I'm not sure the embassy would be happy about me pitching up one day and saying "Hi, I want to live and work in Italy!"...
Other - Italy - 1 Answers
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I've been living in northern Italy for the last ten years. This isn't particularly easy with the current economic conditions; the recovery is lagging behind the US a bit. As you suggest, you can't just show up and move in. You would need a visa to live & work here legally. EU citizens have the right to live and work freely within the EU, others cannot automatically live and work here. The site for visas here in Italy is: http://www.esteri.it/visti/index_eng.asp . The site has links to the application, the additional information you need to supply in order to get the visa and where to apply. It also includes education visas which are somewhat easier to get than work visas. You can find similar information for other countries on their consulate websites. The rules in much of the EU have been harmonized and will be similar. You cannot apply for the visa from Italy; you need to do that before you arrive. When you get here, you will have to apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno (Permission to Stay) from the authorities. This will have to be renewed annually. A work permit is separate - you cannot apply for that yourself. The company has to apply and they have to be able to demonstrate that there is not a viable EU candidate for the job. As a result, jobs for foreigners including Canadian or US citizens are pretty much restricted to people with special education, knowledge, or experience ... and you would have to be able to speak the local language. Right now, the best bet would probably be something in the healthcare field. When I moved here, it was through a transfer of the job I was already doing in the US to the Italian office. Even so, it took 8 months to put all the paperwork in place to apply for a visa. With the economy now, jobs are scarce - a lot of companies have a hiring freeze in place. The unemployment rate in Spain is around 20% for example and almost 50% in the 16 to 24 year old age group. It's not quite so bad here, but still behind the US in terms of recovery. Many of the recent university graduates I know here are either unemployed or working jobs like cashier at groceries. It's useful to check the expat sites for information about living and working in the places you might be interested in: http://www.expatsinitaly.com/ http://www.escapeartist.com/ http://www.expatica.com/ You need to look carefully into the economics of the move. The cost of living is somewhat higher here than in Colorado where my US home is. In addition, you'll need to file tax returns in both the US and Italy every year as a US expat and that can be quite expensive. There's an annual TV tax - 109 euro this year and fees associated with renewing your permesso di soggiorno and higher fuel prices. For me, it is worth living here for the lifestyle and opportunities to travel throughout Europe rather than the monetary aspects.
