Hey guys, first time posting on this forum after browsing for some while. This is my introduction/situation. I also posted it on Dave’s ESL cafe so if you frequent there as well and see this pardon me for the bother.

A little about me and my situation: I am American, male, 24 years old, looking to return to Spain. Pretty typical right? Well, I studied abroad last year, fall semester, my final semester of college. I met a girl, fell in love, and I am looking to go back to her in September. It’s been pretty stressfull.

My first plan, even before I met her, was to apply to the North American language assistant program. I did apply, but it does not appear I am going to get a spot. So we’ve been looking at other options.

We want to be together this year. She is a student in Granada, and she’s in her final year this year. We’ve discovered that the “pareja de hecho” option is probably our best bet. She’s been to her ayuntamiento and all appears copacetic. She is in kind of a rush because she is empadronada in another city than Granada, and she wants to have the whole process done before she goes back to school in October.

The ayuntamiento told her that all I really need to bring is a “certificado de f? de vida y estado”. I’m not real sure what this is, but I understand that it’s basically just a letter stating I am single and able to marry. Does anyone know how to go about getting this? Can I get it in America? Or do I have to wait to go to Spain to get it.

One last thing, recently my girlfriend put me in contact with a friend of hers who works at a language academy in Cantabria. Her boss expressed interest in hiring me, which rather surprised me. I sent my CV and all that and asked if she(the boss) could assist in getting me a contract/visa. She said she was willing but seemed rather clueless as to the process. I told her all I knew was that I needed to be sponsored for a job in order to get a visa, but I had no idea how to do it on her end. The position begins in September, and I am guessing if she knew anything about hiring a non-EU resident, she wouldn’t go through the trouble in hiring an American. Wouldn’t the process of getting a visa take a couple months, probably past September? My girlfriend insisted I look into this opportunity before we committed to the pareja de hecho, seeing as if I could get the work visa in say, two months, I’d already have a job, and one less thing to worry about.

Thoughts? Sorry for the long post, your help is greatly appreciated.

Grasshopper:

Not to put a dampener on things, but it all sounds rather vague.  The person “expressed an interest in giving you work”.  That is all it amounts to . 
Unemployment in Spain is at an all time high right now, and prospects are poor.

Perhaps it might be a good idea to think over everthing, in the most objective manner possible.  Give yourself another year.

Patricia

It would certainly help if your potential employer sent you an official job offer letter or fax, along with a statement outlining employment dates and terms of employment.  This would show their intention to hire you.
It would give you more assurance that their offer was genuine, and act as a form of proof of sponsorship.
However, you will most likely have to go through the full visa application yourself.

First thing I would do is contact your nearest Spanish consulate office and ask them how you go about this process and what paperwork would be acceptable in your particular case.

Good luck.  😊