Fertility implications of family-based regularizations.

This article analyzes the fertility effects of a 2011 Spanish Royal Decree that granted temporary legal status to undocumented immigrant parents from certain eligible countries if they had a minor child with Spanish citizenship. Using data from the Spanish Labor Force Survey (2007–2016) and a difference-in-differences methodology comparing eligible and non-eligible migrant women before and after the policy, the study finds that the decree increased the likelihood of eligible mothers having a child born in Spain by approximately 48%, though the overall impact on national fertility was modest (0.4%). The fertility increase was primarily driven by migrants' incentive to qualify for legal status rather than income effects or new migrant inflows, and it was concentrated among women already in Spain and in partnerships, without evidence of earlier childbearing or increased household size. These findings highlight that family-based regularization policies can significantly influence fertility decisions among unauthorized immigrants, an important consideration for policymakers addressing mixed-status households.