I wonder if an idea for my husband is to work with a headhunter or similar company that is recruiting people in tech? Do any of you have any experience with/knowledge of such companies? Thanks!!
Rikke
Here is a very useful resource for finding hi-tech companies in Ireland.
http://www.idaireland.com/business-in-ireland/company-listing/
Liam, Thank you! Wow that list is very long!! I am sure that after some time both my husband and I will find work. Just the unknown are making me a bit anxious right now... Moving is just one big (exciting!) unknown 🙂
@katemreagan - may I ask how you came to have Italian citizenship? it sounds like your whole family is American, right? In any case, good for you! It sounds like it is giving your family good options 🙂
Yes, my entire family is American; however, my mother's side of the family came from Italy. Italy allows citizenship to be recognized through jure sanguinis "by blood" going back even a few generations. My great grandfather came to America from Italy in 1920 and since he was born after 1861 (when Italy became a unified country) he was able to pass on his citizenship. If my grandmother was born after he renounced his Italian citizenship by becoming naturalized, I would not be able to have Italian citizenship.
It's been a long 3 year process getting all of the records in order, translated, Apostilles, and appointments with the Consulate, but well worth it. It's just a matter of proving that I am a descendant of my great-grandfather and that he was not naturalized before my grandmother was born - so every birth, marriage and death record between him and me.
I am not sure if other countries within the EU have similar citizenship laws?
Most European countries use jus sanguinis but it varies on how many generations or based on a year that citizenship started like Italy. Also not all countries recognize being naturalized as a US citizen as denouncing your previous citizenship. There have been stories I could not confirm where this has been carried to an extreme. One unconfirmed story I ran across was a person who went to Poland to gather genealogy records, and was forced to stay until they got their Polish passport because the records indicated they where Polish because of jus sanguinis.
Most European countries recognize jus sanguinis for a few generations. UK it is one generation with some caveats, Ireland it is two. Poland it is an ancestor born in Poland after a certain year regardless of generation. Spain has extended it to those who can prove descent from Jews that were expelled in the middle ages, but there is/was a deadline by which that had to be claimed.
The article about claiming a UK passport on this site I wrote covers the UK rules. With the UK you are eligible if your parent was born in the UK. Since I was born abroad I can not pass it to my children unless I live at least 6 months in the UK before they were born, or live with them within the UK for 6 months before their 18th birthday.
I originally looked into moving to Europe with my wife in the mid-1990's before my children were born. I was incorrectly told my father's naturalization as a US citizen was denunciation of his UK citizenship. That delayed my plans at least 20 years.
David,
That's why we are making the move now. I'm afraid Italy may change their laws just like Ireland did ~20 years ago. My husband's father can claim Irish citizenship but my husband cannot, for the same reasons you have listed above.
We are hoping that after 5 years of residency in Ireland we can apply for Irish citizenship 🙂
Rikke - I have talked to a recruiting agency on 2 occasions. One responded to an email inquiry about a job opening and the other actually contacted me regarding an opening. On both occasions I was told I needed a work permit before most companies would even interview me. One thing I was advised on was to try and visit for a week or two, then go in and apply/interview directly while in Ireland. This may help an employer take a chance on you and sponsor the work permit, which saves you money. I believe it's around €900(could be wrong)? This won't deter me however 🙂 I did have a company in London that was interested and wanted to do an interview via Skype, but it's not where I want to be, so there is hope. Of course, this could all change if you find the right company.
can you fund a work permit yourself? I thought a company had to apply for you - I could be wrong though.
Kate - "General Employment Permits are issued by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Either the employer or the employee can apply for a permit which must be based on an offer of employment. Permits are issued to the employee and include a statement of the employee's rights and entitlements. An employee with an employment permit has all the employment rights of Irish or EEA citizens for the duration of the employment permit."
source: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/migrant_workers/employment_permits/work_permits.html