What are some of the things to keep in mind if someone is thinking of moving from the US to Italy?

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.Laura

That here culture is very different as well as the language and is harder to find a job

Tolindrome "the south not so up of cleanliness": what to say? you are just a delirant scum, I guess you have been everywhere in the south to JUDGE it do you? Your dirty mouth is spreading the wrong idea that is all like "Naples dodgy blocks", insulting millions of people who are CLEANER than you for sure, stereotyping a whole area that you don't even deserve to realize how stunning and CLEAN is, you little racist...
I will avoid to say what I think of your country (corrupt and greedy) , good job you back there..you are simply a shame...nothing to add more to a person who don't even know how to use a bidet......dont care about the thumbs down the truth hurts and you are a loser ...

tolinrome

That is a big question. To really know what it's like you truly have to experience it for yourself.
There are many differences in terms of work, culture, way of living and even language! And it also depends what type of person you are and what you want or can handle. If you like chaos, loud people, great food, disorganization and not so up on cleanliness then south Italy and Rome would be the place to be.
So south Italy and North Italy are two extremes...read up on them so you can see the difference.

And even if you have a degree in anything, finding work will be difficult...I have first hand personal experience in this. I moved to Italy from America not knowing a word of Italian (I married an Italian) and it was very difficult to find work - even if you speak fluent Italian - it's still difficult, even for Italians it's difficult! The economy in the south especially is among the worst. I lived in Rome for 5 years and even there it wasn't easy.

You can teach English though. I did that for a while and it seems that everyone from mother tongue English speaking countries does that at first. But you will only make about 4 or 5 euros an hour, better than nothing.

What I strongly suggest you do is try one of the international companies (most are in Rome) where they speak English - such as WFP and FAO or IFAD - they pay great wages and speak English and it would be comparable to working in an American environment. Ive worked for one of them for a few years and it was great, but it is difficult to get in since everyone wants to work there, so you have to persist.

Working for an Italian company would be less desirable since the pay is terrible (if they even decide to pay you) and they treat you as if they're doing you a favor just working for them for free.

I worked for an Italian company teaching English for about 4 euros an hour and after about 6 weeks they still didn't pay me (this is very typical in Italy) and they made every excuse in the book as to why. "They couldn't find the key to the drawer for the checks" - "Wait until tomorrow" etc... Finally after I threatened them they payed me. I'm not trying to scare you but just to inform you to be prepared for what you may be up against.

You also have to think of the culture and the language. It will take time getting used to a way that you're not familiar with. They think, reason and react to things differently than the environment you grew up in. So you have to be able to handle change well.

You also have to think of the legal requirements for working and staying there. Legally you are only allowed to stay for 90 days, unless of course you have an Italian passport or one form the EU. Even if you do find a decent job there, they will ask you for your work papers and you probably cant get those unless the company actually requests from the government that you work for them or you marry an Italian (someone from EU) - that a whole other subject though :)

You're best to go there with enough financial resources first so you don't have to depend on getting work right away.

In North Italy it's easier to find work but still can be difficult.

Who knows, maybe it will work out for ya, it does for alot of people but be prepared to fight for it.

In the end, in my opinion, my life was better in Italy than it was here in America. There are pro's and con's to both but I prefer the 6 weeks vacation a years 25 sick days, 15 holidays and free medical care and hospitality and slow life of Italy.

Hope it works out for ya!!!

Dear Gej,
Thanks for your response to my answer, I appreciate your thoughts.
Also, we can look at the facts. Before we state the facts though, did you also read where I wrote that I enjoyed my life more in Italy than I did in America?
Did you read the part where I wrote that in the south of Italy the people are very hospitable?

Now for the facts, even Italians say that the south of Italy, although beautiful, is not as clean as in the North of Italy. I've been to beaches in south Italy, besides Napoli, and I have seen trash all over the beach and in the water. Even Italians in America say the same thing. Also in America there are messy cities, but if you compare the north and south of Italy what do you see?
Anyway, who cares? You can say whatever you feel about America, about how it is corrupt government and greedy, aren't all the countries in the world corrupt and greedy?
I think you should take all the anger you have inside of you and try to put it into something positive.
If someone says something about your country that you take offense to I think the first thing you should think of is if it is true or not and even if it is true, who cares? It shouldnt make anyone become enraged.
And for the record, I love south Italy, I think they are the most hospitable and friendly people I have ever met. Are you from the south as well?

bg b

You have to figure out your legal status and the language is a must.

Just Tom

Where are you going? There are parts of Italy (especially away from the tourism and cultural centers) where the quality of life is outstanding and the cost of living relatively affordable.

Other things to consider are: your age, what do you want to do there,
get a job, go to school, retire (which means you should have an income),

mhw

all the changes in laws, customs, language, currency as well as time changes for the phone to call your loved ones back in the US

Megan

Definitely start with legality as some have mentioned. If either of your parents were born there then you can have a citizenship after three years of living in Italy, if not it'll be 10. But in order to live there legally you need a work visa, which means your job needs to value you enough to actually give you one. And finding work in Italy is very difficult. It's also true that if you work for an Italian company you will need to work very hard to get paid. They'll do everything they can not to pay you.

But once you have financial things worked out, then everything will be excellent! Italy is a wonderful place (which I assume you know). The southern areas are definitely more rural, with few major cities and parts of it can be dirty, my god who tried to deny that one? But so is Philadelphia in some places and every major city, no place is perfect. It's much easier to travel and have modern technology and things like that up north, but southern Italy has a beauty of its own that I wouldnt trade for what the north has.

J.J.

I would be considered with the language first and the my ability to have a job and where I would live. The rest can be learned or taught. But to get to a new country and not be able to pull in funds to live on would be heartbreaking to me.

Gergo

well the country and the people are amazing. If you don't speak italian than you have to face the fact that you gotta learn the language and you gonna have a hard time understanding things for a while. The weather is a little different and probably you will have to lower your standards, because you could never make as much money as in the US. Overall i think you should just save up for years and you should only go when you got a lot of money. Otherwise it won't be that fun trust me.

sunday morning

Well most importantly is language. It's not that bad for me since I'm in high school in Rome, Italy (an international school) and it's easier to NOT be so good at Italian but after a while you will start to understand things, just the fact that grammar exists is a pain in the butt.
You should get a job maybe at the Embassy? No use working for an Italian company. Keep in mind some people can rip you off because you can't speak Italian.
You could also work at something in the United Nations (UN) like WFP or FAO, but just a small job. If you get an important job there, like my mum, you'll be moving all around. But if you want to do that, fine =P
If you're moving to Roma the best place to live is in the Centro (the City Center). Find a quiet residential area sort of tucked away from the traffic but still close enough to Via Del Corso or Circo Massimo. Above the St. Stephen's School on Viale Aventino or something there are nice houses there.
You could also live in EUR, sort of like the suburbs with law offices, a nice big park and nice apartments if you're willing to pay a little more. Specifially around the Via Oceano Atlantico (or something like that). In EUR there are plenty of buses taht go directly to Via Del Corso (a very long street with tons of shops and one of the only English movie theatres).

Before you start work or anything, you should definitely go touristing and be familiar with bus and metro routes.

If you've got a family, just seriously spend a little extra dough to get a nice big apartment. DON'T put them in Italin public school's, they are hell. Put them in international schools and make them take Italian. It's a very easy language to pick up but they should take classes so that they can understand grammar.
:]
Weather gets rainy around late September but it's still hot right now, it'll get VERY windy and rainy late November and will stay for quite a while. very very hot from may to august.

Â®eality * His New Account

That the "guidos" we have here are totally different than the more sophisticated culture they have there. The food's different than what you've known as Italian food here.

â™« N!CkEy~ O my god! $hoes ;)

Ask if you can have something of hers to remind you of her. Bye

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