Immigration lawyers in Barcelona

This is a common situation and does not in itself prevent a route to regularisation being explored: arraigo is designed precisely for people who have already been in Spain for some time without a permit. What matters is what can be evidenced — length of stay, ties, means of support — and whether there is a criminal record or any earlier decision. It has to be looked at case by case before anything is filed.

A refusal is not always the end of the road. Depending on the reason, an appeal may lie to the authority itself or to the administrative courts, and in other cases it is more effective to prepare a fresh application putting right whatever went wrong. The first thing to do is read the decision carefully, because it almost always states the exact reason and that reason determines the strategy. The time limits for appealing are short, so it should not be left.

It depends on the permit applied for and on your starting situation: there is no single answer, and working without permission where it is not allowed can damage the application itself. Before accepting a job it is worth checking exactly what the permit applied for, or the receipt for the application, allows.

The general legal time limit is three months from the date the application is complete, although in practice the authorities often take longer. Once that period has passed with no reply, you can ask for a certificate of silencio administrativo (deemed decision), whose effect — positive or negative — depends on the procedure: for initial applications it is usually negative, and for most renewals, positive. What is in our hands is avoiding the avoidable delays: filing a complete application first time and answering any requests within the time limit.

Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic; advice in Arabic is given by prior appointment, so it is worth saying so when requesting an appointment. For people from the Philippines there is support in Filipino if you request an appointment in advance, and a dedicated page for the Filipino community. In immigration matters sworn translations of foreign documents are often needed: if you commission a document review, we explain which documents need one and which do not.

It depends on the matter and on the work it requires: preparing a renewal with the paperwork in order does not cost the same as appealing a refusal to the courts. That is why the firm does not publish fixed rates. Before any work starts, the firm explains the scope and the fees, and the client decides whether to accept. The first visit at no charge* is initial guidance. Administrative fees are a separate cost set by the authorities.

A gestoría (an administrative agent) can help you file papers. A lawyer brings the judgement that comes first — which route applies, what can be proved, what is better not filed yet — and can appeal to the authorities or to the courts if the decision goes against you. If, on seeing your case, it turns out to be straightforward and clear, we will tell you so.

It depends on what stage the proceedings have reached, on the reason and on your personal and family circumstances. A removal order can be appealed and, where the circumstances justify it, the court can be asked to suspend its enforcement while the appeal is decided. The time limits are short and run from notification, so the first thing to do is bring the decision in so we can look at it. When the appointment is confirmed, the firm will tell you whether looking at it falls within the visit at no charge or is part of the advance review.

The residence that counts towards nationality by residence must be lawful, continuous and immediately before the application, so any gaps have to be examined one by one before anything is filed: they do not all carry the same weight. Long absences from the country also matter. Checking the calculation first avoids a refusal and the wait that goes with it.

The firm is at Carrer del Freser, 104, in El Clot, and advises clients throughout Barcelona and the surrounding area. Where the matter does not require you to be present, the consultation can be held by telephone or video call and the documents sent electronically. There are steps, such as giving fingerprints, that require you to attend in person before the authorities: nobody can do that for you.

Yes. In Spain immigration applications and appeals are usually prepared by an abogado; there is no separate figure of immigration attorney or solicitor. Many applications can be filed without a lawyer, but appeals to the courts are lodged by one. The lawyer can prepare and file the application, answer requests from the immigration office and appeal a refusal, first to the authorities and then in the courts. Ajuridic advises on Spanish immigration law only, not on UK, Irish or US immigration, and assists in English, among other languages. More on how Spanish lawyers compare with solicitors and attorneys.