a new employment contract in Germany. They may not be able to comply with the start date of the new employer thereby effectively losing their job.
• The families have to, unfortunately, undergo the whole painful process of securing a visa again which may take many months to process.

We are aware of the situation in India currently. We do not want to increase the risk of more infections in Germany. All we are asking for is to give us a way to reunite with our family through stricter compliance mechanisms related to Covid testing and quarantine. It will ensure safety for all and give us a way to finally meet our family after a long wait.

We request you to kindly process the family re-union visa on priority. The current timelines are too long and uncertain. Please help us by reducing this timeline.

We also request you to let the applicants who already got their visa travel to Germany with stricter regulations if needed.

Please let families reunite.

We request the German and Indian authorities to find a solution and address our concerns.