Job Discussion Forums

[Nutmegger]

A bit of a story,

Some family friends run their own business in the States. They have, in the past, hired on folks without proper working papers. After about two months or so they have gone through the trouble of processing the proper papers to allow their employees to work on the level.

Has anyone not from the EU had a similar experience when it comes to obtaining a work permit? It would seem understandable that a school might want to have a probationary period before going through the paperwork. Or is it far more common for the school never to bother with the paperwork? Or does this sort of um....quasilegal... probationary arrangement not really exist in Europe ( I'm thinking primarily 'Old Europe'; although Germany's only 137 years old)? Will you know right off the bat whether a school is willing to go through the trouble of processing the bureaucratic such and such?

For those working in the black:
- Have you tried discussing with your employer about ways to change your status to legal?
- What have been their general reactions to such suggestions?

[spiral78]

I've worked in the black only. But what I can say from personal experience isn't positive - I am one of the rare lucky ones whose connections made it work. Though I have to emphasize that I didn't marry for the right to work in the EU!!

Remember, the laws are different in every country, but there are equivalents.

I moved to Netherlands with my spouse. I was immediately hired (pending paperwork) by a reputable university, whose DOS was indeed willing to accumulate substantial paperwork and go personally to Den Hague to petition for an exemption to the EU-only hiring laws on my behalf. Documentation gathered included evidence that the university had been searching for 18 months for someone to fit the position, and I was the only candidate they'd found. There was also a petition signed by lots of students (hundreds) that a North American speaker was needed in the department for numerous reasons.

One day before the hearing was scheduled, the DOS received a call from Den Hague telling him not to bother with the trip - the court was refusing to even hear the case and no exceptions would be granted.

One week later, spouse's large international company finally closed a deal to allow non-EU family members of its employees to work legally in the Netherlands.

Work permit issued.

My point is that it's not directly related to a school's desire/willingness to go through the hassle. In some countries, the national laws just aren't going to bend for non-EU citizens.

The point made by the Netherlands is that there are numerous qualified EU English teachers and a substantial shortage in available teachers can't be proven. This is what many of the national laws boil down to, in Italy and France and Germany and etc.

Other professions may be sometimes more open, if there are skills that EU member citizens really can't supply in quantity, but it's rare. My spouse happens to belong to one of those. I'm lucky - but, as I said, it's one of those rare situations that can't be used to provide false hopes to people seeking loopholes.

[spiral78]

Sorry - I interpreted 'in the black' to mean LEGALLY.

I haven't ever worked illegally.

[GF]

[spiral78]

I know about that. But the issue was very different. Many of the families who were legalized just before the deportation dates had, in fact, been waiting YEARS for a decision in their cases.

I knew a family personally whose children had been in Dutch schools for 4 and 6 years, respectively. They didn't know any other life, almost!!

Those were people who came legally as refugees and had waited LONG periods for decisions to be made. It was only fair, after postponing decisions for up to 8 years, to accept those who had no criminal records.

It was wrong to have made them wait so long, and the decisions were essentially fair.
I am not bitter about that at all!! How could I be???!!

[GF]

It is interesting how the word 'refugee' seems to have become synonymous with 'permanent resident' in the West.

[spiral78]

Yeah, 'refugee' status is MEANT to be a temporary state.