Restructuring of the program, multi-million euro fines, and a delay to the application window! Expect major changes to the NALCAP program.
If you’d like to keep up-to-date on what’s happening, you can join
My Auxiliary Facebook group.
In 2025, the region of Andalucia was fined by the central government for a failure to pay social security taxes in the auxiliar program. As a result, the NALCAP program was cancelled in Andalucia, and those placed in that region were either relocated or SOL. Prior to this fine, an extensive labor investigation took place in that region.
During the investigation, officials from the government interviewed auxes from the region. The fundamental issue was that auxiliaries are classified as students receiving a stipend and not as workers. Based on those interviews, government officials concluded that auxes were taking on the responsibilities of actual employees and should be paid as such (with normal tax obligations).
The conditions and classification of these auxiliaries, however, are not unique to Andalucia. Every region has the same conditions and classification for auxiliaries. It seemed almost inevitable that the same issue would happen again.
Well, the next region to be affected by this seems to be Valencia:
Auxiliaries from Valencia were sent a message regarding the fine as well as the official government document detailing the cause and amount of the fine.
Additionally, it appears that further investigations are happening throughout other regions of Spain. Considering that the conditions and classification for auxes are the same throughout Spain, we can expect the same results.
The program can either adapt or die. Many private auxiliary programs correctly classify auxes as workers or limit responsibilities to something more fitting of an auxiliary role (with educational aspects of the program). Therefore, they have no issues being fined by the government. It is possible to run the NALCAP program without stretching the student visa classification.
In fact, there is reason to be optimistic. It appears that the program is working on restructuring to avoid further fines. This restructuring, however, would also cause delays to the application window.
“Good afternoon,
Thank you very much for your interest in the Language Assistants Program in Spain.
The program is currently undergoing a restructuring process, so we anticipate some delays and, possibly, changes to the application deadlines and procedures compared to last year.
Please check the website of the Regional Department of Education of your country of origin, where new vacancies will be announced as soon as there are any updates.
You can find their websites and email addresses here.
We sincerely appreciate your interest in the program.
Yours sincerely,
Language Assistants Program
Unit for Educational Action Abroad
Directorate-General for Educational Planning and Management
Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports”
As of now, prospective NALCAP participants will have to wait and see what the outcome of this restructuring would be. If the application window is significantly delayed, it will be incredibly important that you are efficient when applying to the program and for your first visa. Closely follow the content on this website to help you navigate the obstacles to come.
Outside of waiting, it may be beneficial to look for a plan B just in case. As stated before, there are other private auxiliary programs in Spain that are not being fined. Some of these programs simply allocate positions from the NALCAP program (and would be at the same risk of cancellation), but others are completely independent.
CIEE, like many others, simply allocates positions from the NALCAP program (I got started as an aux through CIEE). If you plan on using CIEE for any of their teach abroad programs, I recommend you take advantage of the linked discount.
CIEE Discount
(Receive a $200 discount on any CIEE Teach Abroad program)
As soon as there are any updates, I will do my best to update info on my website and on my Facebook group.
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The information on http://www.residency2spain.com is provided in good faith and is intended for general informational purposes only. Residency2spain makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the content. Any decisions you make based on the information found on this site are made at your own discretion and risk. Residency2spain is not liable for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this website.
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The Future (or End) of the NALCAP Program
Restructuring of the program, multi-million euro fines, and a delay to the application window! Expect major changes to the NALCAP program. If you’d like to keep up-to-date on what’s happening, you can joinMy Auxiliary Facebook group. In 2025, the region of Andalucia was fined by the central government for a failure to pay social security
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NALCAP Webinar 2022 – Highlights
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So, you want to move to Spain?
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