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SPAIN: Immigration Authorities Suspend In-Person and Telephone Consultations
October 4, 2018
The Spanish immigration authorities have issued an announcement confirming the temporary suspension of in-person and telephone consultations at both the Large Companies Unit (Unidad de Grandes Empresas – “UGE”) as well as the temporary suspension of in-person consultations at the General Subdirectorate of Immigration.
At the same time, immigration officers are working on clarifying the criteria for approval of applications under the Entrepreneur’s Act.
Background
This extraordinary measure is the result of a recent surge in complaints and enquiries from companies and their representative agents, due to delays in processing and an increase in application rejections.
The increased delays and rejections have been caused by uncertainty about the criteria for approval of applications under the Entrepreneur Act of 2013. There is no specific regulation implementing the Entrepreneur Act and, until now, there has been some flexibility (or inconsistency) in interpreting the law (see our recent alerts here and here).
Now, immigration officers are developing fixed criteria and requirements, which will be made public, to make the application process more transparent and to avoid delays and complaints.
Our Advice
Employers hiring foreign national workers under the Entrepreneurs’ Act should consult their Newland Chase immigration specialist for the latest developments.
For general advice and information on immigration and business travel to Spain, please email us at [email protected]
