Any and all advice welcome

kwjordy Image
05/23/2010 - 09:25

I am new to this community, and hopefully a new resident in Italy very soon. We purchased a property on the edge of a hill, just below Cingoli, three years ago with the intent of opening a B&B.  We welcome any and all advice anyone has about Americans obtaining visas.  We get so much conflicting information that it makes it difficult to know how to proceed.  Your advice will be greatly appreciated. We have bank account, codice fiscali, have paid our taxes three years.  Visas:  should we go for the autonomous work visa so we can plan on opening the B&B after renovations, or should we go for another type, get to our home in Italy, so we can find work elsewhere?  One of us is a certified teacher in Florida, also certified in teaching English as second language.  Should we try for positions teaching English?  We know it is low pay, but that is not the issue.  We want to be in Italy and begin renovations.  Visa, or residency, is our biggest hurdle. Seems Americans have a difficult time obtaining visas, especially work visas. Thank you. Jordy Hines

Comment

I suspect the reason you have had no anwers so far is that most users of this site are British, so we don't have the same problems as you re visas etc as we are (although many s find this hard to believe) EU citizens...the fact that the UK still uses sterling and not Euros causes confusion! My advice would be either to find a forum for US expats living in Italy - or contact the US embassy in Rome or the nearest embassy to wherever you live in the US. Sorry not to be more help...I do have a few US friends who live in italy, but they have now been here so long that they got residency years ago, and the "system" is probably a lot different now...

Hi, jordy and welcome.  I'm afraid I'm a Brit too, so can't really advise.  I can only suggest a lot of internet research.  I'm sure you've looked at these already: My instinct would be to get the work permit for the English teaching first but I do not speak from any knowledge.  One thing about working as English teachers is that it would make you a lot of contacts quickly, some of whom might be able to help you. As I'm sure you know, you have to get work permits BEFORE entering Italy. Pat