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Is The Highly Qualified Spanish Visa Suitable For You? Discover It's Characteristics
The Spanish government has developed a range of options aimed at developing and strengthening the Spanish economy within Spain by encouraging the mobility of foreign nationals in providing opportunities to work in Spain which brings a benefit both to the worker by creating the opportunity to advance their careers and gain valuable experience in Spain, contributing to their personal and professional growth. In some cases they may be able to access training programmes to enhance their knowledge. Also, it additionally draws fresh specialised expertise to Spain and assists to expand the expertise and professional knowledge available in Spain.
The Highly qualified visa is a visa designed for highly qualified foreign national workers who can fill vacancies where there are insufficient Spanish nationals who are appropriately qualified to apply for the roles, thereby making the vacancies difficult to fill in Spain. This visa applies to a variety of situations, including the following:
- Workers who wish to obtain their first work permit for highly qualified vacancies.
- Employees of the same company, who want to move highly qualified workers to its subsidiaries in Spain.
- Artists wish to perform in the country, as long as their musical career and previous tours can be proven.
There are numerous additional advantages of this residence and work permit, including the possibility of bringing your closest family members to join you. The Highly qualified visa extends the opportunity of unfettered travel throughout the Schengen Area without additional visa requirements.
Criteria for Application
Foreign national highly qualified workers who wish to obtain their first work and residence permit in Spain must adhere to the following:
- Conduct a job search from their country of origin if they are relocating to Spain.
- Have a credible job offer.
- The job must be one of the professions listed in the catalogue of activities that are difficult to recruit, which is renewed every three months. The company for whom the applicant intends to work must be considered a large company, with more than 250 workers or with high turnover and profits. Or be an SME within a designated strategic sector.
International mobility of workers from within an existing Spanish company must ensure that:
- The company must be considered a large company.
- Or the company belongs to a strategic sector (communication technology, water treatment, specialists in bio-sanitary sciences, renewable energies, R&D&I)
- Or be a company within the general scope that supports the economic development of Spain.
Artists applying must:
- Be able to justify their status as a prestigious recognised artist
- Demonstrate their body of work
- Demonstrate a planned intention to exploit their talent in the shape of concerts, exhibitions or film projects.
Requirements
To apply for this visa you must:
- Have documentary proof of your qualification as an expert
- Be able to demonstrate the aforementioned requirements related to the companies, for example: social security certificate, AEAT certificate of absence of debts, VILE, etc.
- Criminal record certificate demonstrating that you have no counts against you.
- An appropriate valid job offer.
- Letter from the company allowing the international mobility of the employee, for the second case of intra-company mobility.
- Marriage and/or birth certificate to prove kinship (in the event of joining your family to Spain).
This visa has a duration of one year, renewable, with the same conditions applying to any family members.
Giambrone & Partners well-regarded corporate and commercial and immigration lawyers have extensive experience in assisting foreign nationals with visa applications and ensuring that their application progresses smoothly and is not rejected due to a failure to produce the required documentation.
Mireira Peco Garcia is an immigration consultant in the Barcelona office. She has extensive experience in the rights of migrants, where she excels in immigration law. She is currently working in the Immigration department at the Barcelona office where she mainly manages procedures for obtaining Spanish Nationality by the Law of Democratic Memory and all kinds of visas.
Should you wish to have more information concerning living and working in Spain in such a high-level role, please contact Giambrone & Partners for advice and guidance.