<p>I have a liberal arts degree from a top US university, don’t speak Italian, and am willing to do anything as long as it’s legal (butler, garbageman, and waiter are all options). So how do I move to Italy? I hope to do this without the help of an Italian sugar daddy.</p>
<p>Decide what kind of job you are interested in and have some experience with. Pick locations that you want to live in and then research employers in those locations and send them a letter and resume. Now, you are going to have more challenges because you do not speak Italian. </p>
<p>I can tell you what my kid did, but it was in France and she can speak French (though she did study abroad in Italy and learned basic Italian). My daughter has had four different job offers in France (and has worked at three of them) and in fact, is working in France right now. </p>
<p>Summer of 2006…after soph year of college…she wanted to work in France for the summer. She had experience in two areas…waiting tables and working with kids in programs. She researched jobs and places in France online in those two categories and sent off resumes and letters. She was offered a job waiting tables at a country inn and strongly considered taking it but it conflicted with a ski racing camp she was doing in June before going overseas (she skied competitively in college) and was offered another job in an overnight summer program for English immersion for middle school aged kids. She took the job at the children’s summer program teaching English. Experience on her resume in these areas certainly helped with getting the jobs.</p>
<p>Summer of 2007…summer after junior year in college, where she was majoring in Architectural Studies and hoping to go to grad school for Architecture, she wrote to (and included her resume) some firms that interested her in France, without knowing of any particular openings. An international firm in Paris hired her with a phone interview first. </p>
<p>Summer of 2009…following first year of grad school for Architecture, she researched firms in France online that were doing the kind of work that interests her (sustainable design and socially responsible design) and wrote (and sent resume) blindly asking if she could work for them for the summer. She was hired by an architect with a solo practice who created the position for her and she did it. At that point, she not only had more education, but had done the summer internship in Paris in architecture and also one summer in an arch firm in NYC. </p>
<p>Currently…after two years so far of grad school…she wrote the architect in France (in the French Alps) whom she worked for last summer and asked if she could work for him from Sept. to May this year, even though he typically doesn’t have such employees and would have to create the position for her. He agreed and asked her how much money she needed and he agreed to it. She is there now, having started working there last week (after working in another job in her field this summer in Switzerland). </p>
<p>So, this is how she went about all these jobs. Some had job listings but some she just wrote to places that interested her and created her own jobs. Again, being able to speak the language was a selling point and necessity. You may have more difficulty if you can’t speak the native language at all. In every instance, whether it was waiting tables (a job she had experience with in high school) or working with kids (also had jobs in that area) or in her area of her major and profession (architecture)…she had resumes that had related experience. Further, her cover letters and resumes were done up in French and she also listed on her resume her proficiency in French (taken from grades 1-12 and four years in college, though never majored in it).</p>
<p>Learning Italian seems like step #1. Do you know any Romance Language or Latin already? That would make it much easier.</p>
<p>…do you need to have work permits or visa to work in another country?</p>
<p>When my kid has worked in France, they have something called a “stagiere” which is a special work visa for students. This year, she is not a student and I can’t recall if her visa is “stagiere” but I do know that since this time she is staying longer than a summer, she has to convert to another type of work visa within a couple of months once over there. But yes, there have been a certain kind of visa each time. </p>
<p>Her summer job in Switzerland, however, did not require a visa because she stayed less than 90 days, and also her salary was paid for by a grant she won, and not by her employer. The rules in Switzerland also differ from those in France.</p>
<p>Each country works differently and the length of stay is also a factor. But for those that require certain visas, a lot of paperwork is required!!!</p>
<p>Also, my D just moved into an apartment in France that required a lot of paperwork, including proof of employment, and this building is for young adults under age 26 (she just turned 24 a few days before moving in). She told me by phone yesterday that apparently she is eligible for some government funding for her rent even though she is not a French citizen and merely working in France! She said she has just applied for that and if that comes through, her rent will be cut in half approximately!</p>
<p>You can teach in an Italian International school.</p>
<p>Try this link for Info about a Sojourner’s Permit.</p>
<p>[Residence</a> Permits in Italy: Permesso di Soggiorno, Carta di Soggiorno - AngloINFO Rome (Italy)](<a href=“http://rome.angloinfo.com/countries/italy/residency.asp]Residence”>http://rome.angloinfo.com/countries/italy/residency.asp)</p>
<p>BTW, I did for two years and I loved it! Try the Anglo-Italian Montessori School in Bagnoli (Naples).</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.aiimschool.com/Employment.htm[/url]”>http://www.aiimschool.com/Employment.htm</a></p>
<p>Consider an au pair program. You may be able to get Italian language classes while you’re in this program.</p>
<p>I’m not so <em>positive</em> about getting menial jobs like waiting tables are there are Italians who can speak very good English. But you may be able to exchange cleaning/housekeeping services for a place to live at some hostels. </p>
<p>Be aware of EU visa requirements. For example, I am planning to spend time in Germany this coming winter. In order to stay longer than 3 months, I will be using my student visa through a language school and when I am done with them after 3 months, I’ll still have 80+ days left on my visa, which may be able to give me additional time to search around for some opportunities. Some countries are easy about employment, others are not. I don’t know about Italy so definitely check out any ex-pat forums out there and see what people have asked. You certainly aren’t the first to dream of living in Italy!</p>
<p>If you have a parent or grandparent born in any EU country, you can investigate if you are entitled to citizenship and a passport. Then you can live and work anywhere in EU including Italy with no visa issues. And no, it is not a problem for a US citizen to have dual nationality.</p>