If you are a highly qualified professional or manager, and you have a job offer in Spain, you can take advantage of the scheme for the work permit for highly qualified professionals.
Below, we inform you of the main key points that must be taken into account to successfully process this work permit
Key points concerning the visa for highly qualified workers
1 - This permit offers the possibility of applying either from your country of origin or directly from Spain (as long as the worker is legally registered in Spanish territory, for example, as a tourist).
2 - The company is in charge of applying for this work permit.
3 - On the other hand, the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE) is in charge of processing it and not the immigration offices of each city. The application is made electronically.
4 - Another of the fundamental aspects to take into account is the job position that the worker will carry out. When submitting the application, it is advisable to make very clear the responsibilities that they will have, as well as the tasks that they will perform in the new position. In short, it is essential to prepare a list that reflects very clearly the particularities of the job that the company needs to cover. In this way it is easier to justify that it is for a highly qualified professional.
5 - The academic/training profile of the applicant is another of the fundamental aspects to consider. Although, in general, a university degree, master's degree, or doctorate is required for this permit, the fact is that there is an exception to this “requirement”: it is still possible to apply for this permit if the academic qualifications have not yet been completed or obtained, and a minimum previous work experience can be proved in the sector performing tasks similar to those that will be carried out in the new hiring company.
6 - It is not necessary to prove the national employment situation. Normally, when a company wants to hire a worker who is from outside Spain, it has to prove the so-called national employment situation: the company has to publish the job offer in question with the Public Employment Service to verify that there is no unemployed person (both Spanish persons and legally resident foreigners in Spain) who can fill that specific job. Currently, getting a certificate from the National Employment Service stating that there are no unemployed people available with a suitable profile to fill the job is really complicated. In the case of the work permit for highly qualified professionals, the company may apply for it without having to submit a negative certificate stating that there is no person available to fill the job.
7 - When it comes to managing the permit for highly qualified professionals, salary must also be taken into account. In general, if the person to be hired is an executive or manager, the salary should be around €50,000 per year, while, if it is a technical professional, it should be around €40,000 per year.
8 - The authorization granted has an initial duration of two years or the duration indicated in the job offer. The highly qualified professional can be accompanied by their family members.
9 - The authorization can be renewed for a new period of two years as long as the conditions are maintained.
10 - The work permit for a highly qualified professional is fully related and linked to the contracting company, since it is the company that initiates the application, prepares the corresponding documents, and sends them to the competent authorities at the time of applying for the permit. This "link" implies that the work authorization only allows work to be done for the applicant company. If during its validity the worker leaves the company, the work permit ceases to be valid.
Taking these ten key points into account is one of the pillars for successfully obtaining a work permit for highly qualified professionals in Spain. However, most of the time they require personalized studies and analysis of both the worker and the company.
GD Global Mobility's team of professionals can help you with the procedures related to obtaining this permit. If you want more information, visit our service page: Highly Qualified Professionals in Spain
