# Au Pair in Spain (Canada-Spain Youth Mobility Agreement)



## teresa3 (Apr 11, 2013)

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience applying for a visa through the Canada-Spain Youth Mobility Agreement? I plan an becoming an au pair in Madrid beginning Sept. 2013 for about a year and I think this is my best bet for a visa. 

I definitely need a lot of help.

I'm assuming I would apply as a beneficiary under "e. e.	Young citizens who plan to travel to Spain and who wish to work on a casual basis in order to increase their financial resources orto do volunteer work.". In that case, one of the requirements is an NIF but I really have no idea how to obtain one of this in order to go about obtaining the visa. 

Also, it states that the 'company' hiring me must demonstrate that they are registered with the social security system. How would my host family do this?

If anyone has any experience applying for this type of visa, your help would be appreciated so much!

Also, since I'm a new member, it won't let me post a link to the guidelines for this visa but they can be found on the site for "CONSULADO DE ESPAÑA EN TORONTO" under long term visas.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

teresa3 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Does anyone have any experience applying for a visa through the Canada-Spain Youth Mobility Agreement? I plan an becoming an au pair in Madrid beginning Sept. 2013 for about a year and I think this is my best bet for a visa.
> 
> ...


:welcome:

yes, there's a link to that in our FAQs thread 


the NIF - actually NIE number - you can get through the Spanish Consulate - I didn't think you had to get one before applying for a visa though :confused2:


we've had a few people posting about this recently - most seem to come over on a student visa - you have to enrol & attend a course for a minimum of 20 hours a week - & au pair as a way of covering accommodation, food & pocket money

I don't know if this link to my forum search will work - if it doesn't, I put 'aupair' in to the search facility & selected Spain

it gives a few recent discussions Expat Forum For People Moving Overseas And Living Abroad - Search Results


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

I don't think that, for the Youth Mobility Agreement, you have to take classes. It's a neat way for young Canadians to come here and work.

Do you have your au pair family already? If so, I'd ask at the consulate or DFAIT what type of information they want from a private family. They would have to register you as a domestic employee (or you would have to register as autonoma - self employed) to be in the social security system. All I can think of is offering the consulate or DFAIT a letter from the family saying they will register you/help you get registered. 

Congratulations, and good luck!


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## teresa3 (Apr 11, 2013)

Thanks for your reply! I will look up those links. So if I need an NIF to apply for this particular visa in the first place, would you assume I would do that at the consulate the same day I would be applying for the visa? Or would that have to be two different trips to the consulate? (If any of that makes sense). Again though, I'll check out those links you posted - thanks!


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## teresa3 (Apr 11, 2013)

Ya exactly, you don't have to provide proof of enrolling in classes which is the huge advantage. I will be interested in taking language classes but definitely not 20h/week. 

Haven't got a family yet (in the process of interviewing/setting things up) but just thought I'd get a head start on what seems to be a long and complicated process. 

Thanks for your info, I will try to call the consulate to ask what specifically they would like from the family.

Another question, I've heard that I should be getting all my documents (i.e. medical certificate, police check, etc.) translated to Spanish. I'm assuming I would get the original, signed copy and then simply have it translated? But the translated version would not have a signature...

Anyways, thanks for everyone's help so far!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> I don't think that, for the Youth Mobility Agreement, you have to take classes. It's a neat way for young Canadians to come here and work.
> 
> Do you have your au pair family already? If so, I'd ask at the consulate or DFAIT what type of information they want from a private family. They would have to register you as a domestic employee (or you would have to register as autonoma - self employed) to be in the social security system. All I can think of is offering the consulate or DFAIT a letter from the family saying they will register you/help you get registered.
> 
> Congratulations, and good luck!


yes that's right about the Youth Mobility agreement - but I was focussing on the Aupair side of things, & generally from recent posters here, they tend to come on Student Visas


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> yes that's right about the Youth Mobility agreement - but I was focussing on the Aupair side of things, & generally from recent posters here, they tend to come on Student Visas


I'm sorry!

How do they swing working legally on a student visa?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> I'm sorry!
> 
> How do they swing working legally on a student visa?


you can work up to (something like ) 20 hours a week on a student visa - and being an aupair isn't really 'working', since you basically get room & board + 'pocket money' in exchange for housework/childcare


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

IIRC the youth visa only allows you to work for six months. After that you're supposed to soak up the culture.


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## ashdel (May 8, 2014)

Hi Teresa!

I'm going through the same struggle and I am wondering what came of your visa application! Were you able to work in Spain? And for how long? The consulate is absolutely NO help, it's insane. They keep telling me to "revise the website" when the answers to my questions aren't on the website - frustrating!


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## fearless (Jun 20, 2014)

Hey! I'm a Canadian looking for advice from people who have come to Spain on the youth mobility visa. I potentially have a job lined up already before I arrive in the communications field. Any info you can give me would be really appreciated! Cheers.


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