# non-EU staying for more than 3 months



## rayzed (Jun 22, 2011)

Hi people.
I'm new to this forum so please forgive my ignorance. 
Im an australian citizen wanting to temporarily live in Madrid. I have a Spanish girlfriend (from Madrid) who is currently living with me here in Australia on an extended tourist visa but it ends in August when she will fly back to Spain and I will figure out what to do. 
My goal is to remain here in Australia until approximately December and then fly over to Spain to live with my girlfriend indefinately. From my research done solely through google and forums my understanding is that without a visa the longest i can stay in Spain for is 3 months. And that as an Australian passport holder I cannot get a working visa in Spain? Obviously I would prefer to be able to work legally in Spain if possible , but the most important thing at this stage is to just be able to live with my girlfriend in Spain. So from my understanding the only way I can stay in spain for more than 3 months is to enrol in any sort of course and apply for a study visa? Am I able to work on a study visa? And is the length of the visa determined by the length of the course/study? Also are there ANY other options for staying in spain for more than 3 months? i.e is it possible to extend the schengen visa? 
keep in my educational/professional background is in property & construction which i am aware is one of the lowest demanded fields in Spain at the moment  
I am willing to work in any industry if need be. And marriage is last resort.
ANY advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks expats!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

rayzed said:


> Hi people.
> I'm new to this forum so please forgive my ignorance.
> Im an australian citizen wanting to temporarily live in Madrid. I have a Spanish girlfriend (from Madrid) who is currently living with me here in Australia on an extended tourist visa but it ends in August when she will fly back to Spain and I will figure out what to do.
> My goal is to remain here in Australia until approximately December and then fly over to Spain to live with my girlfriend indefinately. From my research done solely through google and forums my understanding is that without a visa the longest i can stay in Spain for is 3 months. And that as an Australian passport holder I cannot get a working visa in Spain? Obviously I would prefer to be able to work legally in Spain if possible , but the most important thing at this stage is to just be able to live with my girlfriend in Spain. So from my understanding the only way I can stay in spain for more than 3 months is to enrol in any sort of course and apply for a study visa? Am I able to work on a study visa? And is the length of the visa determined by the length of the course/study? Also are there ANY other options for staying in spain for more than 3 months? i.e is it possible to extend the schengen visa?
> ...


Why don't you contact the authorities (embassy/ consulate) directly to get the real (legal) story?


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## rayzed (Jun 22, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Why don't you contact the authorities (embassy/ consulate) directly to get the real (legal) story?


i did and they were quite unhelpful as they just referred me to the embassy website. i was hoping to get some advice from people who have experienced similar circumstances or know of people in this situation.
any information from expats would be really useful at this point.
cheers!


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2011)

rayzed said:


> i did and they were quite unhelpful as they just referred me to the embassy website. i was hoping to get some advice from people who have experienced similar circumstances or know of people in this situation.
> any information from expats would be really useful at this point.
> cheers!


Work visas are incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to receive unless you're some sort of genius in your field. You do speak Spanish, right?

The easiest way to be there legally is to study. However, what are you going to do when your student visa expires after the course finishes? I could be wrong, but I don't think you can legally work on a student visa. 

Good luck.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

rayzed said:


> Hi people.
> I'm new to this forum so please forgive my ignorance.
> Im an australian citizen wanting to temporarily live in Madrid. I have a Spanish girlfriend (from Madrid) who is currently living with me here in Australia on an extended tourist visa but it ends in August when she will fly back to Spain and I will figure out what to do.
> My goal is to remain here in Australia until approximately December and then fly over to Spain to live with my girlfriend indefinately. From my research done solely through google and forums my understanding is that without a visa the longest i can stay in Spain for is 3 months. And that as an Australian passport holder I cannot get a working visa in Spain? Obviously I would prefer to be able to work legally in Spain if possible , but the most important thing at this stage is to just be able to live with my girlfriend in Spain. So from my understanding the only way I can stay in spain for more than 3 months is to enrol in any sort of course and apply for a study visa? Am I able to work on a study visa? And is the length of the visa determined by the length of the course/study? Also are there ANY other options for staying in spain for more than 3 months? i.e is it possible to extend the schengen visa?
> ...


Yes, that's just about it. Without a commitment to long-term relationship, such as marriage or unmarried partnership, it will be difficult to secure a long-term visa for Spain. You can work limited hours with a study visa - usually around 20 hours term-time and full-time during vacations, and your length of stay is indeed determined by the course you'll be on (plus a little at the end). You must show evidence of ability to pay tuition fees and all your living costs without working (anything you hope to earn through PT work is a bonus, not to be included in your financial ability). You cannot extend your 3 months allowed visa-free as a visitor, and you must leave Schengen (not just Spain) for 3 months before you are allowed back in, and you cannot work at all as a visitor. There is no working holiday visa for Australians in Spain. Normal work visa is very difficult to obtain, with 20% unemployment and a lot higher for young people. Basically you need a job offer first, and your potential employer has to convince the labour authorities why they have to hire a non-EU citizen, because the job is highly specialised and you are the only candidate with the right qualifications.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

rayzed said:


> i did and they were quite unhelpful as they just referred me to the embassy website. i was hoping to get some advice from people who have experienced similar circumstances or know of people in this situation.
> any information from expats would be really useful at this point.
> cheers!


Oh dear, the path of true love never runs smooth ...

Basically, as you know, you will need a residency visa to stay more than 90 days in any one year. This means you need a work permit (and a job) or a student visa. If you decide to chance it and just not leave when your tourist visa expires, should you get found out (e.g. if you need emergency medical treatment) there is a chance you would never be able to enter Spain again.


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## rayzed (Jun 22, 2011)

Joppa said:


> Yes, that's just about it. Without a commitment to long-term relationship, such as marriage or unmarried partnership, it will be difficult to secure a long-term visa for Spain. You can work limited hours with a study visa - usually around 20 hours term-time and full-time during vacations, and your length of stay is indeed determined by the course you'll be on (plus a little at the end). You must show evidence of ability to pay tuition fees and all your living costs without working (anything you hope to earn through PT work is a bonus, not to be included in your financial ability). You cannot extend your 3 months allowed visa-free as a visitor, and you must leave Schengen (not just Spain) for 3 months before you are allowed back in, and you cannot work at all as a visitor. There is no working holiday visa for Australians in Spain. Normal work visa is very difficult to obtain, with 20% unemployment and a lot higher for young people. Basically you need a job offer first, and your potential employer has to convince the labour authorities why they have to hire a non-EU citizen, because the job is highly specialised and you are the only candidate with the right qualifications.


could a "highly specialised" job include teaching english? for example i might be the right person for the job because i am a native english speaker? if this might be the case does anybody know how much competition there is out there to teach english in spain? surely the english teacher job market would be fairly saturated with EU citizens from UK? what are my chances as an Australian?
thanks for the responses so far.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

rayzed said:


> could a "highly specialised" job include teaching english? for example i might be the right person for the job because i am a native english speaker? if this might be the case does anybody know how much competition there is out there to teach english in spain? surely the english teacher job market would be fairly saturated with EU citizens from UK? what are my chances as an Australian?
> thanks for the responses so far.


you're right

I think it's highly unlikely that any potential employer of english teachers would even attempt to secure a working visa for an Aussie, when there are so many Brits who don't need one

why would they bother - and why would they spend the money doing so?


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2011)

rayzed said:


> could a "highly specialised" job include teaching english? for example i might be the right person for the job because i am a native english speaker? if this might be the case does anybody know how much competition there is out there to teach english in spain? surely the english teacher job market would be fairly saturated with EU citizens from UK? what are my chances as an Australian?
> thanks for the responses so far.


No, not at all. There's many native English speakers who will get the job before you as they are EU citizens. It's expensive to bring in non-EU workers and hard to justify. Therefore, especially in the English teaching field, a lesser qualified EU citizen candidate is likely to get the job over a non-EU citizen who doesn't have papers.

Throw that idea out. There's a program for Australian citizens who have a bachelor's degree and speak at least an A2 level of Spanish to work in public schools in Spain but if you're looking to be with your girlfriend in a specific part of Spain forget about it - they'll send you where they see fit.


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## rayzed (Jun 22, 2011)

i had another idea and was hoping for some advice. my girlfriend's cousin has a very well established company based in Albacete and Madrid. They deal in real estate and construction and even though the property has had a massive crash in the market, they are doing alright considering. he is willing to 'create' a position for me at this company and sponsor me. he could even create some sort of fake position that requires an english speaking employee so I would be particularly well suited to this job. 
what would my chances of getting a working visa on these grounds be like? does this sound like a good idea?
thanks guys!


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2011)

rayzed said:


> i had another idea and was hoping for some advice. my girlfriend's cousin has a very well established company based in Albacete and Madrid. They deal in real estate and construction and even though the property has had a massive crash in the market, they are doing alright considering. he is willing to 'create' a position for me at this company and sponsor me. he could even create some sort of fake position that requires an english speaking employee so I would be particularly well suited to this job.
> what would my chances of getting a working visa on these grounds be like? does this sound like a good idea?
> thanks guys!


My understanding is that he'd have to prove that he couldn't hire an EU citizen over you.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

rayzed said:


> i had another idea and was hoping for some advice. my girlfriend's cousin has a very well established company based in Albacete and Madrid. They deal in real estate and construction and even though the property has had a massive crash in the market, they are doing alright considering. he is willing to 'create' a position for me at this company and sponsor me. he could even create some sort of fake position that requires an english speaking employee so I would be particularly well suited to this job.
> what would my chances of getting a working visa on these grounds be like? does this sound like a good idea?
> thanks guys!


No, not at all. There are stacks of English-speaking, EU citizen property experts in Spain looking for jobs after their redundancy. Just take a walk in any coastal resort on the Med and you will see loads of boarded up estate agents with English signage. Your girlfriend's cousin will have to advertise your post widely and I'm sure they will be flooded with applicants.


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

halydia said:


> I could be wrong, but I don't think you can legally work on a student visa.
> 
> 
> > On a Student Visa you can work part-time during the school term, or full-time during holidays under three months. However, this falls into two categories: internships (prácticas)and working under a special student work visa (called an Autorización Excepcional de Trabajo).
> ...


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## Morten (Apr 20, 2011)

As others have said this idea doesnt in itself grant you a visa, as theres loads of EU-citizens equally skilled for the position created. Speaking english in itself is not a skill that will get you anywhere with this.

However, you might be able to play with the idea further and find a niche in which you actually have unique skills that the company can create a tailored position for. Say for instance you have invented a new property management cms particularly for estate agents and this company wishes to headhunt you to further develop and implement it for them ... or say youre an expert on private banking and investment in Australia and this company is desperate to launch a new creative campaign to attract australian investments to their property portfolios - but need an inhouse expert ... etc, 

Just ideas, no guarantee they hold water - but you definitely need to be thinking "what skills do I have that are gonna be insanely rare in Spain" and "could a job be tailored or found that requires these rare skills" ... english speakers, estate agents, tourist guides, experienced bar staff, hairdressers, teachers etc are already walking in endless long lines round town looking for work, so it needs to be alot more specific, niche based and unique.





rayzed said:


> i had another idea and was hoping for some advice. my girlfriend's cousin has a very well established company based in Albacete and Madrid. They deal in real estate and construction and even though the property has had a massive crash in the market, they are doing alright considering. he is willing to 'create' a position for me at this company and sponsor me. he could even create some sort of fake position that requires an english speaking employee so I would be particularly well suited to this job.
> what would my chances of getting a working visa on these grounds be like? does this sound like a good idea?
> thanks guys!


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2011)

djfwells said:


> halydia said:
> 
> 
> > I could be wrong, but I don't think you can legally work on a student visa.
> ...


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