Job Discussion Forums

[boncourage]

Hello everyone!

I've been teaching in Prague for the past year and have really loved it, but I've recently received a job offer to teach at a small academy in Spain and I'm planning to go for it! However...

I'm an American, and I know I will need a visa to work legally in Spain. My soon-to-be new employer has said that she'll sponsor my visa, but of course I'll have to pay for it.

My question (as the subject states) is will I have to go back to the US to apply for and/or pick up my visa?

My new employer has never hired a non-EU employee before, but she has a lawyer that is helping her with all of the paperwork. She hasn't said anything to me about having to go home yet, but I'm worried that this might come up at the most inopportune time. The honest truth is, I don't have the money OR the time to go back to the US to apply, wait for, and then pick up a visa. Is it unavoidable? What do you think?

I know this is very savvy forum, so I thought you'd be a good bunch to ask! Thank you SO much in advance for any info/opinions you have to share.

~April

[spiral78]

I'm afraid this sounds very dodgy. The thing is, to get a visa for a non-EU member citizen teacher, the school has to be able to argue to the federal government that you have quals that no EU candidate for the job has, or that no EU candidate responded to a posted ad within 6 months.

I know this because I work in the Netherlands on an exceptional visa, and our partner universities in Spain face the same hiring regulations (I have specialist quals, hence my exceptional visa).

I suspect that your potential employer will likely either
A. find it's too difficult and back out
B. ask you for money for visa processing and turn out to be a scam altogether. It's highly unlikely that a small academy will be able to get the legal paperwork you need, I think.

I HOPE that I'm wrong and this will work out somehow - please let us know what happens - but, if I were you, I'd be considering some B plans as well, to be on the safe side.

[Insubordination]

I agree. Tread carefully. Why would this person be spending money and doing you a huge favour for such a low paying job? Especially when there would be about a 1000 willing candidates with a cheaper nationality than yours. Don't give them a cent.

[boncourage]

Well, the thing is that it's kind of a friend. Rather, it's a very small academy in Pamplona and my friend (Spanish) is one of the teachers there and she recommended me. So, I think that's why the woman who runs the academy is willing to 'go the extra mile' to bring me on. Does that change anyone's opinion?

I'm going to pose all of these questions to her to find out if she and her lawyer are aware of all that is entailed in the process of getting me my papers. And I guess we'll see from there. I was just hoping someone with a similar experience might be able to tell me how it worked for them.

Thanks very much for your replies.
~April

[Insubordination]

Well if it's a friend, then that certainly changes things. I can't answer your visa question but good luck with the process and report back if all this is successful. I'm sure it would be a beacon for a lot of people with dreams of working legally in Spain.

[spiral78]

The problem is that all the good will in the world won't be able to make it work without bending some law....unless you've got specialist quals, or really no one did apply for the job!