# Hoping to move to Spain after university - where do I start?



## PennyCatherine (Aug 3, 2014)

Hi all, 

I'm a third-year university student graduating in May 2016. I spent 4 months in Sevilla last spring, and fell in love! It would be so amazing if I could find a way to live in Spain, at least for three or four years. 

I'm American, and I have two majors in university: Spanish, and elementary education. I am also doing a minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). When I graduate, I will be qualified to teach elementary schoolers (in the U.S., at least), to teach bilingually, and to teach second language learners, among other possible jobs. I have passed the Illinois State Board of Education's Spanish fluency exam. I am hoping that in Spain I could work at a school or language academy of some sort, teaching English as a foreign language (preferably to children or teenagers). I have heard that the government hires native English speakers as language assistants in schools, but I think that a language school might pay more and I will have qualifications other native English speakers don't. 

How would I even begin looking into this? Finding a job, and a place to live? There must be so much paperwork to do...insurance, bank accounts, visits to the consulate...I'm sure it must be rather complicated and time consuming. Where do I start?

Sorry if I'm repeating questions others have asked - I'm new here.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I'm not too knowledgeable on immigrating from the US, but it is going to involve you needing a visa. As far as I know, you need an offer of employment. That's possibly the hard bit, because Spanish employers can only sponsor non EU citizens if they are unable to find EU people with the correct qualifications.

A good route might be to find employment with an international company, who have bases in Spain

Jo xxx


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Have a look at this place in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, maybe they can point you in the right direction, Link Home below.

Home


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## PennyCatherine (Aug 3, 2014)

Thanks!! I found a few lists of international schools in Andalucia, so I think that's a good start. I've been to Las Palmas, but I think I'd prefer to live on the mainland if I can. 

How early do I need to start seriously searching and applying for jobs? I would start work around a year and a half from now, I think - not next August, but the August after that. 

Hypothetically, if I were offered a job and accepted it, what would I do next? Apply for a visa, search for an apartment? I've heard that you shouldn't agree to rent an apartment before seeing it first in person, but I couldn't make an extra trip across the ocean and back to look. I know a family in Sevilla and I have connections with faculty at a satellite American university campus there, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable asking them to house hunt for me. Would I just stay in a hotel there until I found a place?


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

International schools usually seek those with UK qualifications and one of the first questions on the application will be "Are you eligible to work in the EU." For you the answer to that question will be no.

As jojo has already pointed out, you could only get a job if there is no one in the EU qualified to do it- and there are EU teachers aplenty. The employer applies for the visa and they won't do so for you because you don't meet this criteria.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

PennyCatherine said:


> Hypothetically, if I were offered a job and accepted it, what would I do next? Apply for a visa,


You can't apply for the visa. As Brocher says, the employer has to apply for it.

For that reason the best place for you to look is an American school because there may be an argument there that they only employ American teachers. There must be a list of American schools in Spain. I know there's one in the region of Bilbao and of course Madrid.

I would get in touch with them now so that you know if this is a real possibility or not.

The other way is as a teaching assistant, but this is not a permanent post. I think you can only repeat for 2 or 3 years and is aimed at undergrads I think, but it's also worth finding out about.

If not, find a company as Jojo suggested.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

There is an American school in Malaga??

Joxxx


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## angil (Sep 24, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> You can't apply for the visa. As Brocher says, the employer has to apply for it.
> 
> For that reason the best place for you to look is an American school because there may be an argument there that they only employ American teachers. There must be a list of American schools in Spain. I know there's one in the region of Bilbao and of course Madrid.
> 
> ...


I was going to say the same thing. In my experience of American Schools overseas employ predominantly American educated staff (It may be different in Spain?). & some 'International Schools' in Spain who offer a British education / qualifications also offer American SATS / High School diploma program.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Since you have a teaching qualification, I'd start applying to American schools around October-November the year before you want to come. Visas take a long time to be processed. 

If you're looking to easily get your foot in the door here, check out the Auxiliares de Conversación or BEDA programs. They've been mentioned here on the forum a number of times. Just search the forum to see more!


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

I'm glad you said "hoping" rather than "definitely" moving to Spain. Spain is in recession despite what many Spaniards will tell you. Furthermore, Spain has no urgency in climbing out of its sheer face of recession. What the country does not need right now is another English Teacher. No matter what qualifications you have there are many from the UK and Ireland who have more. Wannabe English Teachers in Spain are facing a graveyard of ambition. Now or next year are not the times to be seeking any kind of decent paying employment in Spain.

Already, I can hear voices of Spanish speaking people queueing up to disagree with me. But, PennyCatherine you have been warned!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Leper said:


> I'm glad you said "hoping" rather than "definitely" moving to Spain. Spain is in recession despite what many Spaniards will tell you. Furthermore, Spain has no urgency in climbing out of its sheer face of recession. What the country does not need right now is another English Teacher. No matter what qualifications you have there are many from the UK and Ireland who have more. Wannabe English Teachers in Spain are facing a graveyard of ambition. Now or next year are not the times to be seeking any kind of decent paying employment in Spain.
> 
> Already, I can hear voices of Spanish speaking people queueing up to disagree with me. But, PennyCatherine you have been warned!


I 'm not sure I agree with what you are saying here.
Depending on where you are and the teaching that you want to do I'd say that right now there is quite a lot of work for a qualified teacher. However, it's often not well paid and conditions can be dodgy.
The biggest problem that PennyCatherine will have is her nationality, but maybe she can claim a European nationality through parentage??
I do agree that Spain is still in recession and is nowhere near the recovery the government wants us to believe is just around the corner. but I personally don't know of any Spaniards that will be queuing up to disagree with that, and I see Spaniards in construction, pharmacuetical, CRM, university and banking areas on a daily basis!
Politicians want us to think "España va bien" (Aznar's old catchphrase), but few believe them


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Leper said:


> I'm glad you said "hoping" rather than "definitely" moving to Spain. Spain is in recession despite what many Spaniards will tell you. Furthermore, Spain has no urgency in climbing out of its sheer face of recession. *What the country does not need right now is another English Teacher. No matter what qualifications you have there are many from the UK and Ireland who have more. Wannabe English Teachers in Spain are facing a graveyard of ambition. * Now or next year are not the times to be seeking any kind of decent paying employment in Spain.
> 
> Already, I can hear voices of Spanish speaking people queueing up to disagree with me. But, PennyCatherine you have been warned!


I wholeheartedly disagree with you. We cannot find qualified native English speakers up north. 


However, there is one bit of truth in what Leper said: forget about living and working down south because there are so many English speaking immigrants down there. Find a less popular region for expats and work will be much easier to find. 

I think the amount of English teaching work (and the pay rate) depends on where you are and how hard you work. I'm pulling in good money right now, but it's also not uncommon for me to be doing 11 hrs in class which means 15 hrs away from home between travel and breaks. 

PennyCatherine, there *ARE* ways to get here. However, you have one of three choices: 

1) Do the Auxiliares de Conversación or BEDA program. 
2) Get hired by an American school in Spain (Benjamin Franklin or the American Schools of Barcelona, Madrid or Bilbao)
3) Get hired by an American company that has expat postings in Spain 

That's about it.


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

I am really glad some people are disagreeing with me. You see, I'm the real Doubting Thomas. Until I am in the job with full social welfare number and my first month's wages spent I would not accept that I have gainful employment anywhere in Spain. Still, I have doubts that an American moving to Spain is a good idea. But, I am prepared to say that if it works out - I was wrong. And for the record, I want to be wrong, but still my doubting DNA is getting the better of me.

And I cannot get the feeling that somebody who is about to jump off the top of an 80 storey skyscraper informs me that it is safe to do so. Half way through the jump and still 40 floors from the ground he says "I'm still alive and well" - Tread carefully and look before you leap.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Leper said:


> I am really glad some people are disagreeing with me. You see, I'm the real Doubting Thomas. Until I am in the job with full social welfare number and my first month's wages spent I would not accept that I have gainful employment anywhere in Spain. Still, I have doubts that an American moving to Spain is a good idea. But, I am prepared to say that if it works out - I was wrong. And for the record, I want to be wrong, but still my doubting DNA is getting the better of me.
> 
> And I cannot get the feeling that somebody who is about to jump off the top of an 80 storey skyscraper informs me that it is safe to do so. Half way through the jump and still 40 floors from the ground he says "I'm still alive and well" - Tread carefully and look before you leap.


I think everyone agrees that it's very difficult for an American to get work in Spain. The real difference is that you said that Spain doesn't need any more English teachers and that Spaniards will tell you that Spain is over the recession.
I think that there is still work for _some_ qualified teachers in _some_ parts of Spain and I don't think most Spaniards will tell you that Spain is free of economic problems...


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Nice post Pesky and I am with you in most of it, but Spain is not free of economic problems. Remember the high unemployment rate - it is still vulgarly high and will be for decades to come.

I have experience only of Costa Almería and I find that Paddy-the-Spaniard has no stomach for rising out of Spain's dreadful national problems. It will be interesting to see where the Catalans stand here shortly - not shoulder to shoulder, I suspect.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Leper said:


> Nice post Pesky and I am with you in most of it, but Spain is not free of economic problems. Remember the high unemployment rate - it is still vulgarly high and will be for decades to come.
> 
> I have experience only of Costa Almería and I find that Paddy-the-Spaniard has no stomach for rising out of Spain's dreadful national problems. It will be interesting to see where the Catalans stand here shortly - not shoulder to shoulder, I suspect.


Leper, Leper, Leper,
You must be reading these posts wrong.
I am the first one to agree that the country is not out of the shiit,
Look at my last post in this thread 
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/374305-stories-life-spain-16.html
Look at page 27 in this thread
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/68397-good-news-thread-27.html
And my signature?

I have no illusions about where Spain is right now and this is based on listening to the news, reading and just living. As I said previously I have daily contact with people in many different sectors and only one of those sectors is growing atm, and that is sustainable banking, which is growing a LOT.

Then there is teaching. I know about teaching having been in the business for @ 28 years. There is work for qualified, and even more for experienced teachers in this area. Seems like in the north of Spain too. Earnings and conditions are not great though


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