Madridman, I think this would be a great multi-national topic.

My wifes brother an architect and sister a social worker cannot find a decent job in Spain. They are both bilingual. They would love to have a great job here. However, I just don't have enough information to give them to help them. (I also have many Spanish friends who would love to find work here in the US)

I think this topic would not only serve the Spanish population but also all the different nationalities that visit this site

Toddy
What a great idea. I too have friends that would love to work here in the US for a year or so. We already have a program in South Carolina that sponsors qualified teachers to teach Spanish or other subjects in school. One of my friends I have in mind is fluent in English and French, also holds several different degrees In short " Extremely well educated - well travelled- etc.Would love to get some leads for her. Again great Idea.

I totally agree. Every Spaniard who wants to work in the US should be granted the same rights as Americans going to Spain to work.

That should include the same requirements to find legal work, same wages by comparison, and the same treatment in the work place - as Americans get there, legally or illegally.

Sounds fair to me.

Wolf

This is a topic I know a bit about, as my company hires lots of people from around the world, and my girlfriend and her cousin are Spanish and both work here.

In sum, it is difficult for any foreigner to legally work in the US. There are, however, a couple of different ways to do it. For most private companies, the company has to sponsor the candidate for a work visa (the infamous H1). In order to do so, the company has to prove that it cannot find an American to do the job. For example, if the job requires native fluency in Castillian Spanish, or you need a Korean software engineer, or whatever. You have to advertise the position for a certain period of time and prove to the government that no qualified Americans applied. We are able to do this succesfully for translators (English to whatever), and software engineers/QA people, but it would be difficult to do this for fields like architecture or social work.

Assuming the process is succesful, the applicant gets a visa and a work permit at that company--ie, they cannot work for anyone else, and, if they get laid off, they have two weeks to leave the country. This visa is good for two-three years and is usually pretty easy to renew once. More than once is almost impossible, although, once they are here for a few years, the company can sponsor permanent residency (the "green card"), which is a long, difficult process in and of itself. Marriage to an American confers the green card automatically, but there is lots of paperwork and scrutiny as well.

Other options include coming for graduate school, which can include a "practical training" work visa, or something cultural, artisitic or educational, where different rules apply. As mentioned in a previous post, some states will sponsor qualified persons to teach Spanish or to teach in Spanish, as there is a huge demand and not enough qualified Americans.

People from some countris can seek political asylum, but this obviously does not apply to Spain.

Another option is, of course, to work illegaly, which carries its own set of very serious risks.

Not to sound too glum, but it is hard to work here as a foreigner, much as it is hard to work in Europe as a foreigner.

My wife's brother is bilingual and an architect and there must be a great need for a bilingual social worker. I wonder if there is a list of companies or programs?

There you go Madridman a great topic!

P.S. I totally agree with you Wolf... whose W also stands for wise and witty. Not a bad combination

From an educator's perspective, there are international exchanges (Fulbright Scholarships) but there are also locally-arranged district exchanges. My wife was an employee of the Azusa, CA Unified School District, and they had five Spanish teachers come over in exchange for five US teachers, each taking over the exact classroom that would have been taught by the other.

Each district would have to do their own homework on the legalities, but perhaps they could contact districts like Azusa that have done it and find out how to make it work.

There's also a concept website for bilingual architects and the people who love them, I just haven't created it yet. I'm waiting for the right moment. :p

P.S. If you're wondering which US city has the cheesiest slogan, it's Azusa. Azusa, Everything from A to Z in the USA.

Hoooooooray!
We just got over 200 new teachers in California alone from Spain ( I don't have the stats from the other states). I'm sure, like many others from Spain, they will find a great American love relationship
Viva the relationships Español(a) y Americano (a)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HELP! HELP! My sister-in-law and her boyfriend are out of work again. She study social work and he teaching english. There must be some program for work visas for social workers in Los Angeles. Please, this is not about America being better, it's just about giving a couple a life of their own. Any info would be appreciated