This study examines the determinants of the migration status within households (tied or lead mover) and how it affects the ethnic identity of migrant spouses. Tied and lead movers differ in their migration motivations, face different constraints, and opportunities (e.g., social network through work). This is likely to be reflected in different investment strategies and adjustment patterns in the host country. To study the adjustment of tied and lead movers, I rely on the IAB-SOEP migration sample, which asks migrant spouses who were the main driver of the migration decision and measures several socio-economic outcomes in Germany. The results show that women are 42.2 percentage points more likely to be tied movers than men, and spouses without technical college or university before migration is 6.6 percentage points more likely to be tied movers than spouses with a degree. Overall, tied movers in Germany are more likely to be separated and less likely to be integrated and assimilated when compared to lead or equal movers. These findings suggest that for tied movers, the benefits of investing in the host country's culture do not outweigh the costs.

This book chapter highlights the effect of gender and the migration position on the labour market and socio-cultural integration of migrant spouses in Germany. Using a representative survey of the migrant population in Germany, I find that a considerably larger share of females are tied movers, even though they tend to have higher education. This indicates that the family migration decision process is possibly not gender neutral. When looking at post-migration outcomes, I find that tied movers are less likely to be economic and socio-culturally integrated. Hence, being tied mover seems to create an additional hurdle when it comes to integration. While female migrants are less likely to be economically integrated, they are not very different from males when it comes to socio-cultural integration. The negative effect of gender on labour market integration, while holding the migration position and education constant, possibly reflects the role of traditional gender norms. In light of these findings, I conjecture that gender has both a direct and indirect effect on economic integration. Where the indirect effect comes through its effect on the migration position.

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