Hi everyone,

I am a US Citizen, but I am currently in Spain on “vacation,” living with my girlfriend and her family. I am studying for “La Selectividad,” for which I have already submitted the necessary documents and paid the fee of 90 euros. If I pass, I will be accepted to La Universidad de Zaragoza with the career pathway of Magisterio de Lengua Extranjera (Ingl?s). However, I will have to go back to the USA (North Carolina) and then go to the Spanish Embassy in Washington D.C. to apply for a student visa. I know this is not an easy process, and I am not a very patient person, but this is a very important time in my life and I cannot afford to screw it up. I only have to make a 5/10 on the exam to pass, but even with that low of an average note, I am still a little worried. I speak Spanish very well (in my opinion) ; however, if I end up failing the exam, I am not sure what I will do. I am in love with Spain, why my girlfriend, and her family is like my own. I feel more at home in Spain than in the USA, and I will do anything to stay here. I am almost 22 years old, and walking on the street no one would know that I was a foreigner. I don’t want to stay here illegally, but unfortunately it is on my list of possibilities. If anyone has advice for me, I would be greatly appreciative. My girlfriends parents and brother accept me as part of the family (by no means am I saying that I have Spanish relatives because of this) but this may make it easier for me to stay here illegally. I don’t want to put them at risk though…so another question would be, “What would the consequences be for my girlfriend and her family if the police were to find me here past my legal stay of 3 months?”
Thanks in advance for all the replies. I really think I will pass the exam, but I always second guess myself and for this reason I have created this thread.
P.S. If I pass the exam, obtain the certificate of entry into the University, pay the tuition, then get the necessary documents ready to present to the Spanish Consulate in the USA, how long do you think the process will take? They have told me up to 5 weeks, but is there a way to expedite the process? I am lucky to have a cousin that lives right in the center of Washington D.C., so it will be no problem for me to arrange a meeting with the consulate. Thanks again!

Sinceramente,

Dani