The mainstream of theoretical study on labor migration is based on individual reason of the labor，whether is it based on micro individual data or statistical data. As the fundamental unit for individual’s life and employment decision，the family is marginalized in research on labor migration. However，with the progress of study on labor economics，population economics and new home economics，a series of theoretical outcomes of family migration have been achieved，obtaining an indispensible role in specific fields of migration study，and having important instrumental significance on some new phenomena linked with migration. In this paper，the progress of family migration studies in the past more than thirty years are reviewed and summarized. Based on the situations of China，theoretical problems to be conquered in order for application are pointed out and also the possible fields where to apply the family migration theory are also discussed.