Rebuffed once again
Found out a few hours ago that the Delegación del Gobierno told my company's representative today that they could not give me permission for a work visa because of the number of candidates that were returned when INEM did the most recent search. The maximum that are allowed in a case such as this is 100, and seven times that came back from this search. Of course the reason for such a high number is because INEM did not in fact put the actual job requirements in their search, they did a search on a broad job category, simply looking for "Consultant with English," which could mean anything.
So this coming week my company will have to return to INEM to attempt to get them to run a search with the actual job requirements, as they are certain that there will hardly be any candidates with the qualifications they need... they would hire them if there were. If that doesn't work (INEM's system may not be flexible enough to actually do a useful search in this case) they'll have to go through the list of 700 candidates and evaluate each one and give justification to the government as to why they are not qualified for the position. Let me just say that it's not that there aren't qualified people here, it's just that my company's looking for someone with pretty specific skills that aren't common in the US and are less so in Europe, as the software and technologies they are using are rather new.
So let's hope they are able to find a way to convince the Delegación del Gobierno of the need to hire me. If they're not able to do that, it doesn't look good for me being able to continue with my career here in Spain. If they can't justify to the government the need to hire me for a position in which I know there aren't that many qualified people, how would another company be able to justify it for something that is more common (which is what the majority of the other jobs I've seen offered have been). I suppose one way to fix this in a last resort is to get some sort of certification of my French skills, although I don't really remember much French. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
So this coming week my company will have to return to INEM to attempt to get them to run a search with the actual job requirements, as they are certain that there will hardly be any candidates with the qualifications they need... they would hire them if there were. If that doesn't work (INEM's system may not be flexible enough to actually do a useful search in this case) they'll have to go through the list of 700 candidates and evaluate each one and give justification to the government as to why they are not qualified for the position. Let me just say that it's not that there aren't qualified people here, it's just that my company's looking for someone with pretty specific skills that aren't common in the US and are less so in Europe, as the software and technologies they are using are rather new.
So let's hope they are able to find a way to convince the Delegación del Gobierno of the need to hire me. If they're not able to do that, it doesn't look good for me being able to continue with my career here in Spain. If they can't justify to the government the need to hire me for a position in which I know there aren't that many qualified people, how would another company be able to justify it for something that is more common (which is what the majority of the other jobs I've seen offered have been). I suppose one way to fix this in a last resort is to get some sort of certification of my French skills, although I don't really remember much French. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
posted by Brian at 7:03 PM
4 Comments:
I propose an alternative solution = You and Sonja move to the States (specifically Virginia). I don't know first hand, but I believe our government hands out work visas as readily as welfare checks. And as you stated previously, there exists a dire nursing shortage here (signing bonuses). Should this option be exercised, I will make it a point to learn Spanish psuedo-fluently. Although my liver will be none to pleased.
Or, inquire if "INEM" can use "Recite Simpsons Episodes From Memory" as a job skill.
Commenting on the earler comment:
Speaking as a U.S. citizen who married a Spaniard and currently lives in the U.S., the situation is difficult on both sides of the pond.
Concerning the relocation to Spain, the issue is employment. Spain suffers the highest rate of unemployment in Europe, which drastically differs from the U.S. where you have better opportunities for finding jobs that match your skills.
The difficulties in relocating to the U.S. are centered around immigration. The current U.S. immigration policy makes it as difficult as possible for a foreigner to become a resident/citizen. Combine this with the dissolution of the INS in favor of the Department of Homeland Security and you can begin to understand the frustration involved with becoming a U.S. resident in the post 9/11 world. The process is indeed so complex that a lawyer must be used as the rules change on a quarterly if not monthly basis.
While it could be argued that it is easier to obtain a work visa in the U.S. than in Spain due to the number of companies looking for workers with unique skills, if you are planning on a long term stay, Spain is definitely the easier choice. Not just because of immigration, but also because of employment since Spain has better protection of its workers in the event that you are laid off. ¡Viva el mercado de trabajo socialista!
Si vous avez besoin de quelque aide avec votre frenching, je serai content pour aider.
Merci. J'espere que ce n'est pas necessaire.
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