Here is a link that explains the new law on foreign persons in Spain that will begin on the first of Jan.

http://www.eiro.eurofound.ie/2003/10/feature/es0310107f.html

It doesn't affect EU citizens becasue they already have the right to live and work in Spain without a visa.

Even though Americans can be in Spain for 30 days without a visa, it seems that the benetfit for Amercians is the ability to apply for a visa before you have any kind of job offer. The visa acts as a work permit/residence permit together. The visa will allow you to go to Spain and look for work, for three months. If you find a job in the three months, then you can legaly contract and start working witouth having to return to the U.S.

Thanks for posting this link DCS.

Does anyone have a better educated understanding of it than I do? Scanned it while 'appearing to be working' (whats a four day weekend?????) and, frankly, I can't tell if it's going to make it easier or more difficult for non-EU residents to live in Spain. On the surface, the new three month visa that sounds great -but I think it is rather nebulous wording. Can anyone, especially those with legal and/or Spanish human resource background help clarrify????

Calling Chica .... who inevitably seems to be up-to-date on these issues ....

Well, I don't have the background you mention, but perhaps I can help a little: I heard in the news that this aspect of the law is for foreigners who want to work here and use to come ilegally, and afterwards find they cannot find a job and so, become sometimes beggars, muggers, drug dealers or enter the newly founded mafias.

With this "Visa", all of them will be registered, and will have a fair opprtunity of finding a job throughout three months before having to go back to their countries, and if they couldn't, at least they would be controlled and counted, and the authorities would know which country they must deport them (many imes it's very difficult because they have no documents and don't want to help, so they don't tell their country of origin).

Of course, although this is thought for northern african and south american inmigrants, anybody could take advantage of it.

The reason for this was controlling the quality of the inmigrants (no rogues) and the number (only the ones the labour market can take or there´ll be problems). They tried to make the firms hire personel through their delegations abroad or the Spanish Counsulates, in the notice boards, but firms (logically) don't seem to be very interested, so they alow people, try to find a job, and else, they can deport them.

I have a few questions? I have a potential offer in Malaga and don't have a visa yet but am thinking of applying for the visa that allows you to live there w/o an offer but have to return in three months if you can't find a job? Am I understanding this correctly? Here is what I am doing....I have a possible offer that could turn into something more but don't want to get stuck and have to come back get the visa....am I making sense? I have everything to get a visa but called the Embassy in NYC but weren't very helpfull! I told them what I was doing and they said I would be treated like a student????? I guess due to the internship? They also didn't seem to know about what went into effect? please get back to me when you all get a chance VALE : -) gracias

-A.

The new visa reform does outline a new visa that would allow a 3 month stay to find work. It's clearly defined that way. But I have checked the Spanish Department of Interior www.mir.es and their information is not showing any of the new visa guidelines, nor do any of the consulate web pages. Maybe they're updating the information this weekend...well probably not but who knows.

If you already have a job offer, then I would go about it the way it's always been. Get your job offer certifed and stamped with the local ministry of labor office (the company offering you the job has to do it) and apply for the work visa before you leave.

This law is mainly for those that are job seekers. I did not read anything about those of us planning to retire, not work, and buy property in Spain.

Does anyone know if the SCHENGEN VISA
is impacted by these new changes? This visa allows a foreigner to reside in Spain as a retiree without working. They have a series of reasonable requirements:
Passport valid for a minimum of six months and three photocopies of the personal information and photo page.
4 recent pictures, passport size.
Original marriage certificate *.
Original certificate of good conduct issued by the police department of the city or cities where the applicant has spent 6 months or more in the last 5 years, with a translation into Spanish .
Original medical certificate typed on doctor´s stationary verifying that the applicant is free from the following quarantine diseases: yellow fever, cholera, and the plague. The certificate must also certify that the applicant is free of drug addictions and mental illness, with a translation into Spanish .
Original Medical Insurance that will cover you in Spain.
Original certificate of a public or private institution certifying that you receive a pension, specifying its monthly amount.
Proof of any other source of income and/or properties in Spain (The anual minimum is $10,000 increased by $1,700 for each dependant).
If you own any propety in Spain you must bring Original proof of ownership.

I hope it does not get too complicated.

We'll see how this turns out. On the surface it sounds better, but they mentioned some sort of quotas which might limit how useful this is. I think that under the old way the quotas were set by the unions, or so I was told. Also, if this were really an opening of the immigration process, you would think that the unions would have been more opposed to it, as that's what unions tend to do.

Hey everyone (chica guilty acknowledges everyone on this thread with a special nod to Puna..)! I haven´t been posting much here lately...primarily due to being overwhelmed with the business.

Puna, I wish I had some more insight to offer regarding this new reform...but I really don´t. In fact, I read the link that DCS posted with great interest and plan to be looking into the issue more over the next few days.

You can be certain that whatever information I do dig up, I will share with you here!!

Has anyone any ideas, relating to these new rules, if someone from Australia is included in these reforms, and will they need to obtain a visa as a visitor . My friend is arriving in UK soon and a visit to Spain could be on the agenda. Any advice will be welcome. Thanks, Sue.

Here is the actual offical document, in Spanish, of course.

http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2003-11-21/pdfs/A41193-41204.pdf

A great day to all,

Shawn