1. Presentation of the LSB project – Who are you?
At this moment we are four women, two lawyers, an insurance agent and an administrative person.
Lawyers have been dedicated to immigration for more than 10 years. The insurance agent and the administrative agent have both worked with foreign people on social issues.
2. Can you please give us a brief description of the services Live and study in Barcelona provides?
Do you help only before the person arrives or also while he or she is here? Is your help face-to-face or just online?
Students contact us long before arriving in Spain. Sometimes it is not the student himself but an agency or the school where he/she is going to study. They contact us on time so that we can advise them with the visa, and with the medical insurance. Once in Barcelona, usually they ask us to accompany them for the residence card process.
When they are already installed and completed the first year, they ask us to manage the renewal of their card, even to help them process residence and work permits (if they decide to remain in Spain).
Our help is usually a mix. Lately we meet a lot by video call, and most of the procedures are via mail. But if they need it, we accompany them in person to the town hall or the police.
3. What are the most requested services?
Probably to manage their health insurance. After this, students often ask help with the homologation of their studies.
4. Who is your typical client?
Most of the people we help are between 17 and 18 years old; Many come from Latin America and anglo saxon countries.
5. What are the main difficulties people encounter when coming to live and study in Barcelona?
Probably to get accepted into a Spanish university.
Also regarding visas, the reason why they are usually denied a visa is because the information the student provides is not complete or in the format the Consulate asked for.
Also, the official languages in Barcelona are Spanish and Catalan, so for persons who are not able to speak these languages we can communicate with them in English and intervene on their behalf in one of the two official languages.
6. What do you like the most about your job?
Contact with students. They are people who want to learn and get to know Barcelona. They are enthusiastic and they show admiration for the experience they are living. By dealing with people from other countries we also learn a lot, above all we improve our qualities in intercultural communication.
7. Why would you recommend a young foreign student to live and study in Barcelona?
Barcelona is a safe city. The distances are short and you can cycle or walk, which is eco-friendly. It is very well located for traveling to other European destinations. The cultural offer that exists in Barcelona is very remarkable and they have universities of recognized international prestige.
Something you would like to add?
We collaborate with eight Barcelona university centers. All our team members have traveled a lot, and we have also studied outside of Spain, so this helps us understand even better your needs (moving, looking for a school, language barriers).
I also believe our experience guarantees our success. If we fail it is due to some bureaucratic error, never due to lack of resources or knowledge.