I’ve been living in Spain for over six years. September will make it seven. For the last two and a half years, I have been waiting for my residency permit.
Earlier this year, someone else’s testimony encouraged me and helped me fight for a breakthrough in prayer. It is a beautiful story that I want to share. Here’s how it went:
Student, Then Work
I first came to Spain as a student through an English language assistant program, designed for native English speakers to support conversations and other activities in Spanish classrooms. It was a fun and challenging season, and I learnt a lot. Even so, I knew that teaching wasn’t the path I wanted to continue, despite it being the most common route for people in my situation to remain in the country.
Towards the end of my four years in the program, I began pursuing a freelancer work permit to be a social media manager. What I didn’t know was just how much that immigration process would take out of me.
The Length of the Process
Before I applied, I consulted with lawyers who gave me advice on what to do. I also personally knew someone who had applied for a similar residency, and it had gone smoothly for her. With that in mind, I decided to apply without legal representation.
Between the application fee and the cost of translating my documents into Spanish, things were already getting expensive.
The work permit I was applying for is called the Residencia y Trabajo por Cuenta Propia. It functions as both a work authorisation and a residency permit. Unlike traditional employment, where a company handles your taxes, social security, and business expenses, this permit essentially makes you your own small business. All of those responsibilities will fall on you. This meant I had to write a full business plan, complete with a projected profit and loss sheet (thank God I took a business subject in high school).
The whole process took weeks. Thankfully, I submitted everything right up to the deadline and then waited.
Months passed, and I heard nothing.
Checking in with the immigration office was no simple task either, as speaking to someone directly is not easy to arrange. Through it all, I had been praying consistently.
I won’t go into every detail here, because it truly is a long story. The short version is that I kept receiving conflicting feedback: this document was wrong, that one had expired during the process and needed to be resubmitted, and so on. Eventually, I hired a lawyer. My application was denied, and we submitted an appeal.
How I Saw God
The stress I experienced during that time is difficult to put into words. There were several moments where I genuinely wanted to give up.
And yet, I want to testify to the goodness of the Lord.
Not once was I alone in this process. I was surrounded by people who prayed over me, supported me, and pointed me towards the right lawyers and administrative help. One particularly kind friend, a Spanish native, gave up her own time to accompany me to several appointments. She reminded me that the Spanish system is deeply bureaucratic, and that a “no” doesn’t mean stop but rather, find another way.
Then, around the two-year mark, two ministers I knew in another country volunteered to fast with me for immediate breakthrough.
Two days later, I received positive news about my immigration status. When I looked at the official date on the response letter, the answer had technically come the day after our fast ended.
Hope for Other Promises
Writing this right now encourages me to keep seeking God for other promises, and I hope it does the same for you.
I want to praise God because He has carried me through all of this. If you’ve ever lived in another country for years, building a life and putting down roots, you’ll understand how disheartening the uncertainty of not knowing whether you can stay can be.
If you are waiting on immigration, or anything else for that matter, please don’t give up. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time and season for everything. God will bring clarity in His timing, so hold on. And even in the waiting, seek Him.
