On 29 October the Madrid Bar Association (ICAM) confirmed that it will host its inaugural Congress on Extranjería (Immigration Law) on 30-31 October, calling it a “decisive moment” for Spain’s migration policy. The event gathers senior officials from the National Police’s immigration unit, the Ministry of Inclusion & Migration, judges, and more than 400 specialist lawyers to dissect the impact of Royal Decree 1155/2024, which overhauled residence, work and arraigo categories earlier this year.
Day one focuses on practical hurdles created by the Decree, including stricter documentation for family-members of Spanish nationals, silent-denial clauses for certain applications, and the new digital notification rules that have caused missed deadlines for unrepresented applicants. Workshops will also look at the fast-track researcher and highly-qualified professional permits and the way they dovetail with the recently revised short-term assignment guidance (permits of less than 90 days).
On day two, panels delve into Spain’s new humanitarian and trafficking-victim pathways, the ongoing debate over automatic regularisation for long-term irregular migrants, and the contentious amendment to Article 35 of the Aliens Act that forces regional governments to share responsibility for unaccompanied minors. Several regional officials are expected to press the central government for more funding to implement the reform before transfers begin in March 2026.
For global-mobility managers the Congress is noteworthy because many speakers sit on the technical committees that draft implementing instructions (Instrucciones) for Spain’s immigration offices. Insights shared at the event often foreshadow procedural tweaks—such as the planned e-filing upgrade for Entrepreneur-Law permits and the mooted reduction of police-station fingerprint appointments—that can materially affect processing times. Employers with large assignee populations in Spain should monitor post-Congress guidance notes and prepare staff-education campaigns on the new rules.
Day one focuses on practical hurdles created by the Decree, including stricter documentation for family-members of Spanish nationals, silent-denial clauses for certain applications, and the new digital notification rules that have caused missed deadlines for unrepresented applicants. Workshops will also look at the fast-track researcher and highly-qualified professional permits and the way they dovetail with the recently revised short-term assignment guidance (permits of less than 90 days).
On day two, panels delve into Spain’s new humanitarian and trafficking-victim pathways, the ongoing debate over automatic regularisation for long-term irregular migrants, and the contentious amendment to Article 35 of the Aliens Act that forces regional governments to share responsibility for unaccompanied minors. Several regional officials are expected to press the central government for more funding to implement the reform before transfers begin in March 2026.
For global-mobility managers the Congress is noteworthy because many speakers sit on the technical committees that draft implementing instructions (Instrucciones) for Spain’s immigration offices. Insights shared at the event often foreshadow procedural tweaks—such as the planned e-filing upgrade for Entrepreneur-Law permits and the mooted reduction of police-station fingerprint appointments—that can materially affect processing times. Employers with large assignee populations in Spain should monitor post-Congress guidance notes and prepare staff-education campaigns on the new rules.
