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Showing posts from August, 2012

Bought the Transatlantic Plane Tickets

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Since my visa came in the mail a few days ago, I bought my airplane tickets to Spain yesterday. I was originally planning to take advantage of Iberia’s Special Student Offer  (which also applies to language assistants), but as I was about to pay for my tickets, I realized they didn’t accept my credit card company—which means a loss of cash back rewards. So, I hopped over to US Airways’ website (where they do  accept my credit card) and found a ticket that was $85 cheaper: $1,000 , all fees and taxes included. My flight, kudos to Great Circle Mapper I’ll leave the US in late September with a short layover in Philadelphia (gotta love US Airways hubs!) before the long overnighter to Madrid. If I have any luck at all, I might get a few hours of sleep. Let the packing begin!

My Spanish Visa Arrived—It’s Officially Official Now!

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My student visa ( visado de estudios ). I opened up the mailbox this afternoon and was initially surprised to see a letter-sized USPS Priority Mail cardboard envelope inside; I couldn’t remember ordering anything that shape recently. But when I saw the address in my handwriting on the front, I realized that the Consulate of Spain in Houston had approved my application for a student visa and had sent it back glued in my passport! Hooray! The days of waiting on Spain to get their act together are now over. (I’m gonna eat those words pretty soon here, though, I’m sure…) From finally getting off the waitlist in early July, to getting my school placement in late July, to applying for my visa in early August and receiving it now, in late August, I can now officially officially say I am going to Spain. What a relief! I had applied in person at the consular office in Houston on August 2 and the visa says my application was approved on August 13. Ten days after that, it showed u

How to Apply for a Student Visa for Spain at the Houston Consulate

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LAST UPDATED AUGUST 2015 For Spain’s North American Language and Culture Assistant program , you work 12 hours a week as a teacher’s assistant in English-speaking classrooms. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in doing, check out my post on how to apply for the program. However, once you’re accepted, you’ll have to apply for a student visa, rather than a work visa, in order to work in Spain as a language assistant. The government technically classifies the program as “continuing education” and you officially receive a “grant” each month…whatever. At least the visa process is simpler! My student visa for the 2012-2013 school year In this post I’ll explain how to apply for a student visa through the Consulate of Spain in Houston . This information applies only to those served by the Spanish consulate in Houston; i.e., residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and, of course, Texas. The Houston consulate’s website