One of the new residency figures that were created with the new modification of the Immigration Law is the arraigo for training.
A residence permit that is very useful for many foreigners who are illegally in Spain by allowing them the possibility of conducting studies and then allowing them to get a work permit.
In this article we analyze everything that you need to know, including the requirements you must meet to successfully obtain it and what are the exact courses valid for its application.
The arraigo for studies (or “arraigo para la formación”) is a new type of residence permit for exceptional circumstances that allows foreigners in an irregular situation in Spain who wish to begin training or studying to live legally in the country for 12 months (renewable).
Thus, the figures of the social, labor, and family arraigo are now accompanied by this new type of permit.
And the reason is very simple.
There are currently many jobs in Spain that are difficult to cover, and which are 100% necessary for the country’s economy.
For this reason, the government has made it easier to obtain a work permit to fill these positions for those foreigners who are in an irregular situation in the country, and for this purpose it also helps them get the required training.
Thus, although this permit allows them to legally live in the country and study, it does not allow them to work (although, as we will see later, it is the direct entry door to obtain a work permit later on).
Duration for the arraigo for training purposes
One of the key points of this arraigo is its duration.
Regardless of the initial duration of the training you enroll into, the initial residence authorization will be valid for 12 months.
That is to say, even if the course lasts 9 months, the authorization you will be granted initially will be for 12 months.
And what happens if the course I sign up for lasts more than 12 months?
The first thing you should bear in mind is that you will be able to enroll in training courses that last a maximum of 18 months.
Hence, if the course lasts more than 1 year (and less than 18 months) or you have not successfully passed all the content during the first year and you re-enroll for the next one; you can renew and extend the rooting for the training for an extra 12 months.
Or, as we will see below, instead of extending your arraigo, you can also modify it to a residence and work authorization.
You can read on for more information, or you can directly ask our expert immigration lawyers here:
Requirements to apply for the study arraigo
In order to apply for this arraigo for training purposes, 3 basic requirements must be met.
2 years of continuous residence in Spain
In the first place, and as with any type of residence due to exceptional circumstances, it will be essential to demonstrate continuous residence in Spain. In this case during the 2 years prior to the application.
You can prove it through the city hall registration (“empadronamiento”) or with your passport.
Thus, it will be important that your departures from Spain do not exceed 90 days in total.
Criminal recors
On the other hand, it will be necessary to demonstrate that you have no criminal records, nor in Spain nor in any other country in which you have been living during the last 5 years.
Important update!
You will NOT have to present the criminal record certificate if you have recently submitted a residency application or if you have been in Spain for 5 years continuously.
The course or studies
And, finally, the most important requirement and the one related to the studies. The foreigner must commit to:
- Carry out training for employment, and this training must be regulated
- To obtain an official certification of professional qualifications that is within the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications in the field of labor administration
- To start training that allows her to obtain a technical aptitude certification
- To complete a professional qualification required to be able to work in a specific occupation
The most important thing is that the foreigner does not have to have already started her studies, she simply has to commit to doing it in the near future.
After 3 months of having achieved this permit, enrollment must take place in order to start the training in the center.
If the enrollment does not take place within this period, there will be an obligation to notify the immigration office, and the arraigo will be extinguished.
Also, please note that the course must be 100% in-person, and no online training is allowed.
You can find the list of valid centers and training courses in the following 2 links:
How to renew it and move to work permit afterwards
As we have just seen, the arraigo for training can be renewed (unlike the rest of the arraigos that require modifying to another type of residence directly).
However, and here comes the good news, once the studies are finished and the training is successfully completed, it will be possible to obtain a work permit for 2 years (renewable).
Here the foreigner will have to find a job offer to be able to change his residence and start working for a company, and he will have to do it during the validity of the training arraigo (and never after).
And it will be easy, since the only requirement of this job offer will be that it guarantees the minimum salary; currently €1,000 gross per month.
This in addition to being able to demonstrate, through a certificate of achievement, that you have passed the course successfully.
That is to say, as a conclusion, without a doubt one of the great advantages of this arraigo is that it will allow you to finally work in Spain and get your work permit.
If you have any questions or would like to receive personalized assistance on any immigration matter, our expert lawyers are at your complete disposal. Fill out the form below and let us get in touch with you as soon as possible:
