Can our adult children join us in France through our Brexit card?
The regroupement familial process does not apply to Britons with WA rights
Your child may be able to come to France by their own right
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Reader Question: We have lived in France for 25 years and have 10-year Brexit cards. Our son, his wife, and their children (nine and one) would like to join us in France. My son and his wife both speak French, so would integrate easily
Rights for family members to join you in France on your residency card are limited, even if you have a 10-year Withdrawal Agreement (‘Brexit’ or ‘WA’ card).
With a small number of exceptions such as a cardholder’s long-term partners/spouses where the relationship existed before 2021, there are no rights for family members of residency card holders to move to France through their WA rights.
There is an exception for children to join parents who have a WA card and live in France, but they must be under 21, as we explain in our article here. This however is not the case for you, as your child is older.
Another possibility for a WA card to bring over a family member is if they are classed as a ‘dependent’.
The ‘dependent’ can arrive in France through their visa-free 90 days and then apply for their own WA card within three months of arrival.
However, this generally requires you to have been providing financial support to them, which sounds unlikely in your child’s case, and could be difficult to prove to authorities.
In cases where dependents need ‘urgent personal help… due to a serious medical issue’ they may also be classed as dependents, but this is also unlikely to apply.
Similarly, the ‘regroupement familial’ process that is used to bring non-EU/EEA spouses and younger children to France does not apply to adult children.
May help them in personal visa applications
You mention your son and his spouse speak French to a good level.
They may be able to move to France on their own terms – such as through a job offer, passeport talent (for example for certain highly-qualified individuals) or self-employed visa – they can include in their application that they have you as family members who live here.
Their French skills and family links may be seen as supporting evidence of commitment to France, however it is not on the list of official requirements and is not certain to increase their odds of receiving a visa.
