Job Discussion Forums

[Deicide]

Italy included. I want to clarify this to everyone and finalize the point here so you all know the harsh, but fair truth.

My background is such, I lived on student visas in Europe for the past 8 years and am now in South Korea (I am an American). I left because I was broke and because of me being a North American I know the ins and outs of the EU deal. Bottom line is every year the EU is expanding and in particular consolidating, that means, every year North Americans without immediate British, Greek or Irish ancestry have basically zero chances of work within an EU country. Why? Well within the EU an employer who wants to hire you needs to prove to the respective country's labor board that you possess qualifications that no comparable EU citizen can. That is the first incentive for ESL employers to hire on Brits and Irish, it's easier for THEM. The other thing is that in some countries, like France, hiring a non EU actually costs the employer money in addition to the need to prove that you are better qualified than an EU person. What employer would go through that headache and financial loss just for you. There are some countries, which are more amenable to North Americans, Portugal and Germany come to mind but forget about Italy or France or Spain or just about any other long time member of the EU. Poland, although having joined recently will often sponsor visas, but that is becoming less and less so the case (you also earn chicken feed in the Eastern Block Countries). There really are only 2 ways around the conundrum. The easiest (especially if you are a young and attractive female) is marry an EU citizen, then you are set and have the same status as a Brit or Irishman. Or if you are lucky enough you can apply for passport from the respective country (only Greece, Ireland and GB) if your mother/father and/or grandmother/grandfather hails from one of these countries. Otherwise tough luck. As you may have read there really isn't any other way around it all. I am bilingual in German and English and speak fluent French but no chance, me being a bloody yank. There is one way, which would be a long shot, if you are Canadian. All members of British Common Wealth countries are entitled to a 2-year work visa up to the age of thirty for GB. You could theoretcally find someway to extend that to 5 years and after 5 years of work in the UK, you can apply for a British passport and then you have EU status, takes a bit longer but what the hell? I as an American am permanently screwed and it sucks since virtually all my close friends are some place in Europe and since I was broke and they pay for the flight decided to work in the sewer pit otherwise known as Korea. Why is the EU doing this...well ten years ago, it was hard but not nigh impossible to get work in an EU country but with consolidation comes economic protectionism...it all makes sense, you now how hard it is for foreigners to get work in the US? All but impossible...too bad I hate the states...only that there anyone can apply for a green card, in Europe they have no such thing. So that's basically the scoop, sucks but it is the truth. Marry an EU national, try a Scheinehe (german for seeming or pretend marriage), they check up on that but you never know...on a more positive note North Americans are preferred in Eastern Asia and your chances in Russia are the same as any Brit...sucks being American or Canadian don't it? I want to live and settle down in Europe but I am also realistic so next year I am looking at Russia and China...