Forward osmosis (FO) membrane process is an emerging membrane technology for wastewater treatment and desalination. This process enables to achieve a membrane separation with lower energy than conventional pressure-driven ones. However, the realization of effective FO membrane processes essentially needs draw solutions offering both a high osmotic pressure and a facile regeneration mechanism. In this review, the basic explanations of FO membrane process and draw solution are firstly provided. Subsequently, an overview of a variety of draw solutions is presented. Finally, the draw solution based on the magnetic particles modified with polyelectrolytes is explained.