Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe and Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes (SJM) welcomed the Spanish government’s decision to open an accelerated regularisation process that could grant residence to up to half a million undocumented migrants already living in Spain. In a statement issued on 7 May, the NGOs said the move “turns social consensus into legal reality” after a popular legislative initiative gathered more than 600,000 signatures. The procedure—approved in principle by the Council of Ministers on 14 April and now moving through public consultation—will apply to people present in Spain before 1 January 2026 who can prove five months’ continuous residence or a pending asylum claim. Once the Royal Decree is finalised, applications are expected to open in early April and remain possible until 30 June 2026. Successful applicants will receive a one-year residence authorisation that can transition to standard work or self-employment permits.
![Civil-society groups hail Spain’s extraordinary regularisation pathway for 500,000 migrants]()
For individuals and employers trying to keep pace with Spain’s fast-moving immigration framework, VisaHQ can provide valuable assistance. Through its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the service supplies real-time guidance, document checklists, and application-tracking tools that help streamline visa or residence filings and reduce administrative headaches.
For employers, the pathway offers a legal mechanism to retain staff who could not previously regularise under Spain’s social-rootedness or employment arraigo routes, easing labour shortages in agriculture, hospitality and elder-care. Immigration advisers caution that demand will likely outstrip administrative capacity at provincial extranjería offices; companies planning to sponsor workers should begin gathering tenancy proofs, empadronamiento certificates and medical insurance now. In parallel, compliance teams must update HRIS systems to capture new permit codes once released by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
For individuals and employers trying to keep pace with Spain’s fast-moving immigration framework, VisaHQ can provide valuable assistance. Through its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the service supplies real-time guidance, document checklists, and application-tracking tools that help streamline visa or residence filings and reduce administrative headaches.
For employers, the pathway offers a legal mechanism to retain staff who could not previously regularise under Spain’s social-rootedness or employment arraigo routes, easing labour shortages in agriculture, hospitality and elder-care. Immigration advisers caution that demand will likely outstrip administrative capacity at provincial extranjería offices; companies planning to sponsor workers should begin gathering tenancy proofs, empadronamiento certificates and medical insurance now. In parallel, compliance teams must update HRIS systems to capture new permit codes once released by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
