Relocating to Italy?

Question

I would love to be able to relocate to Italy someday. I currently live in Southern California (USA). Any advice from those who have made the move or any Italians with advice for me? Websites would be a great help. Also any recommendations as far as location would be appreciated. I was thinking about either Tuscany or somewhere near the coast. Thanks!

Answer 1

I am an American who moved here about a year and a half ago.  I am STILL looking for work.  There are a lot of illegal immigrants here- they have work like selling umbrellas and packages of tissues in the parking lots of grocery stores and hospitals.  

Italians, correct me if I am wrong, but the information i have received is that the job situation is so dire that Italians are legally only allowed to hold one job.  In America, if times are tough people often get a second job.  That is not the case here, there is such a shortage that they do not allow it.  As an American, in order to find work I have to find someone willing to hire me.  They then need to file all the paperwork on my behalf and pay the fees on my behalf (so obviously it would be a professional job, it's not like the local grocery store would go through all this time, trouble and expense for another cashier) They then need to be able to prove to the Italian government that I have skills that are hard to find within the Italian applicants.  For one, being a English mother tongue speaker is such a skill, but other than that.... you get the idea.

As someone else suggested, Viareggio is a nice seaside town in Tuscany.  That is actually where I live now.  The main industry here is yachting, shipbuilding and everything that supports these industries.  Meter for meter Viareggio produces more yachts per year than any other shipyard in the world.  If you have any experience in this industry, Viareggio would be a good place to look.  There are many English speaking people living here, though they are mostly British and Australian- few Americans.

I am currently here on a family Visa.  I applied for my Permesso Di Soggiorno with the help of my Italian fiancee.  We are now expecting a baby and that helped my case as pregnant women are guaranteed certain rights such as medical care, etc in most of Italy, particularly Tuscany.  So I am here legally, but my particular visa does not allow me to work, so i am still stuck on the endless search.  In addition, now that I am pregnant my chance of getting a job is very slim.  The laws are different here than in the US.  Italian companies are not keen on hiring women of childbearing age, much less a woman who is already pregnant.  (They have legitimate reasons given the way employees take advantage of the system, but that is for another question)

Good luck, you will need it, though it is not impossible and it is a wonderful place to live.  Email me if you have any questions.  Also if you are interested in coming to visit the area, my fiancee's family rents out vacation apartments here in Viareggio.  cvillecmd at yahoo.

Answer 2

It's like moving to another planet - perhaps the best decision and most exciting life-change you'll ever experience! I lived in the suburbs of Rome for a time and highly recommend Zona Talenti - it's not expensive but still affords close-in access. Good luck!

Answer 3

I think it depends how you will be sustaining yourself in Italy, what kind of job you will be doing. If money isnt' a problem then you should be ok.

It's true that there are many illegal immigrants in Italy but do you want to pick up fruits and vegetables to survive and have no rights? You won't survive well then. Even if you enter legally and work a legal job, normal salaries are low so prepare yourself to live on a low salary. If you will be able to find a great job in Italy, then you will be able to enjoy the "dolce vita" of Tuscany. Good luck.

Answer 4

I've been living in northern Italy for about 9 years. It's not so easy to move here if you're not an EU citizen. You can check visa requirements at the Italian Ministry website: http://www.esteri.it/visti/home_eng.asp. The type of visa you would need need depends on where you're from and whether you want to be working here. It's illegal to work here without the correct visa & permesso di soggiorno if you're not from the EU.

In general in Europe, and in particular here in Italy, you have to have a job lined up in order to get a work visa before you move here from the US, Canada, Australia, or other non-EU country. You can only stay for 90 days without some type of visa (work, student, ...). You cannot apply for the visa while you're here and you'll need the proper paperwork from the company. However, you could come over as a tourist for up to 90 days without a visa and look for work. Then you'd have to go back to the US or where ever and wait for the paperwork for a visa to be processed. There's also a visa available for a working vacation. If you're coming from the US, you'll also have to have skills that can't easily be duplicated here. That will mean a degree in a marketable field. There are lots of different kinds of permessos though - for work as a dependent of a company, self employment, seasonal work, or working vacation. http://www.esteri.it/visti/index_eng.asp

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. 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.expatsinitaly.com/before/gett...

http://www.insight-italy.com/artscsii.ht...

Note that if you are from the US, and you retain your US citizenship, you'll have to file tax returns in both the US and Italy.

I moved to Italy with my job several years ago. While there's a lot of preparation to do, it's worth the effort. You won't be very far from a coast anywhere here in Italy unless you're in the extreme north. It's only about two hours to the Adriatic coast and three hours to the Ligurian coast from where I live in Emilia Romagna. You might be interested in Viareggio on the Tuscan coast.

Answer 5

what would you like to do here as job?

which are your skills?

why italy?

maybe the situation described by conley is right (i'm italian and obiviously not informated about visa for foreign), but, believe me, it s not so difficult working here, even if you were illegal, nobody cares about, the police too. here is full of illegal immigrants, and "illegal immigration" isn't more in our laws as a crime considerated. think that many romanians, albanesian etc.. that committe crimes, well they aren't lead back home, so you won't be a problem, and us citizens are looked good, so don't mind too much.

Answer 6

The first person who wrote you the answer is very wright and it's very hard I lived in Italy and also worked for the US Military and and was in the Navy.

  The only way is that you are mariied to a Italian girl and all things would be easier but if not be prepared to work long hours for little pay and the cost for everything keeps climbing and climbing.

Answer 7

never ever ever underestimate the culture shock...if possible, spend a trial period there before making a huge committment.  dont ever think that your life in the US is anything like italian life, no matter how nice Southern CA is.