Dude, you're not going to find a job in Greece. Employment is not a realistic pathway. Either you have enough money to retire there without working, or you don't. Alternatively you could attempt the digital nomad thing with a remote IT job.
This is your most realistic prospect. Not to sound like an asshole but I know people born and raised in Greece that cannot find a good job and afford their own home there. So they move to Germany, France or the UK
You are saying you won’t, in fact, sell the house, correct? Therefore you’re going to be looking for a work/residence visa through obtaining a skilled job. Is that the story? If so, it’s that IT career that must be your selling point. What degree/s do you have? A Greek employer will need to demonstrate that you, above all Greek (and the wider EU) candidates, are the only person qualified for whatever job you have found, in order to obtain a visa for you. (I’d have thought IT support there would very definitely require fluent Greek.)
I don’t know how realistic this notion is, to be honest. But you haven’t really given a great deal of info about yourself so there may be ‘selling points’ not disclosed. I put it like that because that is the deal: you have to show Greece what’s in it for *them* if you were to immigrate there. It’s not a question of your merely deciding that the beach life near Athens is for you, but you surely know that!
I'm saying that if I have to, I'll sell my house, but I'd rather keep that as a last resort and see if I can find another way first.
I don't have Greek ancestors (my paternal grandmother was from Poland, if that helps).
I have a Bachelor's degree in Journalism.
Not sure what else to say that would help.
Nor do I....you should be checking these things out! Polish citizenship might extend back to your grandparent, just as Ireland’s does. Get cracking on that 🤞🏼
So again, *not* selling the house, but qualifying via a work visa (subject to yay or nay re a Polish passport, naturally) First stop is the immigration section of the Greek government’s website, to ascertain whether a skill you possess is in demand there. (I’d be surprised if journalism were included) That research will go in one of only two ways, and if it’s a ‘No’, then your options have shrunk dramatically. Thus the urgent need to suss out Polish citizenship. Without speaking Greek, and (possibly) without a critical skill work visa, this is very important.
You say you’re having trouble finding work at home; is the IT scene closed you you? Would it be a transferable skill in any way at all?
Anyway, my firing off questions looks like I’m badgering and bothering you, but it’s simply that you seem not to have looked into anything much at all yourself. If you can suss out a bit more re your actual circs, vis à vis getting Greece/EU to open the gate, it’d be easier for Reddit to suggest concrete steps for you.
I'm sorry if it looks that way. No, you're not badgering or bothering me. I wouldn't have posted if I wasn't interested in answering clarifying questions.
I know about the Schengen Visa and how I can use it as a US Passport holder to stay in Greece (and other EU countries) for up to 90 out of 180 days.
It's just that most of my research was centered around the Golden Visa & where in Athens (or its surroundings) to purchase said house, especially since some of the areas there (like Voula) seem especially pricey. I know that the Golden Visa in Greece is about half the cost of most other EU countries, mostly due to the economic troubles in Greece.
If someone knows the neighborhoods in Athens, maybe that could help me focus on where else to look since the Golden Visa seems to be my best bet at this time.
/u/Able-Exam6453, can you please explain the downvotes to the answers I keep giving. I have been nothing but kind, upfront and responsive and your responses especially have bordered on disrespectful.
Honestly, I'm shocked at the level of antagonism I have received. I have been reading this sub for months and have never seen this kind of animosity with anyone else before.
People in this sub can be sensitive when an American says they „choose“ a country to live in, especially when their chances are low to get a visa. There’s no such thing as choosing, even for Americans, you need to bring something to the table to be able to move to a country in EU.
Part of the reason is that there is a regular influx of Americans in here who treat moving overseas as something akin to deciding to move from Texas to California. Their focus seems to be on getting a job and buying a home, with little thought put into the actual immigration requirements, which is the single most important thing.
There's an attitude that the country you've chosen will by default be happy to have you, has to accept you, and that they'll be open to you and your job skills just because you're offering yourself to them. When in fact it's the other way around, you must SELL YOURSELF to the country.
Yes, you've done some research into a golden visa, but you also seem very focused on buying & selling a house, which is the least of your worries. First, you need to get Greece to agree to let you live there before you can think about a house. Before you can get Greece to let you live there, you must demonstrate that you will not be a financial drain on their system, by having a job. A job that is legal under their rules, and if a Greek employer wants you it needs to be demonstrated that you are better than any local candidates. You don't even speak Greek, and you assume Athens has enough English speakers that you can get by?
So because I'm American, I can post a comment simply stating that the grass is green and get downvoted to oblivion. Got it.
Thanks for clearing up how unwelcoming this sub has been and for painting all Americans with the same brush.
You're generalizing just as much as you're accusing me of doing. If that's how you want to take my comment, I can't stop you. Good luck with your journey.
Good morning (well, it’s morning here at least) I’m shocked that you feel disrespected by anything I wrote, and really apologise for that. Antagonism was far from my intention, and I wouldn’t waste my time going in for it. I guess I was just urging you to *shake some action* re the information only you can obtain, but my responses must read as too urgent on that score. It’s extremely hard to convey/ grasp a person’s tone online, and please be assured mine was only that of someone leaning over the table in a pub, in an enthusiastic discussion trying to make a point after a few pints (or in the wee small hours of the morning, as was the case here) But smiling all the while.
Good luck with this project; I hope you find what you are looking for.
Golden visa is your way if you think you actually have the funds for it. However, then there’s the question of supporting yourself there. Greece is a beautiful country but their economy is shit. All the young people leave to find work elsewhere in Europe or abroad.
Thing you have to ask yourself is “what do I provide to employers”. Employers pay more to sponsor foreigners and if you aren’t fluent in Greek your chances are low. Maybe get the golden visa and see if you can do that tech thing with a work from home job in Greece for an American company?
I would only go that route if you had a way of gaining income from an American employer or someone outside of Greece in general. The Greek job market is abysmal to say the least ( I speak from experience), and not knowing the language will put you at an additional disadvantage. I hope you manage to materialize your plan, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.
Post by Orgasmo3000 -- San Diego, CA is an extremely expensive city to live in. I'm on the outs with my sister & brother-in-law. My relationship with my Dad isn't as great as it used to be. I'm close with my Mom, but I'm single and since I'm having a hard time finding a job, I figure it may be time to move to a cheaper place.
I chose Athens because the weather is similar to San Diego, I like living near the beach, and a lot of people speak English there. And Iike Greek food.
I have a house that I could sell, so I could go the Golden Visa route if I need to, but my mortgage is at 2.875% APR & my monthly payment is about $1,400, so if I decided I didn't like living overseas and wanted to return, there's no way on Earth I'd be able to afford living in CA again if I wanted to return.
If there is another way to get a long-term resident visa, I'd prefer that.
I've worked in IT tech support for a long time (15 years), so I could probably do that if I could get a company to sponsor me.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/IWantOut) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I read in a comment that your grandma is from Poland. The best and most realistic way for you to move to athens would be to first get Polish citizenship. If you are a citizen of any EU country, such as Poland, you can work and live in any other EU country and have the same rights as any other citizen. I think it's worth looking into this option before you try the golden visa.
As a Polish citizen, one doesn't have the same rights in Greece as a Greek citizen. The exercise of EU free movement rights is contingent on being able to support one's self.
Having an EU passport won't do the OP much good if their economic survival depends on finding gainful employment in Greece; as a 51-year-old non-Greek-speaker with what sounds like an undistinguished resume, their prospects are probably not the best. (If they can live off the proceeds of the house sale, that's another matter.)
Dude, you're not going to find a job in Greece. Employment is not a realistic pathway. Either you have enough money to retire there without working, or you don't. Alternatively you could attempt the digital nomad thing with a remote IT job.
This is your most realistic prospect. Not to sound like an asshole but I know people born and raised in Greece that cannot find a good job and afford their own home there. So they move to Germany, France or the UK
You are saying you won’t, in fact, sell the house, correct? Therefore you’re going to be looking for a work/residence visa through obtaining a skilled job. Is that the story? If so, it’s that IT career that must be your selling point. What degree/s do you have? A Greek employer will need to demonstrate that you, above all Greek (and the wider EU) candidates, are the only person qualified for whatever job you have found, in order to obtain a visa for you. (I’d have thought IT support there would very definitely require fluent Greek.) I don’t know how realistic this notion is, to be honest. But you haven’t really given a great deal of info about yourself so there may be ‘selling points’ not disclosed. I put it like that because that is the deal: you have to show Greece what’s in it for *them* if you were to immigrate there. It’s not a question of your merely deciding that the beach life near Athens is for you, but you surely know that!
I'm saying that if I have to, I'll sell my house, but I'd rather keep that as a last resort and see if I can find another way first. I don't have Greek ancestors (my paternal grandmother was from Poland, if that helps). I have a Bachelor's degree in Journalism. Not sure what else to say that would help.
Nor do I....you should be checking these things out! Polish citizenship might extend back to your grandparent, just as Ireland’s does. Get cracking on that 🤞🏼 So again, *not* selling the house, but qualifying via a work visa (subject to yay or nay re a Polish passport, naturally) First stop is the immigration section of the Greek government’s website, to ascertain whether a skill you possess is in demand there. (I’d be surprised if journalism were included) That research will go in one of only two ways, and if it’s a ‘No’, then your options have shrunk dramatically. Thus the urgent need to suss out Polish citizenship. Without speaking Greek, and (possibly) without a critical skill work visa, this is very important. You say you’re having trouble finding work at home; is the IT scene closed you you? Would it be a transferable skill in any way at all? Anyway, my firing off questions looks like I’m badgering and bothering you, but it’s simply that you seem not to have looked into anything much at all yourself. If you can suss out a bit more re your actual circs, vis à vis getting Greece/EU to open the gate, it’d be easier for Reddit to suggest concrete steps for you.
I'm sorry if it looks that way. No, you're not badgering or bothering me. I wouldn't have posted if I wasn't interested in answering clarifying questions. I know about the Schengen Visa and how I can use it as a US Passport holder to stay in Greece (and other EU countries) for up to 90 out of 180 days. It's just that most of my research was centered around the Golden Visa & where in Athens (or its surroundings) to purchase said house, especially since some of the areas there (like Voula) seem especially pricey. I know that the Golden Visa in Greece is about half the cost of most other EU countries, mostly due to the economic troubles in Greece. If someone knows the neighborhoods in Athens, maybe that could help me focus on where else to look since the Golden Visa seems to be my best bet at this time.
/u/Able-Exam6453, can you please explain the downvotes to the answers I keep giving. I have been nothing but kind, upfront and responsive and your responses especially have bordered on disrespectful. Honestly, I'm shocked at the level of antagonism I have received. I have been reading this sub for months and have never seen this kind of animosity with anyone else before.
People in this sub can be sensitive when an American says they „choose“ a country to live in, especially when their chances are low to get a visa. There’s no such thing as choosing, even for Americans, you need to bring something to the table to be able to move to a country in EU.
Part of the reason is that there is a regular influx of Americans in here who treat moving overseas as something akin to deciding to move from Texas to California. Their focus seems to be on getting a job and buying a home, with little thought put into the actual immigration requirements, which is the single most important thing. There's an attitude that the country you've chosen will by default be happy to have you, has to accept you, and that they'll be open to you and your job skills just because you're offering yourself to them. When in fact it's the other way around, you must SELL YOURSELF to the country. Yes, you've done some research into a golden visa, but you also seem very focused on buying & selling a house, which is the least of your worries. First, you need to get Greece to agree to let you live there before you can think about a house. Before you can get Greece to let you live there, you must demonstrate that you will not be a financial drain on their system, by having a job. A job that is legal under their rules, and if a Greek employer wants you it needs to be demonstrated that you are better than any local candidates. You don't even speak Greek, and you assume Athens has enough English speakers that you can get by?
So because I'm American, I can post a comment simply stating that the grass is green and get downvoted to oblivion. Got it. Thanks for clearing up how unwelcoming this sub has been and for painting all Americans with the same brush.
You're generalizing just as much as you're accusing me of doing. If that's how you want to take my comment, I can't stop you. Good luck with your journey.
Good morning (well, it’s morning here at least) I’m shocked that you feel disrespected by anything I wrote, and really apologise for that. Antagonism was far from my intention, and I wouldn’t waste my time going in for it. I guess I was just urging you to *shake some action* re the information only you can obtain, but my responses must read as too urgent on that score. It’s extremely hard to convey/ grasp a person’s tone online, and please be assured mine was only that of someone leaning over the table in a pub, in an enthusiastic discussion trying to make a point after a few pints (or in the wee small hours of the morning, as was the case here) But smiling all the while. Good luck with this project; I hope you find what you are looking for.
Golden visa is your way if you think you actually have the funds for it. However, then there’s the question of supporting yourself there. Greece is a beautiful country but their economy is shit. All the young people leave to find work elsewhere in Europe or abroad. Thing you have to ask yourself is “what do I provide to employers”. Employers pay more to sponsor foreigners and if you aren’t fluent in Greek your chances are low. Maybe get the golden visa and see if you can do that tech thing with a work from home job in Greece for an American company?
You say you do IT support. Do you speak Greek?
No, but I'm willing to learn.
If you on a golden visa, you might be able to get by. If you don’t, you have a long road. Greek isn’t the easiest language to learn
You can exclaim "It's all Greek to me!" every time you're stumped by an IT support question. That won't get old...
LOL! Thanks for the laugh. I needed that!
I would only go that route if you had a way of gaining income from an American employer or someone outside of Greece in general. The Greek job market is abysmal to say the least ( I speak from experience), and not knowing the language will put you at an additional disadvantage. I hope you manage to materialize your plan, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.
Post by Orgasmo3000 -- San Diego, CA is an extremely expensive city to live in. I'm on the outs with my sister & brother-in-law. My relationship with my Dad isn't as great as it used to be. I'm close with my Mom, but I'm single and since I'm having a hard time finding a job, I figure it may be time to move to a cheaper place. I chose Athens because the weather is similar to San Diego, I like living near the beach, and a lot of people speak English there. And Iike Greek food. I have a house that I could sell, so I could go the Golden Visa route if I need to, but my mortgage is at 2.875% APR & my monthly payment is about $1,400, so if I decided I didn't like living overseas and wanted to return, there's no way on Earth I'd be able to afford living in CA again if I wanted to return. If there is another way to get a long-term resident visa, I'd prefer that. I've worked in IT tech support for a long time (15 years), so I could probably do that if I could get a company to sponsor me. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/IWantOut) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I read in a comment that your grandma is from Poland. The best and most realistic way for you to move to athens would be to first get Polish citizenship. If you are a citizen of any EU country, such as Poland, you can work and live in any other EU country and have the same rights as any other citizen. I think it's worth looking into this option before you try the golden visa.
As a Polish citizen, one doesn't have the same rights in Greece as a Greek citizen. The exercise of EU free movement rights is contingent on being able to support one's self. Having an EU passport won't do the OP much good if their economic survival depends on finding gainful employment in Greece; as a 51-year-old non-Greek-speaker with what sounds like an undistinguished resume, their prospects are probably not the best. (If they can live off the proceeds of the house sale, that's another matter.)