hello everyone,
i am an american who (with my fiancee) is trying to move to spain this summer for an undetermined amount of time, from a year or two to forever. i have been spending a lot of time recently reviewing this web site as well as other sites. from the look of things, madrid seems like one of the most promising opportunities. here's my dilemna...there's so much info on visa's and teaching requirements, immigration, teaching opportunities, etc that i am becoming overwhelmed. i feel as if i know less now, after all of the hours of reviewing all of these sites, than i previously knew on the subjects. i have looked over the consulate's site in washington dc and have even spoken with someone over the phone in the visa section in that office. i can't seem to get anything less than a vague answer from anyone there. bottom line is, what is the procedure i should follow to get to madrid? i know some folks are of the mentality to just go for it and make the move (illegally) but i was hoping to be legit. i am not looking to be rich and have tons of teaching hours, but i would like not to worry about being deported or detained. i plan on going to speak with the consulate face to face in the beginning of april and i would like to make the move to spain in june/july time frame. what should i do about getting a visa...the consulate is not going to give me a work visa without something from an employer. i want to teach, but it seems as if most of the schools will not vouch for the visa. i want to take tefl when i get to madrid as well. obviously, i would love to secure a position before i leave, but it seems as if in order to be successful in teaching, you really need to beat the streets (i don't mind). i know this is a lot of info; i didn't mean to write so much but i am getting overwhelmed and i REALLY want to get to madrid this summer. any advice??? what should i do to get a visa, either residence or work??? thanks so much for all of the help. -chad

I would say that if you are determined to come to Madrid to live and work and are seriously considering taking a TEFL course that you start by contacting each of the major TEFL schools here in Madrid as each of them will tell you most of what you want to know in an attempt to get you to take their course.
You can also look at my comments at the forum at Expatriate Cafe and also elsewhere on this forum "here"
and "here"
Rocco.

Hi Chad,

Moving to Spain *is* quite an overwhelming process. My husband and I did just what you plan to do, last July. Unfortunately, you are asking to simplify a process that really can't be simplified. As an American citizen, obtaining residence and work permits in Spain is very difficult and time consuming, even if you are here, much less in advance. I've concluded that the frustrating process of moving here and learning all you need to learn to eventually get residence is simply part of the process of living abroad.

Many, many Americans live and work in Spain for quite a long time, and quite happily, as they pursue the eventual goal of a residence and work permit. I've been in and out of the country many times without them even glancing twice at my passport and how long I've been here. My husband and I love it here, we've found teaching work and we are enjoying ourselves immensely. I'd hate to see you and your fiancee miss out on such an enriching experience because of the fact that you won't be able to have it all sorted before coming.

Chad,

Shawn, from RIchmond, VA here. I am glad that you and your wife are considering coming here to live and work in Spain.

Come on a whim, like many of us have done, and trust that all will work out. Here, I have learned to let things go when it comes to having all things ironed out.

If you are not happy in the US and want to do something different, come to Spain and give it a try.

GOOD LUCK,

Shawn

hi chadandmoni, i agree with a lot of what has been written above, especially with Juliette67 when she says...

quote:

you are asking to simplify a process that really can't be simplified. As an American citizen, obtaining residence and work permits in Spain is very difficult and time consuming, even if you are here, much less in advance.

and your being north american is only going to hinder your move even more, at least a legal one.

one question, i assume "moni" is for "monica", if so, is she spanish? maybe i missed it above in your post but just wondering.

i am aware of the overwhelming amount of info on this (and other) spain message boards on the www but believe me when i tell you that this one is the most trustworthy and in-touch with today's spain and here you will find well-informed people who are really willing to help you get to spain

on other boards you may get a lot of negative people telling you to only do it the legal way but that advice is usually given by people who came over and failed, only to return home bitter and resentful.

sorry, but that's the way i feel.

your odds of "being deported or detained" as a north american are slim to none, don't let anyone convince you otherwise!!!

quote:

but it seems as if most of the schools will not vouch for the visa.

exactly, i have said this many times on many boards. why should they sponsor you when they can get a uk national (memeber of the eu) 1,000,000 times more easily and faster.

unless you have an "in" here (contacts, friends who own schools, etc...) and someone willing to do you a favor and sponsor you, getting sponsored is not likely.

ok, if you come over and give it a try like Shawn said, the worse that can happen is that things do not work out and you go back to u.s.a., right?

it is far better to have tried and lost than never to have tried at all.

saludos,
jer...

p.d. note that all 4 of the people who have given you advice above are living in spain right now :cheers:

Just to clarify, our perception is not that we came here "on a whim," and I know that Shawn was very well prepared in many ways before arriving here. We came after at least 6 months of preparation, having decided we do not want to live in the US, having researched everything thoroughly on multimadrid, taken Spanish lessons, and with 6-12 months living expenses in hand (note that just about everything is significantly cheaper here except for rent). We have not a single regret. Funny how I thought having the "entire month of August" after we arrived would be all we needed to get acclimated here. Now I think I might be acclimated in about 2 years...but the process sure is a blast.

thanks everyone, your input is priceless. i am not necessarily overly worried about moving to spain w/o the proper visa; i was (am) just looking for advice and peace of mind that it is possible to make the move sucessfully. your responses, especially since all of you are living in spain and some of you have done what i am trying to do, are that peace of mind that i need to make the move. i have learned more about the whole process from this site and expatriate cafe in a few days than i did in all the time i spent searching the web. so, another question...would you all suggest that i even go see the consulate to try to get the visa? i am thinking about enrolling in canterbury or one of the other tefl schools. should i just take my three months i am allowed and try to make it work from there? i am confident enough in our abilities to think that we could find decent work once there; tefl may help. i just don't want to go see the consulate and have him deny a visa if you all think it is a futile effort or will harm our progress toward spain. any advice is, of course, much appreciated and will be taken to heart. thank all of you for your help and input.
-chad

-p.s. jer, monica is not from spain...she is a u.s. citizen but is of colombian nationality. she has traveled to spain a few times with her family...we both love the site as well...very informative!!

hey chad, glad we were able to "animarte"

quote:

i am thinking about enrolling in canterbury or one of the other tefl schools

as far as i know, those tefl programs are only a month (actually just under 1 month) long so you will get the visa with just that enrollment to show the consulate. any student visa you could get would need to be backed up by a much longer course enrollment.

i would go try and get the visa anyway, that way you will feel better and have even more of that peace of mind since you will have at least tried. psychologically that can do a lot for your decision.

saludos,
jer...