Highly skilled professional residency:

Do you want to get your residency for being a highly skilled professional?

If you are interested, we can start by telling you that those who can apply for this residency are those people who have a very particular education or formation.

Permits for highly qualified staff must be applied for by the companies intending to incorporate foreign professionals in any of the following positions:

• Management or highly qualified staff of large businesses or corporate groups, or SMEs in strategic sectors.
• Management or highly qualified staff of business projects in the general interest.
• Graduates, postgraduates from universities and prestigious business schools.

The ¨UGE,¨ which is the Unidad de Grandes Empresas – Large Business and Strategic Groups Unit, asks that you give detailed information of what your job will be: your exact job position, your responsibilities, if you will manage a group of other people. salary, etc. The way you show this information is through a ¨Memoria Descriptiva.¨

What is a Memoria Descriptiva?

This is a document that will describe exactly what you will be doing in your job. As we mentioned before, you will need to give out details about your position, such as salary, responsibilities, etc.

This document is extremely important. Why? Because the UGE (Large Business and Strategic Groups Unit) will use this document to see if you really are a highly skilled professional and see if you really qualify for this residency. This will help in the process of your residency being approved, so we highly recommend you turn in a ¨memoria descriptiva.¨

The highly skilled professional residency is regulated by the Ley de Emprendedores under de Código Nacional de Ocupación.

What is the Código Nacional de Ocupación?

This code has two groups: group 1 and group 2. Basically, the UGE requires us to determine in which group is the worker in.

The groups are as follows:

Group 1: Mostly directors and managers.

Group 2: Technicians and intellectual professionals with a high education. Those who have their degree; engineers, programmers, etc.

How can I renew my residency once is about to expire?

As you may already know, the highly skilled professional residency is valid for 2 years. This residency allows the person to live and work in Spain without any type of problems. However, it is very important to keep in mind that you should be working with the same company that the UGE authorized your residency.

In order to renew your residency it is very important that you worked and did everything you were supposed to for the company who first hired you (the same one with which you got your residency).

You have to opportunities to renew:

• During the 60 before your residency card expires
• In the first 90 days after your residency card expires

We always recommend that you renew in the 60 days before your card expires.

**It is very important that you are working in the same company**

What happens if a highly skilled professional changes employer/company?

The authorization or residency for highly skilled professionals are linked to the company that hires them. This mean that they should always maintain their working status in that company.

If the worker plans to switch companies, the worker has the obligation to notify this change to the UGE (Large Business and Strategic Groups Unit).

If the worker plans to switch companies, but they will still be a highly skilled professional and will have the same responsibilities, then the worker need to asks that change of company. The worker will also have to prove that he/she will be doing the same things and will have he same responsibilities at the new company.

The reason why is important to notify the UGE of any changes is because you will be basically applying for a new residency (with a new company)

Reunification of family members

This applies to both highly skilled professionals and investors.

• Your spouse
• Your domestic partner (pareja de hecho for example)
• Your children or those of your spouse as long as they are under 18 years old. (Also your children if they are older than 18 but they must be your dependant)
• Your parents or those of your spouse as long as they you can prove that they depend on you economically and that they do not have any own income.

What happens if I get fired?

If you are a highly skilled professional and you get fired you will be able to get a ¨prestación por desempleo,¨ which means unemployment benefit. However, this is only for those who worked at least one year. So, if you get fired or lose your job before 1 year then you would not be eligible.

What salary do I need to get in order to be considered a highly skilled professional?

New criteria on the required salary has been issued.

If you belong to group 1 (previously explained): the amount of money you need to make is 54.000 euros.

If you belong to group 2 (previously explained): the amount of money you need to make is 40.000 euros approximately.

If you are interested in applying for a residency as a highly qualified professional then do not hesitate and contact us.

We have a team of experts that can help you in your case.

You can call us at +34 911 270 920 or send us an email to info@sternaabogados.com