# Moving From US to Spain - Work Situation



## MayDay144 (Dec 24, 2011)

Last year I was in the developing stage of planning a move from Chicago to Spain for September/October of 2012. 

Now, after a lot of research and planning my concerns have been first and foremost the employment situation. I want to be able to find a job.

I'm moving to Spain primarily to immerse myself in the culture and learn Spanish for fluency. So, I would need a job that hires an English speaker. 

I am a college graduate, have Masters in Business, and been in the professional environment for 5 years. However, I don't know how helpful that will be. 

I currently work in the photography industry and at my particular company I don't see any growth and especially none that will send me overseas to work. I have signed up to get my certificate to teach English overseas, but I'm curious as to how successful or profitable to sustain an apartment and food, ect. 

I'm looking for advise on 

a) how to get a work visa

b) obtaining a legitimate job where I can speak English.
i. any English Speaking companies
ii. teaching English, what's the likelihood of getting a job.

Thanks!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MayDay144 said:


> Last year I was in the developing stage of planning a move from Chicago to Spain for September/October of 2012.
> 
> Now, after a lot of research and planning my concerns have been first and foremost the employment situation. I want to be able to find a job.
> 
> ...


:welcome:

are you a US citizen?

if that is the case then the only way you will get a work visa is if a company here sponsors you

there is a scheme whereby native English speakers/teachers can work in schools in Spain, but I really don't know much about it - and the way things are going education-wise atm, I suspect this scheme will be pared down if not stopped altogether

a regular poster here, _halydia,_ will know more about it & will no doubt be around later


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> :welcome:
> 
> are you a US citizen?
> 
> ...


What the dickens are you doing up so early? It's Saturday! 



Anyhow  Apart from getting hired by an American company with offices in Spain that's willing to sponsor your work permit, just about the only legal way you'll be able to work in Spain (12 hrs/wk, 700 euros/month) is a program called the North American Language and Cultural Assistants. There's a couple of issues: 

1. You can specify a preference for where to go, but the most popular regions are Madrid, Catalunya, and Andalucia and therefore they're probably pretty difficult to be accepted to unless you apply very early.

2. Unless something changes, acceptance to the program is first come first served. It's a popular program and spots are limited. 

3. There have been some issues with pay in *some* of the autonomous regions. You can read more about the situation in Catalunya here: 
Hello, where is my money? · ELPAÍS.com
EE UU, al rescate de los profesores de idiomas | Cataluña | EL PAÍS


The fact is that the work situation here simply isn't good at the moment. Standard and Poors just cut Spain's credit rating down two notches last night. 
BBC News - EU criticises Standard & Poor's ratings downgrade

The fact is, I'm a bit stressed about life here at the moment. It's not easy. I'm trying to decide whether or not to apply for a teaching job back home for next year.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

halydia said:


> *What the dickens are you doing up so early? It's Saturday! *
> 
> 
> 
> ...


someone left the lights on in the games room above my bedroom - it's an open floor & I woke at six thinking it was daylight!

then the cats decided it was time to get up 

thanks for answering this - all I could think of was the British Council scheme which I didn't think would apply - and I'd heard that had been cut right back too


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## Grimace (Mar 30, 2010)

MayDay144 said:


> I am a college graduate, have Masters in Business, and been in the professional environment for 5 years. However, I don't know how helpful that will be.
> 
> I currently work in the photography industry and at my particular company I don't see any growth and especially none that will send me overseas to work. I have signed up to get my certificate to teach English overseas, but I'm curious as to how successful or profitable to sustain an apartment and food, ect.
> 
> ...


This is my point of view as a resident of Madrid since September 2007. I cannot speak for other areas as this is the only place I have lived in Spain.

Your qualifications mean very little as there are millions of working age Spaniards with postgraduate university qualifications and certificates in all kinds of fields who either can't find a job in their sector or get hired as _becarios_ (interns/people on temporary and poorly paid trial contracts). When I say poorly paid, often they work 40 hours a week for 500 euros per month and are forced to live with their parents. If you have a full-time job in the US,* KEEP IT AND DO NOT COME TO SPAIN *except on vacation. 

a) Work visas for U.S. citizens were hard to get during the economic boom and now they're simply an impossibility. A company would have to be willing to offer you a job while you're still abroad (you can't get a visa while in Spain) and sponsor your particular case, which takes months of waiting and hours of paperwork only to be denied at the end most likely. Forget coming here on a formal job offer. Spain brought immigrants in by the planeload in the early 2000s. These days they'd rather have most of them leave. 

b) i. I know of, for example, people working as bilingual secretaries in companies who got their jobs years ago, but that has nothing to do with the here and now. I don't know of any English-speaking companies who employ people principally on the basis of their ability to speak English *and that pay a decent wage*, but if I did, I would have taken the position by now. 

ii. There's tons of work in English teaching. The easiest *legal* way for an American to enter Spain and teach English is as a language assistant. In Madrid, for example, there's a very good program running from October to the end of June that lets you work in "bilingual" public schools and pays 1000 euros per month (enough to live on and you can supplement this with private classes), and there are similar programs all over Spain. If you enter the program once (on a student visa, even if you're not studying) you can stay for years and years if you really want just by switching programs. I'm not sure when Americans have to apply for these programs, though I imagine it's around now. I only know I had to submit all my application forms and documents by March.

You can also work for academies or give private classes, but as there are no work visas for non-EU English teachers, you would be working illegally. English teaching is a big market in Spain, so that means even illegal teachers get hired. However, it also means there are plenty of unscrupulous vultures just looking to exploit whoever they can get to work for them while it lasts, so if you're crazy enough to want to be their cannon fodder while living here in an illegal situation, be my guest.


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2012)

While it's a pretty depressing post, Grimace is completely right. The Language Assistants program is the same one I mentioned above - assistance in Madrid get paid more due to higher costs of living.


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## MayDay144 (Dec 24, 2011)

Thanks for the advise. That is depressing. I definitely didn't think my credentials would help. Just wanted to apply some background. 

Basically, is really a horrible idea to move to Spain. I've read so much in the news about it being low cost to live (particularly in Barcelona) the economy there is doing better (compared to the US) 

I just find it hard to believe that I would be complete in capable of making the move and finding a semi decent job. I read books all the time about an expat picking up and moving to Spain finding some work other than working at a bar. I have no grad delusion that I will be living in the lap of luxary (i'm not now). 

I really do appreciate the feedback. It's giving me a lot to think about. Thanks so much!


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## JulyB (Jul 18, 2011)

Well, I honestly can't imagine that any big city in Spain is really 'low cost' to live in - especially not Barcelona unless you lived somewhere incredibly grotty. Perhaps those books were written a little while ago? I used to really want to move to the US, but I faced exactly the same problems that you've got coming here and working legally. It does feel unfair and I'm sure that there should be a better solution.

Could you save up and find something post-grad to study in Spain? You could certainly come for a year on a student visa and would probably learn loads of Spanish that way.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

JulyB said:


> Well, I honestly can't imagine that any big city in Spain is really 'low cost' to live in - especially not Barcelona unless you lived somewhere incredibly grotty. Perhaps those books were written a little while ago? I used to really want to move to the US, but I faced exactly the same problems that you've got coming here and working legally. It does feel unfair and I'm sure that there should be a better solution.
> 
> Could you save up and find something post-grad to study in Spain? You could certainly come for a year on a student visa and would probably learn loads of Spanish that way.


Barcelona is reputedly the most expensive city in Spain


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2012)

MayDay144 said:


> Thanks for the advise. That is depressing. I definitely didn't think my credentials would help. Just wanted to apply some background.
> *
> Basically, is really a horrible idea to move to Spain. I've read so much in the news about it being low cost to live (particularly in Barcelona) the economy there is doing better (compared to the US) *
> 
> ...


Not unless you're living in New York City and you're comparing it to there. Cost of living _might_ be slightly lower, but salaries seem significantly lower. A significant amount of the employed Spanish public earns just around 1000 euros/month. 

To give you an idea of how things are here right now, I've spent the day talking to my husband about applying to a job back in the States. Unemployment in the region where I live is 14%, and it's 19% in Cataluña. 

I'd love to see where it says the Spanish economy is doing better than the US. It'd be nice to read some good news for the first time in months. You did see that Standard and Poors downgraded Spanish debt last night *again,* right? 

Here's Spanish news in English to help you understand what's going on right now: EL PAÍS in English


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## DPH (Jan 15, 2012)

If you happen to be of Irish descent (you are in Chicago, right?), and at least one grandparent or parent was born in Ireland, then you *may* be able to apply for Irish citizenship. I believe that would enable you to work legally in any of the EU countries without any pesky visas, etc. 

Do a google search for "irish citizenship descent", won't let me post a link.

Good luck!
DPH


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