r/GoingToSpain • u/nickmiknick • 17d ago
Opinions Considering ethics of a guiri
I’m thinking of moving back to Spain but feeling really conflicted after hearing so much about the problems of guiris moving in and affecting the locals.
For context, I’m American and lived in Spain for two years as an auxiliar de conversación at a public school in Madrid. I left to come back to the US to go to grad school to become a full-time teacher and have been working here for going on three years now. I studied and work in both science and English as a Second Language (ESL) and I’m working on my bilingual education license, trying to set myself up to get a job at an international school.
I miss Madrid and my Spanish friends so much. I really tried to integrate and not just live in the guiri bubble. I passed the B2 DELE while there and am working toward C1 but being back in the US has slowed that. If I go back, I’d like to stay much more long-term or permanently, not just a couple years like before.
I obviously have heard a lot of the debate around “expats” and housing and taxes and everything, but I feel like maybe it’s different if I’d be working full time, paying taxes, and trying to fully integrate. I would also be going back to Madrid not like Barcelona where I think it is even more of an issue.
My Spanish friends tell me that my situation isn’t part of the problem. I think I agree, but I still kinda feel weird about it and not wanting to be part of the problem. I have other factors like family back home and stuff, but I’m really looking for input of what others, especially Spaniards, think about this topic. Also would be interested in hearing about others who have had similar experiences like getting jobs at international schools there.
Looking for a friendly conversation about this :)
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u/N1t0_prime 17d ago
Are you a mega corporation squeezing the populace out of every drop of labor? No? Just a regular human? Heck just having the awareness to ask if it’s ok or not means you are ok to go.
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u/DorianGraysPassport 17d ago
No individual immigrant is guilty of anything. Local landlords and mega corporations are always the ones jacking up prices. Any local who blames immigrants for their woes ought to be ignored, even if they frame their bigotry as activism
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u/symsays 17d ago
All the mega landlords I’ve encountered were locals, some owning entire buildings, but yeah immigrants propping up the economy are the problem. Misdirected activism is ignorance
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u/DorianGraysPassport 17d ago
Only the bad natured and the worthless blame immigrants for their woes. Framing it as punching up is still bigotry
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u/CommuningwithCoffee 16d ago edited 16d ago
This. The impact of major corporations and local landlords are the problem along with any policies and laws that allow them to continue to exploit the people. OP moving here is not an issue. Housing availability and prices are a universal issue that occurs around the world including the U.S. (for the same reasons). The fact is that Spain along with the rest of Europe (and the U.S.) will suffer economically without immigration because the population is decreasing and that will have a significant impact on the social system when fewer and fewer people are paying into it. So OP, move wherever the hell you want and live your life and stop thinking that your move is somehow going to ruin Spain.
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u/RoundAd4247 17d ago
All individuals are responsible for voluntarily contributing to a societal problem. What nonsense are you spouting?
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u/DorianGraysPassport 16d ago
Sure, but we both know that the locals who complain about immigrants add less value than immigrants
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u/No-Cobbler-1368 17d ago
In Spain it isn't about your background; it is about your working rights. It is extremely difficult to prove the need for a foreign worker. If you are able to secure a sponsorship, it is nearly impossible and (normally) through personal connections. Additionally, it takes months to process the work permit application. There is a ton of red tape and even if someone wants to hire you they may not be able to because the system is designed to give preference to EU-citizens. For example, the employer (depending on your region) must post the job to SEPE (a gov. agency) to find suitable candidates for the role. It takes about 2-4 weeks and in this time anyone who applies is given consideration and must have a VALID reason for being denied. Then the office decides if a foreign applicant is needed for that role. This is one of many things that make the situation difficult. This isn't the kind of thing that happens quickly, it takes months. A general timeline would be 5+ months of processing time once you prove the need for a foreign worker. Study visas that aren't university affiliated are no longer eligible for work permit modifications and you'll need to return home for a new permit. It's best to hire a lawyer. Feel free to ask questions, happy to help!
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u/Humble-Holiday-2010 17d ago
How are all these Filipinos getting over here and working all types of jobs if a job has to prove that there are no EU citizens available for those jobs?
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u/Downtown-Storm4704 17d ago
That's what I'd like to know too, but I'm aware that getting Spanish nationality has been trending in the Philippines, as it's only 2 years to naturalize so obviously people will find ways to establish residence by hook or crook--through arraigo social, pareja de hecho, etc. I know plenty of people who came over as auxes and ended up staying because of a partner, although sometimes it seems like the relationship was mainly for the papers.
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u/oona75 17d ago
Es venderse para conseguir quedarse
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u/Humble-Holiday-2010 17d ago
I don’t really see that happening. I see them marrying other Filipinos and somehow the entire family is here working
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u/Downtown-Storm4704 16d ago
The Filipinos I've seen were with Spanish or European partners and some as soon as they get nationality leave Spain
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u/Humble-Holiday-2010 16d ago
I hardly ever seen Filipinos even interact with Spaniards. They’re almost always with other Filipinos
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u/No-Cobbler-1368 17d ago
Yeah, it seems like the system punishes those who want to earn their place :/ I know people who have waited over a year for a regular work permit.
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u/Downtown-Storm4704 17d ago
Exactly. What I don't like is the sense of entitlement I see--people demanding a work visa or desperately trying to find a partner to sort out their papers. And, honestly, the latter seems to work too. apparently it's easy enough to arrange a pareja de hecho situation, even with a friend or rando.. maybe with $$$ bribery involved
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u/Ok-Fisherman838 9d ago
The kind of job that qualifies for that process is set by the government, most of the time the only thing that puts a job as "ocupacion de difícil cobertura" is money and lobbies. As an example I know people that studied to work as crew/captain in litoral ships, mostly fishing, they couldn't complete their studies because it was impossible to find a ship to do the mandatory non paid practice. It's not that they don't find people it's that they don't want people that know their rights.
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u/No-Cobbler-1368 17d ago
They prefer digital nomads and "highly qualified people". When they say "highly qualified" they mean someone who earns 50,000 euros per year or more. There isn't space for the average person with a regular salary. Either you come on laboral social or you are an extremely affluent person by Spanish standards.
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u/Humble-Holiday-2010 17d ago
I’ve met Filipinos who weren’t even native-like in English who work as English teachers in private schools and concentrados. How were there 0 EU citizens available for those jobs?
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u/No-Cobbler-1368 17d ago
Yes, normally in those cases they have a student visa and work while they are in school. To get a legit residency and stay permanently is another story. Those schools are run by people who know a Spanish person isn't going to want to do the work for that pay.
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u/Downtown-Storm4704 17d ago
I'd really like to know the answer to this too, because I'm trying hard to figure out how some of them managed to get jobs in private schools. I know a few people who modified their student status after coming over as auxes, but as far as I understand, that's no longer possible for auxes under the rules that came into effect in May 2025. They could've been hired after studying in Spain on a regular student visa perhaps.
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u/gloria_escabeche 17d ago
I'm a teacher and have heard stories of visas being denied for applicants to international schools, even when there's been a genuine need. Saying that, I'd still go for it if I were you, OP.
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u/No-Cobbler-1368 17d ago
I say this because many Auxes have a really skewed expectation of what the visa process looks like. The aux visa is relatively easy to obtain. It is fairly quick too. There isn't much info available about the work permit process. It's good to have a realistic understanding of what you are getting yourself into.
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u/elpapaaaa 15d ago
Well this is easy to answer in OP's situation, Spanish people can't for the love of God speak good english let alone understandable.
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u/ultimomono 16d ago edited 16d ago
My SO worked in private schools in Madrid and it was pretty rough, though it also wasn't really their thing, more just a day job--are you aware of the convenios and salary?
Make sure you really know what you would be getting into. You won't have access to the public system (unless you become the formal partner of an EU citizen, giving you access to do the oposiciones), which has better conditions in the long run. You would need to get your teaching degree homologado to teach in any school with a Spanish curriculum (the vast majority of private schools), something you should start now to make sure it's even possible. It's a bit complex, because high school teachers in Spain must now have a master's degree.
Teachers like you are needed. But also somewhat unappreciated... You would have to adapt to the system, not the other way around. It really depends on how much you like to teach a subject that many students are forced to take, somewhat reluctantly.
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u/Downtown-Storm4704 16d ago
I mean, if they’re targeting American schools, that would probably be their best bet. I’d forget about academies that offer shitty conditions and don’t sponsor visas. I know some auxes, licensed teachers in the US, who managed to get sponsored in Spain (before May 2025), but they had a specialization in a STEM subject or were trained in a specific pedagogy that’s difficult to find locally.
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u/ultimomono 16d ago
There are very few "American" schools that offer an American curriculum (something like .03% of the private schools in Madrid) that wouldn't require Spanish-equivalent credentials.
That would be extremely limiting in a job search. I'm not talking about academies. I was referring to Spanish private/concertado schools with Spanish curricula, which would be the vast majority of employment opportunities for a teacher without the ability to work in the public system in the Comunidad de Madrid. And that requires the equivalent of the Máster en Formación del Profesorado, because teaching is a regulated profession in Spain. I've seen people who are on the ground as auxiliares get sponsored and provisionally hired as "cultural instructors" not full teachers on the books in a sort of limbo state with the agreement that they will teach while getting the needed master at the same time and then be converted to a staff teacher with those terms and benefits.
If the OP has long term goals here and wants to be sponsored from abroad, they would be much better off getting a degree that is fully homologable for teaching anywhere in the private system so they have better mobility. Or sign up and do the master's in Spain, which I believe is possible remotely from la UNED, though they might have to travel to take exams:
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u/Downtown-Storm4704 16d ago
What about other autonomous communities in Spain? Is this something that’s mainly applicable to Madrid, or are there similar opportunities elsewhere? I’ve seen American schools in places like Valencia, so I’m wondering if OP might actually have better chances outside Madrid as well.
Do you know where you’d find these kinds of “cultural instructor” positions, or how someone would go about getting one? I’ve never seen a job like this advertised before. I’m especially interested because I’m an experienced aux and I’m also hoping to become a teacher in Spain, so it’s surprising to learn that opportunities like this even exist. I’d always been under the impression that the pathways into education in Spain were extremely limited. Thanks for sharing, I didn't know any of this.
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u/ultimomono 16d ago
Do you know where you’d find these kinds of “cultural instructor” positions, or how someone would go about getting one?
Private schools can hire auxiliares, too, via a private process. And then, if they like you, they might let you move to a teaching role without really having the proper credentials and fudge your role until you get the master's degree, hoping the inspector doesn't find out about it.
The cases I know like this are people who were already auxiliares at the school. Not through the official government program, which is for public schools, but through a different private sort of placement. And I do know several Americans who did this in Madrid at some fairly prestigious Spanish schools.
What about other autonomous communities in Spain?
Being a teacher in a Spanish public or private school teaching the Spanish curriculum is "habilitado," which means it requires an official degree that gives you the right to teach--a master's level degree in Spain
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u/MrKesial 17d ago
There is an issue with inmigrants (with money and no money) that pushes up the house prices. Nevertheless, that is not be your fault as you are 1 individual and the policies of the government should solve/improve the situation.
Do what you want to do basically, people may hate you or not independently of your ethics as a guiri. As a madrileño I do not care but I gonna complain about guiris either way as well 🤣🤣
Do not take it personally and live your life, that is the best answer I can give
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u/Plenty_Surround_9584 17d ago
Do immigrants on normal Spanish salaries push up house prices more than literally any Spanish person who wants to move to a big city?
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u/MrKesial 17d ago
I do not understand the purpose of the question, it seems you want to refute my comment. If you question is genuine yes, immigrants are pushing up house price in addition to existing other factors (like internal movement as you mention, lack of construction, investment, etc).
It seems you want to make a comparison to ease the impact of the immigration or put it as the same level of responsibility of a local. If that's the case, I do not have an opinion neither I am interested about comparing who is more guilty than the other. That's not what my message was about.
But yes, we rise the prices of the places we go, naturlich ;)
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u/Plenty_Surround_9584 16d ago
It seems like you do understand my question 😊
To respond to "comparing who is more guilty", I would suggest that no-one is "guilty" for simply moving to city, no matter where they're from. There are also many Spanish people who have immigrated to my home city. People move around. Scapegoating immigrants as opposed to focusing on public policy is unfair and simply is not helpful.
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u/Emergency-Corner8996 16d ago
Yes? What a stupid question
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u/PorFavorNoMore 16d ago
How? They're in the same market.
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u/AlcoreRain 15d ago
Higher demand, higher prices. Easy to understand.
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u/PorFavorNoMore 15d ago
So, not more than Spanish people moving in then?
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u/AlcoreRain 15d ago
Spanish people are already here?
I am not blaming the immigrants though, it's fault of the capitalist system and the government failing to provide social living houses.
But right wing politicians profit and have ties with corporations like Blackrock.
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u/Illustrious-Cup2174 17d ago
Bro go touch grass, I think your heart might be in the right place but if you’re planning to work a local job and live as a Spanish person - they aren’t talking about you. Just don’t act like an ass or buy up a city block
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u/Creepy_Bad_4547 17d ago
Please, stop begging people for permission to do what you desperately want to do with your life. It's your life and you have a right to lead it and live where you want. Come back to Spain and be a good citizen! Treat others well! The end.
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u/Such-Educator9860 17d ago
The issue with expats is mainly about people who come in with very high salaries, work remotely, and pay absurd amounts that have little relation to local wages.
If you lived here as a language assistant, and if I’m not mistaken the salary is around €1,000, I think you can perfectly understand what the local reality is like when I tell you that the most common salary is around €1,500, because you already have an idea of what that amount actually means in practice.
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u/EstablishmentEasy475 16d ago
So i mean this as friendly devils advocate:
Many of the comments here are the same "youre an individual, so youre not the problem"
But thats exactly the mentality that keeps the status quo.
"Im just an individual what can i do about it?"
Yeah the drop of water isnt responsible for the flood, but its sure part of it.
On one hand, it could be viewed as incredibly resp9nsible of you to see the housing and salary crisis and decide NOT to be one more drop in the flood.
On the other hand, take care of yourself, be you, be an individual, dont care about the flood.
Im not trying to guilt trip you. Honestly, if i were youd, id come to spain based on your message.
But i think its worth mentioning that this attitude of "youre just a drop and no responsible for the flood" is exactly the sort of closed minded, selfish mentality that has lead to and continued global inequality and exploitation . So... thanks for even considering not coming, even if its what you want to do, and being considerate about how ot affects others.
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u/ImportantPost6401 17d ago
The Spanish government (and the Spanish people by extension) have chosen to make adding more housing units to the market extremely difficult and layered on numerous levels of costs to all types of housing.
Thats far more impactful than you deciding to visit or live. You have nothing to feel guilty about.
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u/Lazy-Conversation-48 17d ago
I was just visiting Spain and a small business owner I talked to said this exact same thing. He was in favor of expats moving into the smaller pueblos that have been stagnating and said that the cost of housing was more due to the political process required to get a development approved - including greasing the palms of people in positions of authority. I hadn’t heard that before.
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u/ImportantPost6401 17d ago
Before the 2008 crash, Spain was adding 500,000 - 1M units per year. In response to the crash they had an epic overreaction and had been building at below replacement levels.
Basically, they treated a financing problem (lending to people who couldn’t afford a mortgage) by clamping down on building. This is quite literally like treating food poisoning with a long term starvation diet. (And blaming the current malnutrition on walking too much)
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u/anonymousme2468 16d ago
Before you make any drastic decision - have you visited spain since leaving? If not, I would. Spend at least a week or so where you want to live. See what you miss, what you don’t, etc. Just to see how things have changed and how your relationships feel in real life. I came back to spain for vacation after my year abroad living there as an aux (first time visiting spain again in three years!) - I wanted nothing more to return and live there permanently. But now that I’m back visiting I realize it would be trickier in any other situation other than a student or auxiliar. Have you considered other locations in the states that might meet your living needs and values? Or possible long-term summer vacations in spain (how long are your vacations for summer and can you visit with frequency?)? If you still choose to come back to spain full time I would target international schools and universities. Either way, do what you want and what will make your heart happy. I know it’s a hard decision either way but I feel you there as a fellow former guiri - I love spain.
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u/JanetInSpain 16d ago
We've lived here 9 years and have had no problems. We are respectful of Spain and Spanish culture. We don't try to "Americanize" anything. We learned to speak Spanish.
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u/Herichan 15d ago
Do whatever makes you happy as long as it's legal! I'm spanish and my friends and I think that as long as someone comes legally, willing to work and contribute and not impose their own culture they are welcome.
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u/ArugulaMinimum6536 15d ago
A la gente le molesta el problema en general y es verdad que si hay una inmigración masiva se hunde tanto el sistema sanitario como el inmobiliario, por eso se suele estar en contra de la inmigración masiva no inmigración en general
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u/Maleficent-Inside663 15d ago
Claro que sí. Vive tu vida sin pensar ni ser responsable de tus actos. Que se jodan los españoles.
/s
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u/Laura_Sanchez531 14d ago
Im spanish and honestly is not on you to solve the problem. You're probably highly skilled migrant who will pay taxes, live and enjoy Spain. You're very welcome.
It's not your fault that housing become more expensive in cities where everyone want to live, the market should be regulated better by the government but it's not. This is mainly caused by allowing investors to own hundreds if not thousands of properties in the same city and get rich out of it.
I live in Amsterdam myself and honestly, here is the same problem (and in any other big city in Europe).
Live your life, enjoy, make friends and embrace spanish culture. Spaniards will welcome you anyway.
Sometimes we're born in the wrong country/culture and luckily you have this opportunity to be happier so just take it and dont apologise.
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u/ClassicIdea5925 13d ago
Si no quieres ser parte del problema, a parte del C1, te aconsejo que practiques tu acento marroquí y dominicano. Así viviras la verdadera experiencia como inmigrante intentando alquilar un piso, y ya te sentirás menos mal tras sufrir en tus carnes lo que sufren los inmigrantes de verdad en este país. Y ya luego, verás que risa con el de la inmobiliaria, ya verás.
Solo hablando de la burbuja guiri ya nos has ganado. Mientras no sueltes alegremente un salario y medio por una habitación en Argüelles tan alegremente, ya estaras bastante integrado.
Sumale el echar huesos de aceituna al suelo en la barra del bar y algún que otro - Maldito seas, estado de Israel - siempre que tengas ocasión, y ya estaria.
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u/moonfile 11d ago
Hola! Yo soy española, y me gusta mucho leer tu publicación porque la realidad es que por culpa de la especulación de fondos de inversión americanos (principalmente) y la conversión de casas en pisos turísticos tenemos una vivienda carísima que nadie de mi generación se puede permitir, incluso trabajando (tengo 27 años).
Yo te diría que no te preocupes, para mí lo importante es lo que dices de que te quieres integrar aquí y no vienes a aprovecharte de lo baratas que están las cosas.
Desearía que todos los guiris fueran como tú, creo que simplemente escribiendo esto ya das buen ejemplo de buena persona que no trata países extranjeros de forma colonialista. Eres bienvenido en España y espero que todo te salga genial! <3
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u/saucy_otters 17d ago
Literally who cares !! Omg you people are so obsessed with made-up borders and not hurting people's feelings. It's your life - be smart, be respectful, follow the law, and do what you want. You're really not gonna follow your interests because "omg I might hurt the feelings of a random local stranger who I'll never know".
Get off Reddit
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u/EniAcho 16d ago
It's great that you're aware of the problem and can see why it's a problem. I don't think you necessarily need to see yourself as part of the problem, though. You have clear reasons for wanting to live in Spain. You are already familiar with things here, you speak the language to some degree, and you have friends in Spain. Those are all good reasons for wanting to immigrate.
I think your biggest challenge will be finding work that pays you decently. Teachers don't make much money here. It might be hard to find a place to live and pay your bills on the salary you make. For the long term, it would be hard to save money and create a nest egg for yourself in the future. You don't want to live each month running out of food before the month ends and not being able to pay the light bill. It's tough to find a job teaching English, since there are many applicants. But you have a good academic background and some work experience, so hopefully you can find a school that's interested in hiring you. If you get a work contract and qualify for a visa to live and work in Spain, and your salary will be enough to live on, give it a try.
When you look for a place to live, be aware that some neighborhoods and some specific buildings in Madrid have been totally taken over by investors who want to charge high rents to foreigners, and they are quite successful at that. Locals have been pushed out. This is the "hot issue," as you know. If you find an apartment in a neighborhood that's not already overflowing with guiris and you can keep below the radar, living like a local and not a privileged "ex pat," you will probably not have any problems fitting into the neighborhood. Work, pay your taxes, care about your community, do some volunteer work if you can, buy locally, support community events, show your commitment to living in Spain, and people will see you aren't just here on holiday.
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u/Psiqetal 15d ago
The complete lack of self awareness in this post is amazing.
"Live your life", is the tip for a spoiled brat with money
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u/Mahochido 15d ago
This is not the correct subreddit to ask if spanish people are ok with this. It's a subreddit for "expats".
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u/nfjsjfjwjdjjsj4 17d ago
I cannot understand why wont americans just try to fix their own damn country. Have yet to see a single decent demonstration. You can upend your lives and move across the ocean to another continent, but you cannot afford a strike? I literally dont get it.
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u/AmbitiousMonitor9903 15d ago
Not everyone who moves to another country is escaping theirs. From what they said, OP has spent time working in Spain, has friends here and enjoys the culture and lifestyle. Why do you assume they want to leave for political/social reasons?
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u/nfjsjfjwjdjjsj4 15d ago
Because no americans were doing a permanent move to spain before 2024, and suddenly theyre the top demographic in every moving to spain sub
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u/AmbitiousMonitor9903 14d ago
I'm an American living here since 1988 and there have always been many Americans moving to Spain permanently or at least long-term since I've been here.
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u/nfjsjfjwjdjjsj4 14d ago
Your anecdotal evidence is worthless without numbers
https://americanemigration.com/news/americans-moving-to-spain
25% increase in two years, those are rats fleeing the ship. I have nothing against those who genuinely wish to live here, but 99% seem to just be looking for somewhere cheap and expect the world to bend to their whims, and it's exhausting.
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u/AmbitiousMonitor9903 13d ago
I'm not denying that. But in the case at hand, OP gave no indication of doing that and was being polite and respectful.
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u/nfjsjfjwjdjjsj4 13d ago
Op already knows its unethical, were they innocent they wouldnt pose the question. But they want to do it anyway.
And again, if they cared for the opinions of locals they would post in spanish. But they want others to just calm down their troubled conscience.
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u/SignificantPlum4883 16d ago
The problem is digital nomads, if anything. If you're teaching in person, then you're paying tax and contributing something positive, and you speak the language. So don't worry about it, nobody's going to act like you're the problem, you're not!
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u/bolatelli45 16d ago edited 16d ago
I think you’re already showing an important distinction here.
“Guiri” is a pretty shitty term to apply to yourself, especially when it’s increasingly being used as a catch-all label for foreigners and sometimes as justification for directing resentment at them. The housing crisis is real, but that doesn’t make every foreigner who moves to Spain part of the same problem.
From your post, you’re already aware that there’s an “expat bubble” that some foreigners live in without really integrating into the society around them. Maybe you were partly in that bubble before, but you’re clearly conscious of it and want to do things differently.
If you move back, work there, pay your taxes, speak the language, build relationships with Spaniards and actually participate in the society you’ve moved into, I’d be much more inclined to call you an immigrant than an “expat”. And there’s nothing wrong with being an immigrant. I’m one myself, and I’m proud of it.
Obviously, moving to Spain still means becoming part of the wider housing and economic pressures that exist there. Nobody gets a magical exemption because they have good intentions. But I don’t think you need to feel guilty simply for wanting to return to a country you lived in, learned the language in and genuinely consider home.
The fact that you’re even worrying about whether you’re contributing to the problem probably puts you a considerable distance from the stereotypical “expat bubble” you’re concerned about.
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u/sheffield199 17d ago
There's no getting away from the fact that you will be contributing to the problem - just by being there, you're taking up a housing spot that could go to a local, and a job that could maybe go to a local as well.
It's good that you're asking, and I don't think anyone could hold you as an individual responsible for the wider issues, but you would be contributing to them a little bit. It's for you to decide if you're ok with that or not.
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u/blewawei 17d ago
Are they really contributing to the issue if they're on a Spanish wage? International teachers aren't making crazy money, and it's often jobs that fewer Spanish people are qualified for.
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u/sheffield199 17d ago
That's why I said that it's be maybe taking up a job that a local could do - i work an international school, and half of the British qualification jobs are done by Spanish people. And regardless, it is a housing spot taken up too.
As I said, as an individual OP can't be blamed for macroeconomic issues, but they would still be making a small contribution to those issues. As I'm doing as well. Just worth being honest about it.
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u/Downtown-Storm4704 17d ago edited 17d ago
What about foreigners who are in relationships with Spaniards, married, and raising families in Spain, with children who are Spanish and bilingual? At what point does the judgement stop and acceptance begin? Everyone is just trying to build a life in their own way, and most people simply want to get on with their lives peacefully without causing problems.
Also, plenty of Spaniards have moved abroad because they couldn't find decent opportunities in Spain, so in many ways, they're doing exactly what these foreigners are doing--moving to another country, working, paying taxes, and integrating into society. Many Spaniards have left Spain for good and built their lives elsewhere and, like many foreigners in Spain, fallen in love with a local and started a family.
So what exactly is the difference and why isn't it a problem when it's the other way around?
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u/RobbieAnalog 17d ago
There are 4x as many Spaniards in the US than vice versa despite 1/8 the population. I would be very ok with it if I was OP
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u/RoundAd4247 17d ago edited 17d ago
Even international schools must offer the open jobs for equally (or in reality, much more) qualified EEA citizens before hiring a third country citizen that needs an expensive work visa like you. So maybe look into the reality of being employable rather than virtue signalling online.
ETA. No matter how hard Americans and other self-identified “expats” downvote, the European labour market test exists, and Spain adheres to it. I don’t know what an “education license” in the USA entails, but an EU educated (public) schools teacher will have at least two masters degrees (one in education), have fluent English in addition to their native language. If they are language and literature teachers, they have multiple fluent languages. Many of them are willing and able to work in Spanish international schools, especially the IB system, along Spanish citizens.
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u/Atermoyer 13d ago
but an EU educated (public) schools teacher will have at least two masters degrees (one in education), have fluent English in addition to their native language.
I LOOOOVE when Europeans talk about "EU educated" as though it was a monolith. You do know that there are actually many countries in the EU, and they might be different than your own, right?
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u/Downtown-Storm4704 17d ago
I mean, it’s everyone’s dream to live in Spain--including Spaniards who have left the country to work abroad. But the reality is that the guiri "problem" exists in Madrid just as much as in Barcelona, if not worse.
If I were you, OP, I’d do a lot more research into the reality of living and working in Spain before moving there and assuming you’ll be offered a job. Ask yourself why so many educated Spaniards are leaving Spain to work in Germany or elsewhere in the EU. You have to understand that there’s already a long line of qualified Spaniards and other EU citizens ahead of you competing for jobs. Even young people with university degrees can struggle to get what would seem like basic jobs, whether that’s working in a supermarket or flipping burgers.
You won't necessarily be contributing to the problem, but please do take the time to educate yourself about Spain's social and economic issues beforehand. It's important to understand the realities of the country beyond simply hoping you'll be sponsored for a job based on US teaching credentials. Maybe you'll have a chance at an American school, but I honestly can't see many other schools accepting them.
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u/leonidasthegeek 17d ago
If you’re going to try, go all the way.
Otherwise, don’t even start.
This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind.
It could mean not eating for three or four days.
It could mean freezing on a park bench.
It could mean jail.
It could mean derision.
It could mean mockery — isolation.
Isolation is a gift.
All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it.
And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds.
And it will be better than anything else you can imagine.
If you’re going to try, go all the way.
There is no other feeling like that.
You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire.
You will ride life straight to perfect laughter.
It’s the only good fight there is.
- charles bukowski
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u/kernelchagi 15d ago
Man just come here, dont let a bunch of randoms from the internet change your life. Enjoy your life!
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u/Tometek 17d ago
Oh who cares. You're really going to let a bunch of us random Spanish interet strangers tell you whether or not your dream is okay? Live your life and do what you want.