Job Discussion Forums

[tim hortons man]

I was just using that as an example. Most people get turned back at the border rather than being picked up and deported.

[wildchild]

In mid 2002, I was coming back from Bordeaux on the TGV and I got off just across the Spanish border in Irun. There were non-uniformed police on the platform checking passports. Perhaps they were looking for someone in particular, however they checked many passports, including mine (American). I'm not sure if they looked at my visa/stamp pages, if so, I was covered as I was on a student visa at the time. But I do remember that he did look at it for a few minutes and they seemed long, so long that, as you will note my pragmatics were not very well developed, I said "Oye, tio, voy faltar el altobus!" Ooh he got pissed, he said something like "I'm a police and you should call me 'usted'" But boy was he pissed, had me begging for forgiveness. Well, I finally missed the bus, but I was allowed in (but I had a visa).

That was the only time my passport was checked (besides passing through Strassbourg some months later, again, at the border) but what is interesting to note, is that it did happen at the border. As I have wrote before, unless you appear to be a refugee from North Africa or Africa or you are pissing in the middle of the plaza, you will probably not be asked to see you passport.

[spiral78]

Jetgirly's just posted her experience in Italy (on the Italy forum) about calling the police to check a broken alarm and having her papers examined. This will be the other possibility of having everything checked - if you have to have any business with the police.

[b harmon]

I've joined in on discussions about permits, non EUs, EUs, etc, etc. before and I agree with those who basically say that if you stay out of trouble, then you�re fine, Spain still looks kindly on English teachers, maybe because there is such a big demand for them! I'm American and I was working as an English teacher for more than a year without any permit, in and out of Spain, back home, touring around Europe with no problems. I now have my NIE but that's another story. I have read all the pros, cons, in between opinions about Americans or other non EUs working in Spain - so please no lectures. As I said I'm American, I started teaching in Madrid with no work permit and I've never had any problems at all. The language schools I worked for asked to see my TEFL certificate but not my work permit. They paid us the same hourly rates, EU and non EU teachers. After finding out that I wanted to stay in Spain on a more permanent basis, I had to find a way to get my NIE - (residency and work permit), it was a long process but I had to do it because I�ve decided to make Spain my home. Of course I didn't do it alone, I had a lawyer and I had to do a lot of paper work, wait, etc, but as I said I had to do it. Anyway, I meet a lot of Americans wanting to teach 6 months, a year, max 1 year and they don't go through the paperwork. So my 2 cents - if you want to stay short term, maybe the paperwork, the waiting, may not be worth it. If you plan on staying long term - then yes, look for ways to legalize your stay.

Brian

[j bradley]

On the work and residence visa issue, if you really want to stay in Spain, do check out your possibilities first with your consulate back home, if you have grandparents from the EU, etc. One thing is guaranteed, Madrid is great, the people are friendly, fun and quite helpful when you're trying to speak the language. After the Ebc Tefl program I got so many calls, went on a lot of interviews and I didn't let the visa thing stop me from working (as much as 35 hours at one point, although as I found later, it was a bit over the top!! ). A lot of my friends who are Americans, work as English teachers and they've toured Europe, gone back to Spain, back to their teaching jobs, no problems whatsoever. I've visited lots of European cities myself, and no one has hassled me at the airports, train stations. Once I went to Morocco, on the ferry, came back to Spain and they didn't even open my passport.


Jennifer

[casaoui]

"This is the case in France, with Maghrebs and Africans bringing multiple "wives and families and contributing little to the evolution of the country " . If it weren't for the grandfathers of those "Maghrebs" (I think you mean North Africans) and Africans, the French would be speaking German. The fact that you are not white does not give you "carte blanche" (pardon the pun) to make ill-informed, sweeping and quite frankly racist statements.

[snuffy519]

Bejarano. You're an idiot. But that's okay, because there are a lot of those in this world. You know nothing about America, it's politics, it's illegal immigration issue, it's foreign policy, it's benefits, its drawbacks. Nothing. Really. It's true. I promise.

Leave your socialist worldview out of the forum and insert something quasi-intelligent. You know, change up the pace a bit. It'll be good for you. Or go read Marx..again...and charge back in here with more emotional psychobabble about how evil America is. It's fun to read. Like the comics.

[jonniboy]

[bejarano]

[Nmarie]