Hello All,
I got a job in Madrid with a large EU company that is sponsoring my work visa. They told me they filed my visa under highly skilled labor category because my job skills are in demand there and it would take less time than a residence visa. I am also married to a Spanish Citizen, my wife is from Madrid. We currently live in Manhattan Beach, CA. They told me I need to start right away and the visa process would take less than 3 months. I quit my old job after giving them a month, packed up my home and shipped it out in a container. The lawyer they have keeps telling me its in process. Its been over 2 months since my paperwork was submitted and no news. I am really starting to get nervous since I have already rented a home there and my container is going to arrive soon. Does anyone know how long it takes to get a work visa right now? I tried to call the consulate and the embassy, but they don’t even have a number I can contact to check the status. Is it possible to call someone there and get a real answer how long it takes. Does anyone have a lawyer there that is well connected that can give me some idea. All my paperwork here is ready to go medical, and criminal w translations.
thx….

as husband of a spanish citizen, you can get the eu family member residence card. and work right away. you do not even need that work visa sponsorship. consult the spanish consulate over there with your wife. as far as i know you don’t even need a visa, since you can apply for the residency in spain as long as you have all the documents the police requires.

http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Consulados/SanFrancisco/en/MenuPpal/ServiciosConsulares/RequirementsEntrSpainVisas/Paginas/visas_emblondon.aspx#sec3

In the case of the spouse, parent or descendent of a citizen of the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, he or she need only apply for a visitor?s visa if he or she wishes to live in Spain and is subject to this requirement (Attachment I.pdf). Otherwise he or she will not require any type of visa to live in Spain.

usa citizens do not neet a visa to enter spain. once in spain just get the ss number and the nie number and call your future employer.

Work visas can definitely take 3 months or so. Like Aritz said, you can always enter without your visa, start working and then return to CA to pick up your visa and re-enter on it then.

You can also do the whole family reunification visa since your wife is Spanish too.

Thank you all for your reply. I have registered my marriage certificate with the consulate and I am still waiting for it to be processed as well. I was told by the consulate and the lawyer that the residence visa can take up to 6 months to get?? My employer can not let me work until I have a valid visa, that is clearly stated on my contract. For some reason they believe the work visa is the shortest route. I was told that technically I am not an employee until I have a valid visa, so my airlines tickets can not be purchased by them until I have the legal right to work there. How long does it take to get a ss number and the nie number? How long does it take to get a family reunification visa. For some reason my daughters citizenship and passport was done extremely fast in CA.  Please let me know if you have any other suggestions… thx again….

mmaarrccooss - 28 March 2011 05:27 PM

I have registered my marriage certificate with the consulate and I am still waiting for it to be processed as well.

you can also bring an apostilled copy translated into spanish of your marriage certificate your passport your wife’s dni & apply for the residence card here.
have your wife read this:
Tarjeta de residencia de familiar no comunitario de ciudadano de la Uni?n:
1. Pasaporte v?lido y en vigor. Si est? caducado, copia de ?ste y de la solicitud de renovaci?n.
2. Documentaci?n acreditativa, en su caso debidamente traducida y apostillada o legalizada, de la existencia de v?nculo
familiar; de la validez del matrimonio; o certificaci?n expedida (con una antelaci?n m?xima de 3 meses a la fecha de
presentaci?n de la solicitud) por el ?rgano encargado del registro de parejas correspondiente de la inscripci?n como pareja.
3. Certificado de registro del ciudadano comunitario al que acompa?a o con el que va a reunirse, presentado junto al
pasaporte o documento de identidad, en vigor, de ?ste (o documento en el que el ciudadano comunitario consienta a la
comprobaci?n de dicha informaci?n por la Administraci?n General del Estado).
En caso de que el derecho derive de un ciudadano espa?ol, DNI de ?ste o autorizaci?n para verificar electr?nicamente sus
datos de identidad.
4. En caso de descendientes de 21 a?os o mayor edad o ascendientes directos: acreditaci?n por cualquier medio de prueba
admitido en Derecho de que sus medios proceden, de forma exclusiva o con car?cter principal y no prescindible, de su
ascendiente o descendiente (ciudadano comunitario o c?nyuge o pareja registrada de ciudadano comunitario).
5. Tres fotograf?as recientes en color, en fondo blanco, tama?o carn?.
6. Salvo en los casos de no tener asignado NIE con car?cter previo a la solicitud, documento acreditativo del abono de la tasa
por expedici?n de la tarjeta (en el resto de los casos, el ?rgano administrativo ante el que se presente la solicitud, previa
asignaci?n de NIE, har? entrega del impreso para su abono, a efectos de que ?ste sea efectuado con car?cter previo a la
expedici?n de la tarjeta).

I was told by the consulate and the lawyer that the residence visa can take up to 6 months to get??

if it is a working resident visa maybe, but you are entitled to an eu family member resident card so read this:
Residence visa to reunite a family member with a citizen of Spain or an EU member
It must be obtained by all nationals that are not EU citizens or they are from the countries that require visas to travel to the Schengen countries (See Anejo 1 ICC) to reunite for residence in Spain with a Spaniard or an EU citizen including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland with whom they have the following family ties:
1.      Spouse. If you are not legally separated.
2.      Their children or their spouse’s, who are not married and are under 21 years of age or incapacitated and are not married.
3.      Minors (under 21 years old) or incapacitated that are under the resident’s legal custody.
4.      Parents, or from the spouse’s, if they are dependents and there are proven reasons for them to justify their need for residency in Spain
American citizens and those of nationalities that do not require visa according the above mentioned list (Anejo 1 ICC) do not require a residence visa and must apply for their residence card once they arrive in Spain.
Nationals of the countries that require a visa to enter Spain must submit the following requirements:
  * 2 National Visa Application forms dully filled out and signed.
  * Valid passport
  * Alien Residence Card (Green-Card) or residence visa valid in USA (except B-1, B-2).
  * 2 photos passport size with a white background.
  * Documents proving the family ties.
  * Spain’s “Libro de Familia” or Birth certificate or Marriage certificate bearing the “Apostille of the Hague Convention” or if the country issuing such document is not part of the “Hague Convention” such documents must be dully legalized.
  * For descendants or ascendants older that 21 years of age documents that prove that the citizen of the EU residing in Spain is their financial supporter.
  * Copy of the passport from the Spaniard or EU member residing in Spain.
  * “Empadronamiento” from the person residing in Spain.
  * “Applicants must submit originals and 1 copy of the above mentioned documents. If your documents are accepted to process the visa they will not be returned.
  * Notarized document that proves that the European Citizen wishes to reunite with the visa applicant.

My employer can not let me work until I have a valid visa, that is clearly stated on my contract. For some reason they believe the work visa is the shortest route.
I was told that technically I am not an employee until I have a valid visa, so my airlines tickets can not be purchased by them until I have the legal right to work there.

you are right there, so they will not pay for your tickets unless you show an eu family member visa but you are not required by spain since there is a visa waiver for usa citizens. so you just either wait for the visa & once you enter spain, get your ss number in a few hours and get hired or fly on your own and apply for the card, wait till you get the card & g

How long does it take to get a ss number and the nie number?

the ss number a few hours,  the nie number is given to you once you apply for the residence card or you can apply for it right now

How long does it take to get a family reunification visa.

the consulate can issue this to you if maybe you show up at the consulate with your wife and kids carrying dni’s and spanish passport.  but maybe they’re waiting til your marriage certificate is registered in the registro central in madrid

For some reason my daughters citizenship and passport was done extremely fast in CA.

their mother is a spanish citizen and they are minors.
http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Consulados/NuevaYork/en/MenuPpal/Documentaci?nRequisitosparaServiciosConsulares/RequirementsEntrSpainVisas/Paginas/Visas.aspx
http://www.mpt.es/servicios/extranjeria/modelos_oficiales_solicitudes.html

Thank you again for your time and useful information, you guys make this site worth visiting and posting. I sent your ideas and comments to the Gestoria that is handling my visa. They responded back, that in Madrid it will take 5 months to solicit the interview. I was told in theory you should be able to work, but you need an NEI #. Also, sometimes the NEI is given right away but, others times you need to wait till the end of the process. An employer might also have problems with SS contribution this way.. This is what I was told at least. The good news is they told me my visa was approved and is awaiting a final signature from the director. With some luck I should be there in a few weeks…