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NALCAP - North American Language and Culture Assistant Program

URGENT NOTICE FOR NALCAP/STUDENT VISA APPLICANTS

Applicants for students visas are hereby notified that, according to ROYAL DECREE 1155/2024 of November 19, which the Regulations of Organic Law 4/2000 of January 11, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration, specifically Article 36, student visa applications must be submitted at least 2 months before start date of academic activity or studies.

If a student submits their visa application less than the legally required two months in advance, they should be aware that it may be denied or that they may only be able to obtain the visa once their studies have begun.

Therefore, all student visa applicants must submit a disclaimer form, expressly acknowledging that the application after the aforementioned deadline may result in the inability to begin their studies on time or in the denial of their visa.

NALCAP - North American Language and Culture Assistant Program

Visa for stays longer than 90 days to participate in the 2023-2024 North American Language and Culture Assistant program sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Spain, for North American and Canadian citizens.

Family members who can obtain a visa to accompany the student:

  • Spouse or legally recognized common-law partner.
  • Children under 18 years of age or children with disabilities.
    Family members will not be able to work during their stay in Spain.

NALCAP stays of less than 90 days do NOT require a study visa.

Applicants can apply at BLS HOUSTON OFFICE if they are permanent residents or attends any university / college of Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.

Visa applications must be submitted well in advance of the start of the corresponding study programs, as the procedure involves consultations with other authorities. Incomplete applications are not accepted.

Forms of presentation of documents:

  • All applications for study visas (students and family members, conversation assistants, au pairs, volunteers, etc.) must be submitted in person or by postal mail at BLS Visa Application Center for Spain.
  • BLS - Spain Visa Application Center, Houston
    National visa department 2500 West Loop South, suite 350 Houston Texas 77027.

The presentation may be made by the applicant or through a duly accredited representative, for which the notarized model can be used. See Download Forms section.

The visa collection, regardless of the form of presentation, can be made in person or for your convenience we can mail back your documents using our courier service which has an additional fee paid at the moment of the application. (check the fees section)

The Revised visa fee and BLS service charge are as follows:

Consulate Visa Fee Based on Citizenship & Duration Amount in USD
All other nationals 106
United States of America 160
Australia 472
United Kingdom > longer than 180 days 462
United Kingdom < shorter than 180 days 106
Mauritania 282
Ethiopia > longer than 180 days 548
Ethiopia < shorter than 180 days 106
BLS Service Fee Amount in USD
All Nationals 20
Notifications (SMS) 5
  • All Fees are non-refundable
  • The Visa Fee is subject to change without notice

Insurance for Long Term Visa

Travelling to Europe on National Visa? Buy your Health Insurance at competitive pricing from reputed Global Insurers! You may Click Here if you wish to avail this optional service now.

Disclaimer:- By clicking this link, you will be redirected to the third party website, your personal data will be handled in accordance with their privacy policy. Please note that BLS does not collect or process any information you provide on their site and does not hold any liability with respect to any dispute.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL NALCAP/STUDENT VISA APPLICANTS:
(NALCAP) Student visa applications must be submitted TWO MONTHS ( 2 months) in advance of the start date of studies (please refer to your acceptance letter to verify dates)

Before Medical certificate requirements under "Documents required" for NALCAP, please include the following requirement as is:

Proof of Health insurance. From an insurance company recognized and authorized to operate in Spain. The insurance must include all risks covered by the National Health System in Spain, and for the entire intended period of stay in Spain. The Health Insurance must not have any deductible, copayment or coverage limit; it must cover 100% of the medical, hospital and out-of-hospital expenses. Insurance cards will not be accepted as proof of coverage. Travel insurance will not be accepted.
The health insurance must be valid for one month (1 month) before the start date of the studies and for fifteen days (15 days) after completion.
Those who choose not to extend their health insurance
INSURANCE WAIVER FORM (for tech support: insert hyperlink and remove this line after)
must complete and sign the following form (please see attached document named insurance form and insert hyperlink to direct applicant to form). The student visa authorization will be processed for the exact days of the student programs.

DISCLAIMER FORM:
STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED AT LEAST TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE START OF STUDIES (ROYAL DECREE 1155/2024, ARTICLE 36).

YOU MUST DATE AND SIGN THIS DISCLAIMER FORM Disclaimer Form and submit it along with the other required visa documents.

  • National visa application form (Do not forget to indicate your email in section #17).
  • Proof of residence in the consular demarcation. Provide a copy (not the original) of the US driver's license, state Id or student Id.
  • Payment of the visa fee
  • Payment of the BLS processing fee
  • Disclaimer form must be submitted with the application.

Proof of legal residence in the United States. Must present one of the following documents:

  • Copy of Permanent Resident Card (Green card)
  • Copy of Valid US long-term Visa
  • F1 student visas must also submit original and copy of I-20 form

Holders of B-1/B-2 visas cannot apply in the United States; they must apply in their country of permanent residence.

  • Photography. A recent color photograph (US passport size), with a light, uniform background, preferably white. Photographs with a dark background or with objects or people that are seen from behind the head and that are not photographic paper will not be accepted. Do not staple or use anything other than glue to attach the photo to the form.
  • Passport or travel document recognized as valid with a duration of at least the time of stay requested and must contain at least two free pages in the visa section (copy of the page where your data and photos appear). Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.
  • Letter of Acceptance from the Autonomous Communities ("Appointment"). This letter must provide information about the school to which the applicant has been assigned (address, telephone, contact email). It must also contain information about the scholarship, the duration of the program and the insurance policy. The Spanish Consulate will ONLY accept original signatures or electronically signed letters.Fill in numbers 21 (date of entry) and 28 (complete information related to the school in Spain) in the application form.
  • Criminal record certificate (if the stay is longer than 180 days) stating that the applicant has no criminal record in the place where he has resided for the last five years. Does not apply to students under 18 years of age.

    You must request a background check verified by fingerprint comparison. The criminal background check must be issued by the US Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). State and Local Police and State Police background checks will not be accepted.

    The background check must be issued within six months prior to the submission of the visa application.

    The US certificate must be issued by the FBI and legalized with the Hague Convention Apostille by the Department of State in Washington DC and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator. (The translation does not need an Apostille and the Apostille does not need a translation).

    If the applicant has spent six months or more during the last five years in another country, he must present the criminal record of that country, legalized with the Apostille of The Hague and translated into Spanish. If the country is not part of the Hague Convention, the document must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the Spanish Consulate in that country.

FBI BACKGROUND CHECK INFORMATION: https://www.travelvisapro.com/fbi-background-check?client_id=832612178

TRANSLATIONS (AMERICAN TRANSLATORS ASSOCIATION): https://www.travelvisapro.com/translations?client_id=832612178

US INFO DEPARTMENT OF STATE APOSTILLE: https://www.travelvisapro.com/legalization?client_id=832612178

Medical certificate: A doctor’s recent statement (not older than 3 months). It must be signed by an MD or DO, with doctor´s ink signature and indicate the following: “ the interested does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions in accordance with the provisions of the 2005 International Health Regulations”. This certificate must include a stamp from the issuing Medical Center, doctor’s name and signature, doctor’s License Number and date of expedition. The certificate must be written on letterhead paper from hospital/doctor’s office or directly on the provided template. Please include a photocopy (not notarized) of the medical certificate with your submitted documents. Please find a template in “Download forms”

“This medical certificate certifies that Mr./Ms. (...) does not suffer from any disease that could have serious implications for public health in accordance with the provisions of the 2005 International Health Regulations”. In the case of using the model from our website, the Spanish translation is not necessary. See download form section

When necessary to evaluate the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also request the applicant to attend a personal interview.

Note: We regret we cannot accept photographs that do not meet these requirements

photo-spec

Please provide one recent photograph (not more than 6 months old) of yourself, which should not have been used previously in the passport. The photograph should be in colour and:

  • Taken against a white background so that features are distinguishable and contrast against the background.
  • Clear share quality and with the face in focus.
  • Printed on normal photographic paper (camera print).
  • Full face, non-smiling [without sunglasses, a hat/cap or other head covering, unless the applicant wears such items because of their religious belief or ethnic background]
  • Please stick the Photograph on the Visa Application Form.

Note: Please follow these instructions carefully. If photographs presented do not meet these requirements your application will be considered incomplete. A photo booth meeting these requirements is available at the centre.

Resolution period: Once the application is accepted as complete, the period to make a decision is up to 2 months from the day following the registration of the application in the visa system, but this period may be extended if an interview or additional documents. Denial of visa or stay permit for studies. The denial of a visa or authorization to stay for studies will always be communicated by mail, indicating the reasons on which the decision was based.

Resources: In case of denial of a stay authorization for studies or a visa, the applicant may present an appeal in Spanish (by mail with a tracking number) to this Consular Office within a period of 1 month from the day following the date of receipt of the denial notification. A contentious administrative appeal may also be filed before the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid within a period of 2 months from the day following the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa denial or the dismissal of the appeal for reconsideration.

Once the visa is collected, the applicant must enter Spanish territory during the validity period of the visa.

The visa must be stamped upon entering the Schengen States and within the first thirty days, the applicant must apply for the Foreigner Identity Card or TIE ("Foreigner Identity Card") at the National Foreigners Office in the police station of the city where you will stay.

If the duration of the activity does not exceed 180 days, the visa will be sufficient to prove the stay.

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