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varreli
Joined: 02 Jul 2009
Posts: 8
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 Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:26 pm Post subject: Sicily viable for US citizen:low wages in smaller cities? |
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hi I'm an American hoping to teach in Sicily or Sardinia. I have a BA in English Literature from a famous American University -- plus 2 years experience teaching ESL in Japan. No Certs.
I don't mind working for lower wages. My priorities are a low-stress work scenario, old world charm and the best food.
I've heard the private schools hire Americans for like 5 euros per hour. This doesn't seem viable -- but I still might try to get over there.
thank you for your quick reply.
varreli |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 1:51 am Post subject: |
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The low wage is because any Americans working there are illegal.
Google Schengen zone and check out earlier threads on non-EU member citizens working in Italy. There are many.
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=87782 |
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varreli
Joined: 02 Jul 2009
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:32 am Post subject: thanks spiral |
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| thanks for the quick response. |
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rafaella
Joined: 22 Feb 2011
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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If you have Italian ancestry, you might be able to apply for an EU passport. I don't know the details but it would be something worth looking into if you really want to work in Italy. Maybe other posters can provide more info?
It would also be a good idea to get a qualification such as CELTA or Trinity. |
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wiganer
Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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I don't care where you live in the world - Italy is going to lose it's charm when you are working for so little, illegally. I wouldn't work in Italy and I am legal.
Getting up to the tune of an alarm clock for a slave wage get's old real quick - you've been warned.  |
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varreli
Joined: 02 Jul 2009
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:31 pm Post subject: thanks all |
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I do have Italian ancestry on both sides but wouldn't go through the trouble to get the citizenship, I think. I would go with savings -- so for the period I stayed I might try to work part-time out of sheer curiosity....to see what working there is like.
Maybe I could get some of the "locals" to fix a visa for me....if you know what I mean. It's a bummer that someone who is probably 80% Italian cannot work in the country that I believe(?) is also in a population decline. But is it truly as crappy as you make it out to be?
In any case thanks for all your input. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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Wages are relatively low at the newbie level all over Europe - subsistence level at best. And that's if you can work legally!
Without a certification or EU citizenship, you're really at the bottom of the barrel. It's market-driven - the vast majority of newbies in this region have a CELTA or equivalent, and so if you've got less, it's an obvious drawback for employers.
Also keep in mind that you can only stay legally in the entire Schengen zone region for 90 days out of 180. A border run no longer suffices to re-start the 90 days - you have to actually stay out for 90 now.
Yeah, honestly, conditions are pretty dire for a non-EU newbie in the entire region.
I seriously doubt you can get a local to 'fix' a visa for you, unless you know someone who makes usable fake passports these days. Keep in mind that a working visa is stamped into your passport and/or consists of a card with fotos and holograms which is registered nationally - not locally. I've never heard of anyone getting one under the table!! |
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rafaella
Joined: 22 Feb 2011
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Personally, I wouldn't work anywhere illegally. IMO that wouldn't be an enjoyable way to experience a country. Italy is wonderful but I wouldn't want to live there if I was working illegally, with all the risks that entails, and earning 5 Euros an hour. |
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varreli
Joined: 02 Jul 2009
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:31 pm Post subject: thanks |
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| thanks Spiral, et al. I was joking about a "fix" ... Tony Soprano style. Yea, I'll probably just go to Sicily and eat my way through S. Italy to Croatia. best wishes to all. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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Enjoy! The food's lovely, at least  |
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MilanTeacher
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:44 am Post subject: |
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I have taught in Italy, and trust me, you aren't missing anything. Enjoy it on vacation, because while you're teaching English there you won't have time or money to enjoy it. The wages vs cost of living are poverty level, and schools treat LEGAL employees like semi-slaves, so I cannot even imagine how they treat illegal employees (actually, I know, because one of my friends worked in Milan illegally and is still waiting on 2,000 euros in unpaid wages that she will never see. If she didn't accept inconvenient classes they threatened to call the police to her house. Not a great situation). Anyhow, go somewhere like SE Asia where you can make some real money, and come to Italy on a nice extended vacation- you will be a much happier person for it 
If anyone is really desperate, they can always get a student visa (which I did) and work 20 hours a week, or try to apply for EU citizenship, but it is really not for the faint of heart. |
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TeresaLopez
Joined: 18 Apr 2010
Posts: 601
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 4:16 am Post subject: |
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| MilanTeacher wrote: |
If anyone is really desperate, they can always get a student visa (which I did) and work 20 hours a week, or try to apply for EU citizenship, but it is really not for the faint of heart. |
Is that just for people trying to get EU citizenship from scratch? Or is it easier with an EU born parent? My mom is Irish, but I have never looked into it. And a related question, I know a person can have dual citizenship, but is it possible to have three citizenships? |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:24 am Post subject: |
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| TeresaLopez wrote: |
| MilanTeacher wrote: |
If anyone is really desperate, they can always get a student visa (which I did) and work 20 hours a week, or try to apply for EU citizenship, but it is really not for the faint of heart. |
Is that just for people trying to get EU citizenship from scratch? Or is it easier with an EU born parent? My mom is Irish, but I have never looked into it. And a related question, I know a person can have dual citizenship, but is it possible to have three citizenships? |
It's possible to have three. I know a five year old boy with four. It depends on the country though. Some countries don't allow dual citizenship. Some allow them, but only if it's through ancestry, ie, you can't acquire it through natralisation or marriage.
It's not from starting from scratch either. See my post on the Romanian forum. My mother and grandparents were Romanian. My mom and her father were both born there. Seems cut and dry, right? nope.
I started in fall 1999. In Jan 2010, I got my birth cert. In Feb 2011, they FINALLY acknowledged that my mom is a citizen. (We submitted the paper in June 2010 and they said they'd tell us in Sept 2010, so it took 6 months longer than they said)
NOW, they say i should get my passport in 2 months. That's a total of about 12 years.
If your mom is Irish and you fulfil the reqs, then you should be able to get it. irish and Italian are the easiest to get. If your mom was Irish when you were born, then you're good to go.
http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=267
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_nationality_law#Prior_to_2005
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By descent
A person is an Irish citizen by descent if, at the time of his or her birth, at least one of his or her parents was an Irish citizen.[14] In cases where at least one parent was an Irish citizen born in the island of Ireland[14] or an Irish citizen resident abroad in the public service,[15] citizenship is automatic and dates from birth. In all other cases citizenship is subject to registration in the Foreign Births Register.[16]
In practice, anyone with an Irish citizen grandparent born in the island of Ireland, can easily claim Irish citizenship. His or her parent would have automatically been an Irish citizen and their own citizenship can be secured by registering themselves as in the Foreign Births Register. In contrast, those wishing to claim citizenship through an Irish citizen great-grandparent may be easily frustrated if their parents were not registered in the Foreign Births Register. Their parents can only transmit Irish citizenship to children born after they themselves were registered and not to any children born before registration.
Citizenship acquired through descent may be maintained indefinitely so long as each generation ensures its registration before the birth of the next. |
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wiganer
Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:55 am Post subject: |
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| TeresaLopez wrote: |
| MilanTeacher wrote: |
If anyone is really desperate, they can always get a student visa (which I did) and work 20 hours a week, or try to apply for EU citizenship, but it is really not for the faint of heart. |
Is that just for people trying to get EU citizenship from scratch? Or is it easier with an EU born parent? My mom is Irish, but I have never looked into it. And a related question, I know a person can have dual citizenship, but is it possible to have three citizenships? |
If you have an Irish mum then grab the opportunity for EU citizenship while you can! The Irish are a lot more lenient than the Italians that's for sure!
I have a friend whose dad was born in Italy but because the dad became a Canadian citizen before my friend was born that means my friend cannot apply for Italian citizenship!  |
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