I'm thinking about packing up and leaving for Europe?

Question

Life isn't going so well these days for me in the US. I'm a hard worker, and get along with everyone. Any suggestions? Stories of similarity? Seriously...I'm thinking about saving some money, and just going...worry about finding work when I get there.

Answer 1

nah, move to Canada. Easier and cheaper to get there rather than flying overseas....eh?

Answer 2

First, you need to know that it isn't legal for you to work here without having a work permit and a visa that allows you to do so. Generally, you cannot apply for a work permit yourself - the company has to apply for it which means you need to have a job lined up. Jobs for people outside the EU are difficult. EU citizens have the right to move and work within the EU, so there's a much smaller burden for a company to hire someone from here than from the US. You have to have the visa before you arrive here. Here in Italy, you will also need to apply for a permesso di soggiorno after you arrive and get a codice fiscale (the equivalent of an SSN).

A good strating point for planning this type of move is to do some research on the expat websites for the countries you're interested in. Since you're already an expat in Australia, you may be familiar with this type of site. These are sites for expats in Italy with general info on living and working here:

http://www.us-expatriate-handbook.com/

http://www.expatsinitaly.com/

http://www.jobonline.it/

http://italy.jobs.com/

There are similar sites for other countries - just search for the name of the country and "expat". a few examples:

http://www.expats.cz/

http://www.expatica.com/nl/main.html

http://www.expats.org.uk/countryinfo/fra...

http://www.spainexpat.com/

http://www.expatica.com/

http://www.escapeartist.com/

The trick is finding a job that pays enough that you can support yourself. I was fortunate enough to move here through my existing job. There are not a huge number of available jobs right now, and people from the EU will have preference. I already had a job here and the paperwork took 8 months.

As an American expat, you'll have to file tax returns both here and in the US. You should also be aware that it's more expensive to live here than in the US. For example, gas is roughly equivalent to $10 per gallon now.

Answer 3

Europe is a very large area with many different countries. And I don't think any country will allow you to just move there. Most will require that you have a four year degree and a work visa. Language will also be a problem.

Unless you can save up enough to live for a year or two, I'd make other plans.

Answer 4

I want to move to Europe also, but it's definitely not as easy as it sounds. You can't just get a job, you need some sort of work permit first. Look into getting a working holiday visa or something, see if you can find a work exchange program, do some research. I know that as a Canadian, I'm eligible for a 2 year working holiday visa in the UK, and a 1 year working holiday visa in Australia, as well as some other countries. Your gov't website might be able to help you out. Check out this site for some ideas:

http://www.bunac.org/

Answer 5

Come to England. We love a hard worker, and you'll be very welcome.