More than 1,500 people who applied for legalization in Zamora have yet to receive a response. The deadline to apply for the special process closed on June 30, and two months later, the office remains overwhelmed. Most submitted their applications in the province, but only a fraction have even received confirmation that their case is being processed.
Raúl Arturo Hirakawua Andía, a lawyer specializing in immigration law, explains that this lack of response does not mean your application has been lost. If you received the acknowledgment of receipt, you can already work legally. That document grants you a provisional NIE, valid until you are issued the TIE. The Ministry of the Interior has three months to issue the final permit from the date it accepts the application, but the overwhelming volume of applications makes it impossible to meet this deadline.
But be careful: many employers and immigration agencies are still unaware of this. Hirakawua estimates that between 60% and 70% of those with an NIE have not signed a contract. They ask for the TIE when the NIE is already sufficient. If you’re the one looking for a job, bring that proof and explain that it’s legal to hire you. Your tax identification number already allows you to be registered with Social Security.
The problem is that not everyone’s application is being processed. In Zamora, the office is overwhelmed, and there are complaints that people haven’t even received confirmation. This left many unable to work during the summer—the season with the most job openings in the hospitality industry. Meanwhile, 432 people had already been registered with Social Security as of June 30. The 1,950 applications submitted in the province represent 0.3% of the national total, but the system can’t keep up.
What can you do if you’re in this situation? Be patient, but also speak up. You can schedule an appointment to get more information or submit a written request. And if you don’t know how, there are resources available. The important thing is not to give up without trying. Remember that your NIE is valid until June 2027, and if you don’t renew it on time, you’ll once again be in an undocumented status.
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