N. American Lang And Culture Asst 2006-07

[SRedw]

Rafferty,

Please keep the original of that document once you get the Apostille.  This quote comes directly from the GRANTS FOR NORTH AMERICAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE ASSISTANTS IN SPAIN website.

VERY IMPORTANT: Applicants are advised not to send the original documents of the Certificates of Health and Good Conduct as they will be needed to apply for their visas in case they are awarded the grant.

I understand that you are frustrated, but we do have to have patience and take it in stride.

Suerte,

Shawn

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[Raquelita estrellita]

Todos,
  I got an email from antonio he said that the Hague is not necessary for the application maybe the visa though AND he said now that we won't know if we are accepted until 2 weeks after the may 11th deadline

Raquelita out

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[maritraveler]

I just wanted to let you applicants know that it isn't worth it to even get the visa for Spain.  They will only give you one for 3 months any way and it is useless.  I lived 5 hours from a consulate too and they do require you to apply in person and YOU pay the bill to go there twice and $100 for the visa itself.  No one will ever ask you for it before you leave, it isn't necessary to get into Spain, and it is a waste of time and $.  They can tell you whatever they want about you needing it!  Just say you have it and ya esta.  NO hace falta para nada.  Also you don't need it to get paid in Spain.  Just go to the immigration office when you arrive to get your NIE and you don't even need to show the visa.  This job isn't worth it in the first place, since it is very hard to live on 631 euros a month without dipping into your savings a lot.  Especially if you are in a awful city or town where there is nothing to do.  If you get a bad city or town I recommend you ask before you leave to change, or just don't go.  It isn't that easy to get private lessons especially when a lot of times you have cancellations often.  I suggest if you go, save a lot of money so you can travel, and don't expect it to be easy.  Many parts of SPain are old world, not like Barcelona or Madrid.  POr ejemplo, where I live is called Espana profundo.  (Extremadura)  

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[stacylimones]

In response to Maritraveler's last post, I would be very cautious about not getting the visa. While it is true that you do not need it to enter Spain or to get paid, you could need it to get your NIE. Immigration offices, while they should all be the same, tend to vary on their treatment of cases. They may require you to show your student visa in order to give you your NIE, and many banks will not open an account for you unless you have a NIE, meaning that, while you can get \"paid\", you would have no way to access your money. There is information (in Spanish) about NIE (and tarjeta de residencia) at the Ministry of the Interior's website: www.mir.es Go to the tab on the left that says \"Informacion sobre tramites\" and then to \"Extranjeros\". From there, click \"Tarjeta de residencia\", and it gives you the information you need under \"Solicitud: lugar y documentacion\". Also, you can find the form necessary to apply for your NIE here, too. Under Extranjeros, go to \"Modelos de Solicitud\", and I believe it's form Ex-14 \"Solicitud de NIE\" that you'll need. Downloading and filling out this form ahead of time can save you a trip to Extranjeria, as otherwise you'll have to go and wait in the line for hours just to get the form and return a different day to deliver it. So, it may be a pain to get the visa if you live far from the Consulate, but I would personally not take the chance, because you certainly can't get a visa once you're already here. Suerte!

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[SRedw]

Thank you Stacy for being a voice of reason.  Life is what we make of it and I choose to stay positive in the face of adversity. The visa is important to open bank accounts, like you said and not to mention that you will need it for other things, such as getting a cell phone or an Internet connection.

I encourage people who are interested in this program to apply, make their own decisions, and realize that everyone's experiences in life are different.

Suerte,

Shawn

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[amandinha]

The visa is important to open bank accounts, like you said and not to mention that you will need it for other things, such as getting a cell phone or an Internet connection.

I have both a Spanish cell phone through Orange and internet access in my piso through Telefonica, and you don't need your visa to get these things, only a passport number in some cases.

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[RebeccaG]

Probably one of the most maddening things about living in Spain is that sometimes the rules are enforced and sometimes they aren't.

Take the new law with the point system for licensed drivers, for example. I know, for most Americans this is nothing new. Well it's a real novelty here. The whole idea was to crack down on scofflaws. One of my clients is a lawyer... A LAWYER... he told me that he always talks on his mobile phone while in the car. He has been stopped at least 5 times by different police officers where they have simply let him off with a \"first time warning\" instead of applying the point penalty. He confessed to me that he will continue to talk on his mobile phone (he has a handsfree system in his car, but is loathe to use it). On the other hand, there was this guy who lost his driving privileges the first month the new system was in place by consistently going over the speed limit (a mere 10 kmph more) and getting caught by a radar at the same tunnel.

So, I would apply this indiscriminate enforcement of the law to getting your visa. You never know when you will be asked to provide it and it's always better to do a little CYA.

With regards to not needing it once here, I think I missed something. Isn't this program a year long program? If so, then you most definitely need it to remain in the country past the 90-day tourist visa (which really is just a stamp in your passport once you arrive in Spain).

Again, while some of you may have opened a bank account or gotten a mobile phone or internet connection without the visa, that is not the standard and it is simply the luck of the draw. Take this from someone who has lived here for the past 6 years and has gone through practically every bureacratic process imaginable from lawsuits, to opening a business, to having surgery and having a baby, to buying a house.  

After all the effort that you have gone through to complete the application process, is it really worth it to blow off something that could come back to bite you in the a** ?? Just something to think about!    

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[SRedw]

Rebecca,

You have said more than a motuhful.  When I was in Madrid in 2003, I opened both my bank account and cell phone account without a visa and just a passport number.  After March 11, many companies and banks started asking for a NIF or NIE to open accounts.  That slowly changed a year later, but it still is considered luck of the draw.  

I have had it happened to me so many times that I go to allplaces with more than enough paperwork just in case they need it.  Sometime they do, sometimes they don't.     The joys of living in Spain and I, personally, wouldn't trade it for the world.  Like one friend told me, Living in Spain keeps me on my toes and keeps the mind challenged.

Shawn

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[amandinha]

Again, while some of you may have opened a bank account or gotten a mobile phone or internet connection without the visa, that is not the standard and it is simply the luck of the draw.

This appears to be true for opening a bank account.  Although the bank didn't ask for my visa, they wanted my NIE and a bunch of forms that had to be filled out by the Junta where I live.  However, some people in the program just went to the bank and opened an account without any paperwork.  In that sense, of course it would be a good idea to be prepared and have all of your documents in order.

However, I know for a fact that it's not necessary to have a visa for a telephone or phone/internet/cable service.  In theory, an American could be living here for the 3 months allowed without a visa, and want to sign up for these services.  Thus, they wouldn't need a visa, and only a passport number.  The visas issued from the Spanish Consulate in the U.S. don't even have a concrete \"number,\" so it's not as if there's a space for your \"visa number\" on forms.  Futhermore, it would seem rather ludicrious to have to bring a copy of your visa to sign up for a cell phone.

I don't reccommend NOT getting a visa, and I know I would never come here for a year without one, however it's aggravating to have to get one in the U.S. with all of the inconsistencies between the consulates (Do you have to pay if you're in this program?  Do you have to pick it up yourself or can somebody else?  Having to travel far two separate times if you don't live near the consulate, Difference between documents needed, length of processing time, etc.)

Furthermore, I've gone on vacation while being here, and I've entered Spain twice thus far with an expired visa, and immigration doesn't seem to care.  The last time I came back they seemed more interested in inspecting my Brazilian visa for 5 minutes than noting that the Schengen visa was no longer valid.  All I'm trying to say is that Spain can be extremely lax in these matters at times, and at some times it's easy to feel as if you did a lot of work to get the visa for nothing.  

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[SRedw]

However, I know for a fact that it's not necessary to have a visa for a telephone or phone/internet/cable service. In theory, an American could be living here for the 3 months allowed without a visa, and want to sign up for these services. Thus, they wouldn't need a visa, and only a passport number. The visas issued from the Spanish Consulate in the U.S. don't even have a concrete \"number,\" so it's not as if there's a space for your \"visa number\" on forms. Futhermore, it would seem rather ludicrious to have to bring a copy of your visa to sign up for a cell phone.

This is a blanket statement which does not apply to everyone.  I know of several people in Madrid who COULD NOT open a bank account just with a passport and I am talking about banks such as LaCaixa, BBVA and Caja Madrid.  The same for Vodafone.  Even some people that I know were told that Telefónica no longer allowed people to get Internet services using only their passport number.  

All in all, we can talk until we are blue in the face and it goes back to just a person's situation being the luck of the draw.  It depends on the day and that person who helps you.

I would encourage all people to get the visa and make your life much easier in general because one never knows when that student visa will come in handy.

Shawn

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[amandinha]

I hate to be trite, but I feel as if you're missing my point.  Never anywhere did I say that I thought it would be a good idea to not get a visa.  

It is important to have a visa here, and all accepted applicants for the program should have one.

I did say that it is most likely needed to open a bank account, which is true.

As for the phone situation, if you really want a cell phone and can't get one from Vodafone without a visa, then there are always other options where a visa is not needed.  The same goes for Telefonica, although if you sign up for services online you will notice that the site asks for either a DNI, NIF, or Passport number as part of the sign-up procedure.  It's not simply \"luck\" that allowed me to sign up for services from the company, but their standard procedure, which does not ask for a visa.

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[SRedw]

Amandinha,

We won't see this topic eye to eye and I certainly haven't missed any point that wasn't clearly written or expressed.  I do not read betwen the lines on message boards.  Let's just agree to disagree.  You have your way of looking at the situation and I have mine.  :wub:

Back to the topic at hand, which is North American Language And Culture Assistant Program.

Shawn

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[amandinha]

You're so right Shawn.  Let's just agree to disagree.  Whatever.   [_[

Anyway, for the people who are actually participating in the program this year, have your individual regions organized a region-wide meeting for all of the auxiliars?  In Extremadura we were notified this week via fax of a meeting that will be held next Thursday in Don Benito.  Each auxiliar and a representitive from the school have to attend to talk about their experiences and what they've done within the school, and then after they're going to open the floor to discuss suggestions for improvement of the program.  It says that each school will be allotted 10 minutes for discussion of activities.  We get lunch afterwards.

Just interested if anybody else is attending/has attended/will attend something similar in their respective regions and if so, what you guys plan on bringing up for each topic.  What do you think about the idea of this meeting in general?

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[SRedw]

You're so right Shawn. Let's just agree to disagree. Whatever.   [_[

I'll take the high road on this one.

Tell the truth.  If you have had a bad experience, let the right people know, but the key is to offer constructive criticism and tell them what can be changed about the program.  Only you know what your experiences were like and now you have the opportunity to get it off of your chest and tell it to people who can make a difference.  No one on this board can change they system.

I have enjoyed reading all feedback, whether good or bad, and thank every person who has participated to shed more light on this program.

Shawn

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[Beckett]

I am currently an auxiliar in Madrid and I can assure all of you that you MUST HAVE A VALID VISA if you are a U.S. citizen. Yes, the visa is only valid for three months but during those three months you will apply for your Spanish foreigner identity card, which is called the NIE. Having this one card will make your life much simpler while living in Spain. It is a widely used and widely requested form of identification. Besides this, you will not get paid by the program if you don't have a NIE. It's as simple as that.

If you get accepted to the program and don't apply for your visa, you will have more problems than you can ever imagine. You may be shooting yourself in the foot before you even step on the plane to come to Spain.

Follow the application requirements to the letter so that you can minimize potential hassles and frustration later.

Good luck!

 

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[SRedw]

Thanks Beckett.  Your point's well taken and well expressed.  I lived 3 and 1/2 years in Spain without a visa and encountered some problems when it came to doing certain things.  And it's like Rebecca said, sometmes the laws are enforced and sometimes they're not.

Shawn

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[MadrileñaJoelie]

Anyone applying from in and around the DC area?

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[rafferty]

Should we start a new thread, or even suggest a new forum area for this program? Maybe it would be easier to find information that way instead of sorting through 42 pages of this thread. Or, maybe we could build a faq from this thread? I'd be willing to put in some work.

Webmaster? Anyone?

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[SRedw]

Rafferty,

This is an interesting point of view.  Let's see what Rebecca says about this.  I'd be willing to put in work as well.  

Shawn

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[Beckett]

I think you guys should consider closing this thread to additional comments and open a brand new thread for the upcoming 2007-2008 program. People would still be able to read old posts but they won't have to worry that they are missing the most up to date info. Perhaps you could have the new thread start next month or in June. By June many applicants will have already heard if they have been accepted to the program and that's when the new round of questions will start emerging about applying for a visa, looking for housing, finding bargain plane tickets, etc.  

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[RebeccaG]

Hello Beckett,

That's a great idea!

Click here for the new thread about the 2007-08 North American Language and Cultural Assistant program.

This record breaking thread is now officially closed!    

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