# EU "Blue Card" ?



## libove (Feb 24, 2008)

I've read Directive 2009/50/EC whereby the Commission adopts the idea of an EU-wide "Blue Card", principally somewhat like the US "Green Card", intended to attract skilled workers from outside of the EU to want to add their brainpower to the EU labor pool. The Blue Card would enhance the desirability of Europe to outside braintrust by making it somewhat possible for third country nationals to have labor mobility within the EU member states on the strength of having received work permission (via the Blue Card) in any of the participating states, and having stayed there working for a couple of years. (Directive 2009/50/EC may be read here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:155:0017:0029:EN:PDF )

Today, any third country national who receives work permission in any member state gets exactly that - work permission in that member state, only. Not until they have stayed five years in that specific member state and obtained permanent residency can they parlay those years of working in one member state in to the probability of getting permission to work elsewhere in the union. 

(The UK, Denmark, and a couple of others which escape my recollection have opted out of the applicability of the Blue Card regime, by the way, so none of this discussion of the Blue Card will apply to those states. Spain did not opt-out).

The Ley Organica 2/2009 of 11 December, amending the LO 4/2000 "SOBRE DERECHOS Y LIBERTADES DE LOS EXTRANJEROS EN ESPAÑA Y SU INTEGRACIÓN SOCIAL", in short, the foreigners' rights law, explicitly acknowledges the applicability of a Blue Card in the cases of a third country national who has a Blue Card and has lived and worked for the requisite period of time in another member state, and then requests permission to live and work in Spain. (You may read the LO 2/2009 at http://extranjeros.mtin.es/es/Norma...eria/RegimenGeneral/documentos/LOr_2_2009.pdf and the LO 4/2000 as amended up through and including the LO 2/2009, with changes kindly highlighted care of the subdelegation of the Spanish government in Catalunya at Lleida at http://www.paeria.es/extranjeria/Normativa/Texto completo ley extranjeria.pdf ).

What I've not found any reference to at all, is how to apply for a Blue Card for Spain itself, in other words, Spain being the first state in which a third country national's work permission is granted under the Blue Card scheme.

My interest is that, having had a Spanish work visa for some time, it would be fantastic (in the current labor market, no matter how much I want to remain here, prospects are for the forseeable future brighter elsewhere in Europe) if I could 'grandfather' my time in Spain for a Blue Card, and become easier for companies in other member states to hire. My experience has mostly been "oh, you'd need sponsorship for a work visa? Well, thank you *Click*". Sigh.

I'm guessing I don't find any reference to how to apply for a Blue Card for Spain because Spain simply hasn't transposed that aspect of Directive 2009/50/EC in to national law... can someone confirm, or hopefully disprove that?


Aside, there's this website called "apply.eu" which bills itself as an online registry for third country nationals desiring to be found by EU companies willing to sponsor them for a Blue Card ... but I find very few references to it when searching the Internet, and it is unclear to me whether it is an EU official site, or just some commercial interest couching their commercial (but possibly not actually useful) site in terms to make it look official for the purpose of extracting €29 each from hopeful registrants... anyone know for sure? Real, or dodgy?

Thanks,
Jay


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

libove said:


> I've read Directive 2009/50/EC whereby the Commission adopts the idea of an EU-wide "Blue Card", principally somewhat like the US "Green Card", intended to attract skilled workers from outside of the EU to want to add their brainpower to the EU labor pool. The Blue Card would enhance the desirability of Europe to outside braintrust by making it somewhat possible for third country nationals to have labor mobility within the EU member states on the strength of having received work permission (via the Blue Card) in any of the participating states, and having stayed there working for a couple of years. (Directive 2009/50/EC may be read here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:155:0017:0029:EN:PDF )
> 
> Today, any third country national who receives work permission in any member state gets exactly that - work permission in that member state, only. Not until they have stayed five years in that specific member state and obtained permanent residency can they parlay those years of working in one member state in to the probability of getting permission to work elsewhere in the union.
> 
> ...


I've never heard of it????????????????? but then I guess that doesnt mean it doesnt exist. But the question about it has never been asked on here, nor has it come up in an answer?????????

Jo xxx


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

jojo said:


> I've never heard of it????????????????? but then I guess that doesnt mean it doesnt exist. But the question about it has never been asked on here, nor has it come up in an answer?????????
> 
> Jo xxx


I guess because its something for non EU citizens and of course most of us here are asking about stuff relating to British expats

Its outside my knowledge Im afraid


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

I heard about it but like many EU things I wouldn't hold my breath for all the countries to bring it in.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

UK, Ireland and Denmark opted out of granting residence rights to non-EU citizens with permanent resident status in other EU states.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Joppa said:


> UK, Ireland and Denmark opted out of granting residence rights to non-EU citizens with permanent resident status in other EU states.


Im not sure where thats come from ..... but an EU citizen is quite within their rights to reside, work etc in any EU country. It's part of the basics of the European Union. Any Spanish, French, German, Irish etc citizen can go an live and work in the UK

Where did you read different? It would make a mockery of the EU really.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Joppa said:


> UK, Ireland and Denmark opted out of granting residence rights to *non-EU citizens *with permanent resident status in other EU states.


It simply means that while other EU states are now obliged to accept non-EU citizens with permanent resident card in other EU states, those three countries refuse to grant them residence rights and they have to apply under existing national regulations.
It doesn't alter existing rights of EU citizens' freedom of movement.


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