Objectives: Transnational ties refer to the affective, communicative, and economic relationships that migrant families build between the societies of origin and destination. Investigations of such ties are very scarce. In the present study, focused on Latin American migrant women, transnational ties are considered a protective factor of family functioning, conditioned by premigratory variables. The working hypothesis is that increased frequency of reunited mothers' communication with and remittances to their children during the period of separation prior to the reunion will be linked to better communication, cohesion, flexibility, satisfaction, and family resources, according to the reunited mothers' perception. Method: The sample consisted of 81 mothers of Latin American reunited families. Most of them (61.7%) have 2 or 3 children and 75.3% have already reunited all of their children in Bizkaia. The frequency of communication between family members in the societies of origin and destination and the frequency of remittances were the transnational variables. To observe family functioning, we used the Circumplex Model. A mediation model was tested through structural equation modeling. Results: The results of the study confirmed the mediator role of the transnational variables, especially the frequency of transnational communications, partially or fully moderating the impact of the premigratory variables, and positively associated with family functioning, in terms of greater cohesion, flexibility, communication, satisfaction, and perception of resources. Conclusions: This study has highlighted the role of these ties, which lead to more functional family dynamics. It is necessary to promote new forms of transnational communication that favor subsequent family reunification. Public Significance StatementTransnational ties mediate the impact of the premigration variables and contribute to more functional family dynamics. The frequency of transnational communications, in the first place, and the frequency of remittances, in second place, are strategies to connect with the loved ones in the country of origin that are associated with family functioning in terms of greater cohesion, flexibility, communication, satisfaction and perception of resources of reunited families. New forms of transnational communication that favor subsequent family reunification must be promoted.

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar el efecto moderador de la satisfacción marital y el apoyo social en la relación entre las expectativas premigratorias y la satisfacción vital. Para ello se contó con una muestra de 81 mujeres inmigrantes latinoamericanas en España que han reagrupado a su familia. Los resultados muestran que tanto las expectativas premigratorias como el apoyo social y la satisfacción marital correlacionan significativamente con la satisfacción vital. Sin embargo, al analizar el efecto de moderación, sólo la satisfacción marital mostró un efecto significativo, de manera que esta variable amortigua el efecto negativo que tienen las expectativas no realistas sobre la satisfacción vital. Estos resultados pueden tener importantes implicaciones prácticas desde el punto de vista del trabajo psicoterapéutico con personas inmigrantes en el país de destino. Finalmente, se comentan las limitaciones del estudio y se discuten algunas líneas de investigación a futuro.

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