This is what my lawyer told me, and it might need clarification, but as I understand it Spain has stopped accepting foriegn work permit applications except from Peru and Chile. Present residents are of course fine.

Anyone know more about this? It's important as anyone thinking about coming should check this out.

-L

Asterault -- do you have any idea if this also applies to those whose paperwork is in tramite? I am nearing the end of a 3 month wait for my residency card and official work permit (they told me it would take three months...), I have been visited by the Guardia Civil, so I know that they are actually processing my application... Just curious.

No si está en tramite no hay problema - pero te juro que tardará mas... hablan de 3 meses <I>Españoles</I>

Translation: There's no problem if it's in transit/process - but I promise it will take longer.... like three "Spanish" months (which means LONGER).
-------
Asterault, please remember that the majority of our visitors probably do not speak/read Spanish. Thanks!

Saludos, MadridMan

You know I did not even realize I wrote that in Spanish and not English! Scary!

Yeah, I know about the Spanish "three month" wait which is why I filed my paperwork in Segovia not Madrid. The volume of applications for residency is much quicker. I got an appointment immediately to hand in all my paperwork. When we tried through Madrid, we were told it would be a three month wait just to be able to hand in my paperwork (by which time my visa would have expired)...and then AT LEAST another three months for the residency to be approved!

I don't think that applies to spouses of Spanish Citizens. I guess that wouldn't make sense. We went to the Spanish Consul in LA and our paperwork took all of 5 minutes. THey said that I should call them one month before leaving for Spain and they would have my residency and work permit ready for me before I leave.

Madrid Man, pay attention to what Mencey wrote. The entire process is MUCH quicker stateside...something that no one ever told us... not in Spain and not in the USA. Our attempts at getting straight answers on anything were futile. Live and learn!

Maybe we're missing some vital bit of information here. But mencey, HOW LONG did it take you to get married (in the USA or Spain?) and HOW LONG did it take your wife to get her residency and work permit for the USA? Okay, you don't have an answer the latter part, but I was trying to make a comparison here. If it's all that fast-n-easy to do in the USA (to get your residency and work permit AFTER you've married a Spaniard, that is) then why don't we all do this?? Well, I suspect it takes a long time to marry a spaniard here in the USA too (if we're US citizens).

Now mencey, let's see what they tell you when you call them one-month before you intend to leave for Spain. Not to frighten you, but hopefully they don't give you the ol' "Oh, gee whiz, Mencey, but now we have to file form number F-U 180 and that'll take at least 9 months." (did anyone get that pseudo form number joke?? hehehe..).

[ 02-26-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Oh the joys of immigration! It's funny how much easier it is to get things done outside the country. MM, I didn't know you had it in you, I caught that before I read you hint! Ha!
Getting married in Spain is virtually painless, much more so than I had anticipated. As long as you know what's expected of you and you don't forget to do something ahead of time, it's easy. I got everything together in 4 weeks and it took another three to file the paperwork. We had to do a bit of running around because we filed in Madrid but were married outside of Madrid.

My husband got his greencard with ease as well. He filed outside the US (and outside of Spain) and ALL BY HIMSELF. I never once had to go to the embassy with him. Amazing if you think about it. The part that took the longest was waiting for Spain to release his police record (or lack of one).

What I find amazing is how hard it is to marry a non-US citizen in the US. They've changed the regulations in the past 4 years or so making it quite difficult if you don't plan ahead. If you don't file for the fiancee visa ahead of time, they won't allow your spouse to enter the US for 9 months or they'll slap you with a big fine and won't allow your spouse to leave the country until the greencard is secure (or something to that nature, it's been a while and I may have this mixed up a bit). We were fortunate because I got a job overseas and didn't need to live in the US. That was the only option if we wanted to be together immediately after marriage.

If anyone is contemplating getting married in Spain, I recommend they pick up a booklet published by the US Embassy, it clearly outlines all the necessary paperwork. If you're planning to marry in the US (and live there afterwards), check into the fiancee visa more than 6 months before the marriage. Without it your spouse will be facing the F-U 180 back to his/her country!

Has anyone heard anything more about the freeze? My girlfriend went to get the forms for me and they wouldn´t even give her the paperwork since I wasn´t a ´prefered´ candidate (parents or grandparents from spain). They said that they had already reached their quota. They said that I might have more luck applying in another provence. Anyone know when the quotas get reset? Or does anyone know anything about this?

I would call an immigration lawyer as it varies by Autonomía. I think in Bilbao it would be easier to get papers as Pais Vasco has the lowest level of immigration in the country, or close to it.

Considering they wouldn´t even give my girlfriend the forms to fill out since I wasn´t ´prefered´ (since it would be pointless since everthing is frozen), I think that I am screwed. I am told by people here that it is due to the ley de los extranjeria, a law that changed a lot of immigration stuff around. Suposedly it just went into effect this year and set these new quotas. It was pretty much meant to keep the Morrocans out. I have a feeling they will have to change something to face the reality that there are morrocans coming to this country, by changing the law or granting a general amnesty like they did a few years back. More or less it seems a lot like what happened in the United states with immigrants from mexico. Who knows when they will change the things so it looks like for now I am going to have to do a civil marriage with my girlfriend to get a visa anytime soon. It is rediculous, I have several job offers, all willing to work with me to get a visa, but there is nothing that I can do.

Hi all,

I have been following MadridMan message board for almost two years, getting as much information as I could, for when my time came to begin my procedures in trying to move to Madrid I would be ready. I am happy to say that my personal and financial situation has finally arrive and now I can finally start the official preparations. However, I am sad to read the post "Spain has stopped accepting foriegn work permit applications except from Peru and Chile". Does anyone know where I can officially verify this information i.e. some official site. I have not been able to find anything yet.
Thanks in advance.
Jaime

mencey is right about the marriage, libro de familia, etc process in USA consulates. very quick, very painless......if you are in USA do everything you can there first..it worked for me

Ok, so where can we meet Spaniards looking to get married here in the US to get this process started?!

Oops, sorry, did I write that? I know, MM, this isn't that kind of board. But what if you did add a "matchmaker" section, I wonder what your success rate would be. You could even get ordained as a minster at one of those on-line churches and marry your board members at the annual MadridMan parties... (THEN maybe we'd squeeze those darn luggage tags out of him!!)

Hasta luego!

-GG

Hey GG - that post has some definate possibilities!!!

Just when I think things are going smoothly in a post, I get to the penultimate post...Hey GranadaGirl, I think I still have the number for GijónGigolo...maybe that's your ticket! :p

I can picture it now! Headlines in the MadridMan Gazette!

MadridMan Ordained!
Wolf (Apologizing in advance to anyone who may be a member of the Church of the LA freeway - :p )

Can anyone out there tell me how long it takes to get the residency visa and/or work permit in the states if you´ve already gotten married and gotten the libro de la familia?

Excellent humor/humour, Wolf! Isn't that the portion of the freeway that takes about a dozen lanes down to two before opening up again? That will help attendence!

Alright, Wolf, we're on the same wavelength here!!
Puna, that's right about where we'd have the collection baskets located too...

Roe,in the states, if you go with your wife to the consulate and fill out the forms, it will take about two weeks for the libro de familia, 5 minutes to fill out the paperwork and two weeks for them to mail it to you, maybe less, as for residency, I'm not real sure. They told me to come back within a month of leaving for spain, which would be december, but I don't know if that means it will be ready for pick up then, or if that's when they would process it and get it to me within a month,OR, maybe that's when they give me my final paperwork, the F-U 180 and send me home.