The CESEDA has worsened family reunion scores across the board. Migrants now have to wait 18 months (up from 12) of legal residence before they can sponsor their families, though people with "skills and talents" visas can sponsor relatives after just six months. Both sponsors and their invited spouses must now be over 18. Only DK, GR, and CY have less favourable eligibility provisions. The CESEDA made conditions for family reunion in France the worst in the 28, tied with AT (see box). They would descend to critically unfavourable (0%) if mandatory courses and written, high-level or standardised integration and language assessments were imposed on family members in their country of origin. The CESEDA also made families less secure under the law, by giving the state new grounds to refuse their applications or later withdraw their status. If a family breaks up within their first three years (up from two years) in France, they may lose their right to live there. Reunited family members must now wait at least three years (also up from two) to obtain the right to live autonomously from their sponsor's status, and even then only under conditions.
