Laid off..need advice!!

Over 25 million Italians have emigrated between 1861 and 1960 with a migration boom between 1871 and 1915 when over 13,5 million emigrants left the country for European and overseas destinations.
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caridimondo
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Laid off..need advice!!

Post by caridimondo »

Buona sera,

I was laid off on Thursday along with about 50 others at a large advertising agency in Philly. Clients have been cutting their ad budgets so with that, the agency had to make some cuts itself. I am in a bit of a dilemma because I planned on moving to Rome next year if my citizenship appointment in March 2012 went smoothly. Now that I am out of a job, I am considering buying that one-way ticket to Italia a little bit sooner. The main issue is that I won't have a visa to stay longer than 3 months.

One option I am considering is taking a 1 month intensive CELTA training course so I can teach English and hopefully obtain a work visa through a language school. If that doesn't work out, would I be able to apply for dual citizenship in Rome instead of my ancestral comune in Abruzzo? And would I be able to work with a permesso di soggiorno in attesa di cittadinanza? Any advice is much appreciated. I am a bit lost right now and still trying to get over the fact that I'm not going into work tomorrow..such a strange/scary feeling.

Grazie mille,
Tom
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mler
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by mler »

I'm so sorry that you were put in this position, but things will work out. May I suggest that you post this question on the http://www.expatsinitaly forum. Because most of the posters there actually live in Italy, they may have some practical information to offer. Best of luck.

I see that you were way ahead of me. :D Hope things work out for you.
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caridimondo
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by caridimondo »

Thanks mler! I already got some helpful responses from expats, so now it's a matter of figuring out what's best for me. Either way, I do plan on being in Italy in the next year so if I don't do it now it'll happen eventually.
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

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Hi, maybe I can give you some info. If you go to Italy without your Italian passport, you will need some sort of Visa to stay there legally and apply for citizenship. A work visa, would of course, allow you to work. The other Visa would be an Elective Residence Visa but you would not be allowed to work. In order to get this Visa, you need a "Letter of Invitation" from an Italian citizen living in Italy and you must also meet the income requirement for that type of Visa. Money in the bank isn't good enough because you could show that you have it and then take it all out and spend it before you get to Italy. What they want to see is a guaranteed source of monthly income such as Social Security, Pension, etc.

You can only apply for citizenship in the Comune of your residence. If you live in Abruzzo, you can't apply in Rome. But before you can apply anywhere, you must have established permanent residence in Italy. That means you have either bought a home or you have a secured a long-term lease agreement and you have registered this information with your comune. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask if you have any other questions. I lived in my ancestral comune for ten years and still have residency there.
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by kontessa »

Just want to second mler's advice to utilize expatsinitaly since there have been a number of people who have successfully applied for citizenship in Italy, and have done so without having a visa. BTW, you did mention something about a visa for a 3-month stay. This tourist visa was abolished some time ago. If you go to Italy with the intentions of applying for citizenship, research how this is done without any visa - having a stamp in your passport upon entry into Italy, or obtaining a declaration of presence from the local Questura have been successfully used by others in place of any visa.

No, you cannot work with a permesso di soggiorno in attesa di cittadinanza.

I would second jennabet's advice about having legal residency. Search for posts by 'Ramsey' on expats, as he seems to be well-versed in the type of contracts that people are permitted to have - both long-term and transitory. Not being able to find a place to live with a legal contract just ended another person's attempt to apply for citizenship in Italy. Having a legal residence is vital.

Do a lot of searching for information about applying in italy, paying particular attention to the area in which you choose to live and apply - sometimes big cities mean more problems and longer waits - and about the actual steps that must be taken before departing the US and what will happen once you arrive on the ground in Italy. Things can go sideways very quickly. Best to be informed and prepared. Good luck finding employment, and with your journey to Italian citizenship.
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caridimondo
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by caridimondo »

Kontessa,

Will I be able to set up a permanent residence without any sort of visa? I plan on moving to Rome, not my ancestral commune in Abruzzo. So if I were able to rent an apartment there, would that suffice? I will definitely do some research on expatsinitaly, but thanks everyone for all the solid information thus far.
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by johnnyonthespot »

caridimondo wrote:Kontessa,

Will I be able to set up a permanent residence without any sort of visa? I plan on moving to Rome, not my ancestral commune in Abruzzo. So if I were able to rent an apartment there, would that suffice? I will definitely do some research on expatsinitaly, but thanks everyone for all the solid information thus far.
An apartment in Rome? Bring lots and lots of money. :shock:

http://www.casa.it/affitti-residenziale ... io/lista-1

.
Carmine

My hobby is finding things. Having found most of my own, I am happy to help others find theirs. PM me! :)
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caridimondo
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by caridimondo »

Of course it would be expensive when you're looking at luxury apartments in Centro Storico. I would most likely do a flat-share with roommates outside of that area, something more like this:

http://roma.bakeca.it/offro-camera/came ... pp25952832

But find one that is available to ragazzi, non solo le ragazze!
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by jennabet »

Hi again. Without an Italian passport or a Visa (issued by your consulate), you can only stay in Italy as a tourist for three months on your American passport. You may be able to find an apartment (with a transitory contract) but this is not the same as a the purchase of a home or a long-term rental contract which will allow you to establish residency in the Comune. And the Comune can't accept your citizenship papers until you have residency.
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sceaminmonkey
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by sceaminmonkey »

does anyone have a post on how to establish residency for the purpose of citizenship?
jennabet
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by jennabet »

To establish residency for the purpose of citizenship, you need to start by asking your consulate to issue you a Visa which will allow you to become a permanent resident. Without an Italian passport or a Visa that allows you to stay longer than 90 days, you can't establish residency at all -- for any reason.
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sceaminmonkey
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by sceaminmonkey »

that is not what I am being told by the lawyer in italy which is why I would like to read a little more about it.
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by jennabet »

An Italian lawyer who specializes in citizenship can probably help you out. At least if you pay an Italian lawyer you end up with a passport.
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caridimondo
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by caridimondo »

Ok so it seems like I should talk to the Philly consulate and let them know I have an appointment in March but would like to go to Italy sooner to apply, and hopefully they can provide some direction. I know most consulates aren't a fan of walk-ins, so does anyone know the best way to get in contact with the one in Philly?
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kontessa
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Re: Laid off..need advice!!

Post by kontessa »

caridimondo wrote:Kontessa,

Will I be able to set up a permanent residence without any sort of visa? I plan on moving to Rome, not my ancestral commune in Abruzzo. So if I were able to rent an apartment there, would that suffice? I will definitely do some research on expatsinitaly, but thanks everyone for all the solid information thus far.
You do NOT need a visa if you are going to move to Italy and apply for citizenship. You do NOT need the permission of a consulate in the US to do so.

First, you need a plan. This plan must include a legal place to reside in the comune that you wish to live. There are different types of contracts available in order to establish a legal residence, and you must investigate these carefully and choose wisely. I do not know enough about the different types of contracts available, but ask about this on expatsinitaly. I read that some contracts are for one year, and also that there is some sort of transitory contract, but I don't know anything about these. What I DO know, is that you MUST have a place that is registered with the comune - meaning LEGAL - if you are in Italy to apply for citizenship.

There is a 21+ page thread 'applying in italy' that contains a lot of helpful information. Put this in the search field and choose the citizenship subforum, and you will find plenty to read. Also search for a recent thread by traci, and from belindalagasi, sonnolenta, and many others to see what they have or are currently experiencing.

There is also a thread from a poster who arrived in Italy (via cruise ship?) with the intention of applying for citizenship. The comune that he chose was not well-versed in processing applications, so he chose to go elsewhere. He had problems in the second comune as well, but for different reasons - NONE of which, btw, had anything to do with not having a visa. (He did NOT have a visa, but obtained a declaration of presence from the Questura.) From what he posted, it appears that residency was one of his major problems. Do your homework and have a plan is the best advice I could give someone wanting to apply for citizenship in Italy.
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