With the increasing demand for faster, more intelligent and digitalized material processing, material joining technology has garnered growing attention, among these technologies, laser and its composite joining techniques stand out as key areas of interest. Currently, laser joining technology has become a key enabler for transforming traditional techniques and achieving high-end product manufacturing, it has also become a focal point of research for academic institutions and industries worldwide. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current research status and advancements in laser processing technology for thin sheet material joining in recent years. It explores laser technology as both a direct and auxiliary joining method, presents the research on process parameter selection and optimization algorithms for laser-based material joining, and concludes by summarizing laser joining technology and discussing its future development trends.