HEllo,

I am an American military spouse moving to Utrera, Spain with my husband. He is already there.  I am joining him in August or September.  I am a certified ESL teacher, plus I have a MA in history.  I am wondering how I can get a job…

I have applied to so many “legal-status” type of ESL jobs only to be told that I can only be hired if I first obtain a work permit.  Of course the Spanish consulate is clear that one must have a job offer/sponsor before being able to apply for a work visa.  I have worked in Korea as an ESL teacher, so I am familiar with the process.

My question is this; HOW does an AMERICAN get a job in Spain without a work visa, if no one will hire me because I am not an EU citizen?  It seems none of the companies I have approached are willing to sponsor a non-EU citizen.

I’ve heard its pretty much “under the table” work thats available.  I am not looking for benefits here, so I dont really care about insurance, etc.  I am just looking to make some money teaching or something.

Also, I am looking to establish EXPAT contacts in the Sevilla area—I would like the opportunity to get to know some people who are in the same or similar situation as I am in. 

Thanks for reading this and I look forward to any responses!

Daphne

Hello Daphne!

I am an American living in Spain.  I am sorry to say that the legal work thing is complicated. Just like Europeans who want to work in the US, a company would have to want you enough to sponser you, pay money for all the paperwork, show that they couldn?t find a qualified person from the E.U. for the position, and worse they would have to wait for you.. quite awhile in fact because of all the paperwork involved and then the sheer amount of time it takes for you to actually get your work permit..

In other words, it is hard and very difficult which makes it very unlikely that you will be able to get to work legally.

However, private academies hire “illegally” without many problems. Perhaps your best route is to give private classes, you could rent a small office or something or go to people?s houses. That pays pretty well. You can just put up small ads around town, mention that you are NATIVE that is important. Price, I would say that you can easily charge from 12-20? an hour, depending on the zone. Check with other people in the area, see what they pay when determining a price.

Good luck!
Kim

There are many Americans in Spain, some with papers and some without. There is another way to teach English in Spain without being under the radar and without gaining a working visa.

Try calling the American English language schools in different parts of Spain and let them know that you are interested in teaching there and what the procedure is to get hired. I know a couple that have hired through a student visa, so it’s something to look into.