# Work contracta and work permit



## cocinero35 (May 14, 2010)

Hello expats,

I am currently trying to Find some info And some guidance on this subject.

My situaron is i am currently in spain, i guy i have been Studying under has just asede me to work for him in Madrid but the Job will not be open till june 2011 he will offer me a contract as well. What do i need so i can get this work permit thing off the ground when i get stateside? Do i need to bring the contract back with me?


Please help

Byron


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

cocinero35 said:


> Hello expats,
> 
> I am currently trying to Find some info And some guidance on this subject.
> 
> My situaron is i am currently in spain, i guy i have been Studying under has just asede me to work for him in Madrid but the Job will not be open till june 2011 he will offer me a contract as well. What do i need so i can get this work permit thing off the ground when i get stateside? Do i need to bring the contract back with me?


I'm no expert on Spanish system, but basically throughout EU, an employer attempting to hire a non-EU foreign worker has to justify to the authorities that they cannot find suitably qualified applicants from resident labour force and have no option but to employ a foreigner. In UK, there is a special list of shortage occupations where lack of local applicants needs not be demonstrated, and while I don't know whether a similar list exists in Spain, the principle is the same. So just having a work contract isn't enough - your potential employer has to sponsor your application by showing every attempt has been made to recruit locally without success (from among Spanish, other EU citizens and others who don't require a work permit, such as those with permanent residency or married to an EU national) - it usually means advertising in trade or professional journals, details circulated to government employment agency, and so on.


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## Guest (Nov 12, 2010)

cocinero35 said:


> Hello expats,
> 
> I am currently trying to Find some info And some guidance on this subject.
> 
> ...



Byron, you should probably go speak with the folks in the foreigners office as soon as possible to see if this is something you can take care of while you're already in Spain (extension and change of status of your student visa, for example.) 

The one piece of advice I can say with certainty is start getting definite answers from authorities, not forums, *ASAP*. As I'm sure you know after having been here for awhile, it's a real pain in the neck and one heck of a process to get legal permission as an American to work and live in Spain. 

Best of luck, and let us know how it turns out.


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