{"id":637,"date":"2008-08-12T15:42:12","date_gmt":"2008-08-12T15:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/?p=637"},"modified":"2011-09-06T18:17:46","modified_gmt":"2011-09-06T16:17:46","slug":"dear-ms-adventures-help-me-move-to-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2008\/08\/12\/dear-ms-adventures-help-me-move-to-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear Ms. Adventures: Help Me Move to Italy!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I get mail. Lots of it. Most of the information I send back I\u2019ve already talked about in my post Help! How to Live and Work in Italy<\/a><\/strong>, but of course, everyone\u2019s situation is different. Therefore I\u2019m going to answer a lot of these questions here on the blog so that everyone may benefit.\u00a0Please do NOT leave your questions in the comments here.<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Note: some emails were shortened but all spelling and grammar errors are original to the inquirer.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Ms. Adventures,
\nI have been contemplating on moving to Italy for many reasons. The major one is not being fluent in the language. In Italy, is english their second language usually? If so, that should help but I have been told that if I don’t know the language fluently, it will be hard to get around for daily use and possibly finding a job (for my wife). <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

My other stipulations is my family. What is your advice on bringing over my wife (speaks spanish), who doesn’t work right now(company lay off) and my 2 yr. old son, over to Roma? He will probably be 4+ years old when we move there. Is it difficult to find a quality place to live, around Roma? What are your thoughts on my situation?
\nThanks for your ears,
\nLooking for fluency<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Ciao Looking for Fluency<\/strong> – my ears thank you for the mention,
\nEnglish is not the second language of Italians. It\u2019s pretty dangerous to use that as a crutch while living in Italy. Depending on the region\/city, you may find a lot of people that speak English or no one at all. I really encourage you to learn the language \u2013 I believe Italians are more helpful when they feel you\u2019re trying to acclimate and are trying to speak Italian!<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t tell you what to do about your wife \u2013 it depends on if you\u2019ll need her salary to live, what her skills are and how adventurous you are as a family. The short rule is that the job market in Italy is much more difficult than in the US, but it depends on the industry (and city!). As for finding places to live, I don\u2019t think it will be a big problem, though I would try to arrange for a week or two (or a month) in temporary housing if you can to find a place you really like. Check my Milan & Italy Links page<\/a><\/strong> for some links to classifieds and helpful sites.<\/p>\n

Good luck,
\nMs. Adventures in Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi,
\nAnyway, I am actual Italian citizen & will be recieving my Italian passport in 30 days. I was able to get it through my acenestry at the Italian consulate\u2026I guess I am looking for an opinion, on how much “easier” if at all it will be for me to find work since im italian. There is almost nothing on english only speakers who are actually italian, and i suppose rightly so. Id perfer to be in big city but can be flexible, I’ve been to Italy before & feel pretty comfortable with Rome, but have not counted out Turin, Bologna & Florence. I understand salaries are typically higher in the north, but so is the cost of lliving in general. I guess im just looking for even more thoughts and ideas<\/em><\/p>\n

My goal is to work some crap job, weather its cleaning, assembly line\/manufacturing, id even consider agriculture. I can just live minimally for a year BUT, i have to be able to support myself, have a room, be able to eat, and of course be able go out on occasion. After a year or so I’d like to try searching for a better job once i have a better command of italian.<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Sincerely, Italian not in Italy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Ciao Italian not in Italy<\/strong>,
\nI do think it will be easier to find work since you\u2019re \u201cItalian\u201d but really the biggest advantage you have is that you\u2019ll have working papers (the famed “permesso di soggiorno<\/em>“) and\/or an Italian passport. I think the biggest challenge many English native speakers face in Italy is not having the permission to work and therefore many employers refuse to work with them for skilled jobs or sometimes even any job. I don\u2019t think you should limit yourself to working a “crap” job as you put it, but I think it\u2019s a great idea to try to get fluent as soon as possible to find other opportunities later. Why not try to find a \u201ccrap\u201d job where you\u2019ll be speaking Italian, and not English, to speed up the process?
\nMs. Adventures in Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi,
\nThank you for putting together a very interesting, amusing, and informative website! If you have a moment, can you please let me know of any:
\n1) – specific recommendation for simple lodgings in Segesta, or;
\n2) – any suggestions you have for finding an inexpensive place to stay in general in Sicily? Budget is always a nagging concern, but we are not interested in the “hilton” experience at all anyway, and we gravitate towards the “clever”, or “steeped in history\/local ambiance” kind of locale whenever possible.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

I look forward to my first visit to Sicily, your website will make it way easier, thanks! Seeking Segesta<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Ciao Seeking Segesta<\/strong>,
\nHere’s two things that might help:
\n1. Segesta is not a town! They are the name of the Greek ancient ruins in Sicily<\/a> and there is no place to stay there. The closest town is Calatafimi and I don’t think it has a hotel, either. In any case, I suggest staying somewhere else (perhaps closer to the sea like Castellamare or a bigger city like Trapani or Palermo) and going to Segesta for a day trip.
\n2. I stayed with friends so I don’t know any hotels in that area, sorry. I suggest looking for a “pensione<\/em>” which have less amenities than a hotel and are usually cheaper. Enjoy your trip! Ms. A<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hello mate,
\nI would like to work and live in italy. i need help finding myself a job and a place to live in. My intrest is working in a warehouse as a logistic cause that is what i am learning. I have one year left in school then i want to go. Can you help me find a job.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ciao mate<\/strong>,
\nThe short answer is no. I can\u2019t help you find a job. You need to find a way to get a work permit so you can work in Italy. Then I suggest starting with Monster.it<\/a> to find a job.
\nSorry, mate. Ms. Adventures in Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hello, I’m very interested in any information that I can get my hands on about living\/working in Italy. I am studying Marine Environmental technology and I will be graduating in a year, or perhaps a little more, and I dream of working in Italy. However, I’ve been having a lot of trouble finding english speaking career opportunities. I would certainly appreciate any suggestions you may have for finding work in my field, or if you could redirect me to anyone else who could help. Thank you very much.
\nMarined Abroad<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Hello Marined Abroad<\/strong>,
\nCongrats on having an ambitious dream! There are English-speaking career opportunities in every field, but if you\u2019re looking for your particular field, why not try to find out which of those companies are present in Italy, and email them your interest? Try starting with the English websites of these companies and see if they can direct you to someone. A good understanding of Italian will probably be necessary anyway, so I encourage you to start learning it as soon as possible. I also suggest using a site like wordreference.com<\/a> to help you start deciphering Italian websites for universities, research grants, etc. The easiest way to find contact information is to look for the “Contatti<\/em>” or “Chi Siamo<\/em>” pages.
\nMs. Adventures in Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi,
\nMy name is Christine and I’m 21 years old. I’m currently unemployed and desperately looking for a job in Italy!!! I think more than finding a job, the problem is finding accommodation. And lets face it, one needs to have a rather high income to be able to rent even the tiniest of flats!!<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

I would like to hear from you and if you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me by sending emails. If I could I would leave my country even in a few days time, but without having any certainties of where I’m going and what I’m going to do, this is obviously not possible. Please get back to me whenever you can, it would be much appreciated!!!!<\/em><\/p>\n

Ciao Christine<\/strong>,
\nI will not hesitate to contact you by sending you emails. But, I think you should hesitate before making the move \u2018in a few days time\u201d: finding accommodation will be infinitely easier than finding a job, since it appears you have no permit to work here. Since you\u2019re young enough, why not consider studying in Italy and applying to a program here? I wrote an article for Matador Travel about Where to Study Abroad in Italy<\/a> with some good links to the English versions of Italian university websites.
\nMs. Adventures in Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Good afternoon,
\nI have to say that I absolutely love your website. So far it has been extremely informative. Currently im living in the US but looking to move to Italy next year. It has always been a dream of mine to visit there. I don’t think I should have a hard time getting a visa. My grandfather is from italy & I am in the process of gathering all of his documents. I just ordered the book living studying & working in italy, & I am purchasing the level 1 rosetta stone after new years to learn the language. Can you offer me any advice on finding a really cheap studio apartment & finding work. I have a strong sales background. Thanks so much! Vis a vis1<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi, i am planning on moving from the US to Italy for a few months. It will be a personal trip, but i want to be able to get a job there to support myself. How should I go about doing this with the whole Visa thing? Vis a vis2 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Vis a vis1<\/strong> and Vis a vis2<\/strong>,
\nIf you have the possibility of getting citizenship, I suggest putting all your efforts into finishing it as soon as possible. Note that it can take several years to complete this even after collecting all the documents, and they will only give you a visa to reside in Italy after a certain point in the process. This is the major hurdle in finding work in Italy \u2013 having the permit to actually work here.
\nMs. Adventures in Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

hi there,
\njust browsing your blog…. my girlfriend will be in milan for a week for work (some fashion thing) but shes too lazy to do research on good food or interesting cultural sites. i was wondering if you could recommend a restaurant or culture blog besides your own. or favorite places to eat…Lazy\u2019s Lover<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Lazy\u2019s Lover<\/strong>,
\nI’m sorry, you lost me at \u2018she\u2019s too lazy.\u2019 I suggest Google – it’s what we call a “search engine”, or perhaps, check my archives<\/a> or blogroll for inspiration.
\nMs. Adventures in Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hello Ms. Adventures,
\nI hope to move with my boyfriend to Torino in January08. He is a microbiologist and will be doing research at the University of Torino for 2 years. I\u2019m 26, a professional in Seattle . I work in for a stock photography company managing media partner content, and I speak no Italian, so I don\u2019t think my career will directly translate. I have some experience in graphics and web design, so I\u2019m hoping to cobble together some work for myself when I arrive.<\/em><\/p>\n

The main problem is I\u2019m not sure how I can stay longer than 3 months, without either a work or student visa. I\u2019m just taking a beginning Italian class now, so I won\u2019t have enough language skills to actually attend university. Do you have any suggestions?<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Also, do you have any suggestions for finding an apartment?, so far we\u2019ve gotten as far as posting an ad on craigslist (which would make sense in Seattle), but I\u2019m wondering if you know of any specifically Italian sites or perhaps something for the Milan\/Torino region?
\nShuttered in Seattle<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Shuttered in Seattle<\/strong>,
\nI think a career in web design and graphics could translate but you really do need to speak Italian to work in most companies in Italy. More importantly, since you\u2019re not married to your boyfriend (since you could piggyback on his visa in that case) you will need to find a way to get a work or student visa.<\/p>\n

Note that most student visas are usually given for full-time study programs, and not for an occasional language class as you might hope. In fact, most private language schools will not be able to get you any permits for their courses. There are, though, many courses for English speakers (I think Bocconi<\/a> has some English courses in management, for example) so it\u2019s best to check each university to see if they have something available. Prepare yourself for a time commitment and desire to complete the program, though. Check out that article I mentioned above.<\/p>\n

As for apartments, I suggest starting with my Italy & Milan links Page<\/a> as Craigslist and Kijiji all have city-specific sites.
\nMs. Adventures in Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Legal talk: I am not an immigration lawyer or official. Please make sure to check your country’s regulations and rules for working and living in Italy.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I get mail. Lots of it. Most of the information I send back I\u2019ve already talked about in my post Help! How to Live and Work in Italy, but of course, everyone\u2019s situation is different. Therefore I\u2019m going to answer a lot of these questions here on the blog so that everyone may benefit.\u00a0Please do…<\/p>\n

Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,2,101],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-637","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-ask-ms-adventures","7":"category-italy","8":"category-tips","9":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4uB1-ah","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1798,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2009\/08\/26\/jobs-teaching-and-livework-in-italy-ask-ms-adventures-v-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":637,"position":0},"title":"Jobs, Teaching, Live, Work in Italy – Ask Ms. Adventures v.2","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"August 26, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Here\u2019s the next round of questions that were sent to me following up on Help! How to Live and Work in Italy and Dear Ms. Adventures: Help Me Move to Italy! If you have a question, be sure to read the previous posts as your question may have already been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/italy\/italian-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Roundabout in Favignana Island, Sicily, Italy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3535\/3697352978_4cffe2cf3e.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":371,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2007\/07\/25\/letters-lettere\/","url_meta":{"origin":637,"position":1},"title":"Letters, Lettere","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"July 25, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Taking a nod from one of my favorite blogs, Problogger, I'd like to open up today to ask you, what can Ms. Adventures in Italy do better\/different\/more? I'm going on vacation like most of Italy in August, but it's also a good chance for me to do some planning, research,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Italy"","block_context":{"text":"Italy","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/italy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Letters, Lettere","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm2.static.flickr.com\/1198\/892660792_2cf2fa817e.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5007,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2013\/09\/02\/35-days-in-southern-italy-italian-food-family-fun\/","url_meta":{"origin":637,"position":2},"title":"35 Days in Southern Italy: (Italian) Food, Family, Fun","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"September 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you a\u00a0subscriber to my newsletter?\u00a0I\u2019m also on Twitter @rosso\u00a0and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0rossosara\u00a0on Instagram. I live in Italy, so that shouldn't seem so rare, right? But two of the three elements were pretty rare: 35 days of uninterrupted Italian food was one. I'm lucky enough to live in Milan where there's plenty of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Discovering Italy"","block_context":{"text":"Discovering Italy","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/discovering-italy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spiaggia, Beach, in Puglia, Italy, on Ms. Adventures in Italy by Sara Rosso","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Ive-got-that-summertime-summertime-sadness.-beach-mare-Puglia-Italy-September-01-2013-at-0813PM.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Ive-got-that-summertime-summertime-sadness.-beach-mare-Puglia-Italy-September-01-2013-at-0813PM.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Ive-got-that-summertime-summertime-sadness.-beach-mare-Puglia-Italy-September-01-2013-at-0813PM.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6434,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/16\/a-brief-stop-and-bites-in-detroit\/","url_meta":{"origin":637,"position":3},"title":"A Brief Stop and Bites in Detroit","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"May 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A few months ago I was in Detroit for work, helping small businesses get online at WordPress.com, and while we were there, we were able to meet and eat at local small businesses.","rel":"","context":"In "Discovering Food"","block_context":{"text":"Discovering Food","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/discovering-food\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Slows Bar B Q, Detroit, Ms. Adventures in Italy, by Sara Rosso","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2901_2.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2901_2.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2901_2.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2901_2.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2318,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2010\/01\/20\/ms-adventures-in-italy-facebook-fan-page-giveaways\/","url_meta":{"origin":637,"position":4},"title":"Ms. Adventures in Italy Facebook Fan Page & Giveaways","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"January 20, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Many of you have become Fans on Facebook for Ms. Adventures in Italy, and I'm so glad! You might be asking, why should I become a fan? Today I'm giving you a reason: special Facebook giveaways! I'm taking a look at a lot of great books about Italy and travel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Me"","block_context":{"text":"Me","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":171,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2006\/06\/21\/the-bigger-the-butt-the-better\/","url_meta":{"origin":637,"position":5},"title":"The Bigger the Butt, the Better","author":"Sara, Ms Adventures in Italy","date":"June 21, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Not for the easily offended, but a great online Pinball advergame for Beer League (NSFW - need headphones)Snickers Satisfies - now daily! Every day they will have a different game, flash or something to keep you occupied. It's an interesting idea with a lot of upkeep! Che culo hai!! What\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Italy"","block_context":{"text":"Italy","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/italy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3362,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637\/revisions\/3362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}