With an aim at boosting labour shortages, the Spanish Government has introduced the following measures:
- Expansion of student work authorization from 20 to 30 hours per week (employed or self-employed). Employers must still obtain the required work authorization and register the student for local social security. Graduates are now permitted to seek employment in Spain without having to have attained the previous requirement of being a student in country for 3 years. They are however still required to apply for a job search permit, training permit or general work authorization following their graduation and before starting work.
- Reducing the funding requirements for family reunification. Going forward, the financial means the sponsoring applicant needs has been reduced for those with minor children, represented minors, disabled persons or certain other humanitarian reasons.
- Eased eligibility requirements for self-employed individuals. The new measures mean that self-employed foreign nationals no longer must demonstrate they have sufficient economic resources as part of their initial application. They can also perform activities in any region and take up further employment as a supplement to their self-employment. Finally for self-employed foreign national permit holders, on renewal their permits will be valid for a further 4 years instead of 2.
- Longer permit validity for general immigration permit renewals. Permit holders will now be able to renew their permits for a validity of 4 years instead of the previous 1 year. They will also be permitted to work as an employee or as self-employed in any region, whereas they were previously restricted to work only in the region their permit was issued.
- Finally, those who are in Spain without a valid work or residence permit will be permitted to apply for work and residence authorization based on 6 months employment, or a 12-month training permit, or based on family connections.
The above measures should increase the available workforce in Spain, through reducing the foreign applicant’s administrative burden and providing broader access to compliant employment.
For further information on immigration in the Spain, please contact the Sterling Lexicon immigration team.
Leanne Cottrell
As Head of Immigration with Sterling Lexicon, Leanne leads a team of specialists who are responsible for ensuring the entire immigration process is smooth and stress-free for clients, assignees and their accompanying family members. She brings over ten years of experience in strategic immigration management, planning and consultation to her role, and has cultivated invaluable knowledge and experience in processing countless global migration applications. As a trusted partner, she consults with clients on everything from policy considerations and cost or efficiency improvements, to the impact of opening offices in new locations. Leanne is a frequent presenter and author on global immigration topics and trends.
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