An-American-in-Malta

My Old CELTA Teacher in Malta

       

           Remember Alan?  I Saw Him Again!

“…Just my luck.  I had to email my teacher A about a paper we were doing. He apparently saw my blog address--yes, this blog--and read it.  And told me he read it and liked it.  So, how am I supposed to write anymore about the CELTA course and how I feel, etc., etc.”

             http://www.an-american-in-malta.com/2009/02/studying-in-malta-youre-a-liar-alan-this-is-my-teacher-alan-with-the-celta-course-im-taking-my-luck-i-had-to-ema.html     

 

Yes, this is the same Professor A who drove me crazy last February when I trained with the CELTA course in Sliema so I could teach EFL.

I saw Alan again at a workshop yesterday—the day after I finished school (not my choice)--for the season.

I have to say that Alan looked great—a lot better than he looked when I took his class.  This is how Alan looks now:

Finishing Work in Malta

                  A Hard Day’s Week

This Friday is my last day of teaching school in Malta—for the winter.  As most of you know, I want to keep teaching, my school has part-time work, but the ETC—which grants work permits—will not allow a Non-EU person to work part-time.

But this is old news.  This Friday I have to say goodbye to a Spanish wine maker, two lovely Italian women who work for an emergency helicopter company in Italy, a young Russian man who is in love with a Russian girl he met recently at a dance who doesn’t know he loves her, a freelance Italian electrical engineer and a German gentleman of almost 70 years who wants to improve his English and who said his daughter was harder to raise than his two sons put together.

You can see why leaving this job is very difficult.  Where else can you meet people from all over the world who trust you to teach them something so important to them?

When I say goodbye to certain students, I often wonder how I’ll face the following Monday without them. But when that day comes, I miss them—but there’s another set of eager, nervous students waiting for my words of English wisdom. So when I concentrate on them, my grief for the former students dissipates—and the grieving turns into a fond or amusing memory.

But this Monday there won’t be any new faces or voices.  I just hope they’re waiting for me in the spring when I have a chance of having my permit renewed.

 

Advice from America!

 

    A Success Story for Expats in Malta

 

In response to my tales of woe regarding Maltese work and residency, here’s a story about two people who became American citizens after a lot of trial and error.  Their names have been deleted (I hope):

Hi Ilene,

              Well...the story of Green cards and citizenship.  The Green thing was back in 1984...I got mine thru a job offer in the States, Y got his thru our marriage.  We had to go back to London for our Interview at the American Embassy.  Cut a long story short, I got mine but not Y, as my attorney did not get his Interpol/FBI clearance.  A friend of ours in California, got it sorted for us in a few days...but the American Embassy said it was too late and Y had lost “his number” place in the waiting,that he could not go back to the States and would probably have to wait another year to reapply.  We had our house, jobs etc.,  Soooo   X phoned the chief consulate everyday, made visits to the Embassy every day, sat on the steps being a pest...and finally in a week, the consulate said “a number had become free”-- and he would give it to Y!!!

             The citizenship thing...we both applied together, as, again to cut a long story short.  We lived in the Bahamas for two years, without getting permission from the USA government (didn't know!) therefore, should have lost our Green card residency.  But for some reason, they were lenient and just gave us a warning.  If you leave the country, as a GC holder you have to go back every three months to maintain residency and the right to work.  Well, the citizen thing,  you have to document every time you've left the country, and for how long etc.,  I got notification of my interview, duly did all the stuff and got citizenship...Y didn't until over a year later...so we were sweating a bit that they'd refuse him...but didn't!

              It's all a hassle but if you are determined to stay in the country of your choice...then looking back, it's worth it in the end!!

              Hang in there!  Luv, X

Thanks a lot, X and Y,  for your inspiring story.

Siesta Time in Malta

        

          A Bad Chocolate Day in Malta

The nice thing about Malta—like other Mediterranean countries—is that most shops—food, clothes, banks, etc—close from 1 to 4 PM.  You’re induced to relax yourself at that time (unless you’re working at a language school) because you can’t buy anything.

The worst thing about Malta is that most shops—including those with chocolate—close from 1 to 4 PM.  So you better not run out of chocolate at that time or you’ll be forced to lick candy wrappers from the streets (and there are plenty of them).

That’s the kind of day I had yesterday.  It was Friday and I ended the week at school a little sad because a student I like and was supposed to teach for another three weeks was taken away from me because of scheduling purposes.  It was 3 PM.

So I needed chocolate. Of course, even if I had kept the student, I would have needed chocolate.

But I made the fatal error of running out of my latest love-- Chunky KitKats with white chocolate.  And the shops were closed.

Working—or NOT Working in Malta

 

                  What They Tell You…

                   and What They Don’t

 

Here is information (in British-English spelling style) directly quoted from an recruiting agency website associated with a private company called CSB Group, which helps businesses set up or relocate to Malta.  I have provided this for informational purposes only; I do not endorse any of the services here nor am I responsible for any good or bad outcomes from anyone using this information. 

However, from my own experience, I do think the basic information is quite accurate about what’s required for EU and Non-EU citizens who want to work on Malta.

Vacancy Centre.com

Non-EU Citizens Working in Malta

Citizens from non-EU members states wishing to seek employment in Malta are required to submit an application form requesting the issue of an employment licence to the relevant authorities at least three months before he/she is due to undertake employment in Malta. As a matter of policy, non-EU citizens will only be granted an employment licence in circumstances where no suitable EU citizen is found for the vacancy. It is important to emphasise that the employment licence is obtained by the candidate before he/she actually undertakes employment in Malta, as any detected breaches of this legal requirement are liable to substantial fines.

The following documents must be submitted by a non-EU citizen wishing to apply for an employment licence:

1. Application form for an Employment Licence, duly completed and signed by both the candidate and the prospective employer.

2. Certified Copy of the page/s of the candidate's Passport containing personal details/ photograph and his/her visa to stay in Malta (if candidate is in Malta at the time of application)

3. Covering letter setting out detailed information relating to the reason for the candidate's employment and his/her proposed functions.

4. the candidate's Curriculum Vitae 

5. Proof of the candidate's Qualifications/ Testimonials

6. one (1) passport-type photograph of the candidate

7. Copy of letter issued by the Senior Executive of the Employment Services Department to the employer confirming the unavailability of an EU citizen for the job in question.

All documents must be in the English language.

All applications relating to non-EU citizens are also cleared through the Immigration Office and any other departments as the authorities may consider appropriate before a final determination is given as to the granting or refusal of the employment licence is granted. Prospective candidates being non-EU citizens should note, as a general guideline, that employment licences are usually issued to non-EU citizens in circumstances where such employment may be justified on the basis of particular skills possessed by the candidate, which are not available from candidates being EU citizens. The issue of such permits also depend largely on whether or not the prospective employer wishes to pursue the application.

WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU:  After a maximum of four consecutive years, the ETC of Malta will not grant a non-EU citizen another permit—no matter what—unless the Non-EU applicant leaves the country for 6 months before applying for any other Employment Licence here in Malta. 

EU Citizens Working in Malta

In-keeping with the fundamental principle of free movement of workers within the EU, persons holding a passport issued by an EU member state are entitled to reside and work in Malta without restriction. Indeed, whilst EU citizens are free to seek employment in Malta, they are required to obtain both a residence permit and an employment licence issued by the relevant authorities in Malta, which are essentially required for statistical and monitoring purposes.

Such licence is required irrespective of the duration of the candidate's employment. By way of exception, it is pertinent to mention that some restrictions may apply in respect of EU citizens seeking employment in the public sector. It is important to emphasise that the employment licence is obtained by the candidate before he/she actually undertakes employment in Malta, as any detected breaches of this legal requirement are liable to substantial fines. 

The documents required for the issue of an employment licence in respect of an EU citizen are the following: 

1. Application form for an Employment Licence, duly completed and signed by both the candidate and the prospective employer. 

2. The candidate's Curriculum Vitae.

3. Proof of the candidate's Qualifications/ Testimonials

4. Certified Copy of the page/s of the candidate's Passport containing personal details/ photograph.

5. One (1) passport-type photograph of the candidate. 

All documents must be in the English language.

A residence permit is required where any EU citizen remains in Malta for a period exceeding 3 months.

More to come on links to official information on residency requirements.

Expat Problems in Malta

 

             Yankee—and other NON-EU Citizens—

                                    GO HOME! 

A few years from now, this blog will probably be called  A F____ed American in Malta—because it seems that the Maltese government wants you to come and spend your money here, start a life here, rent or buy an apartment, buy food, spend money on clothes, doctors, pet food and entertainment, make friends and work here because a company wants you…and then make you leave for no good reason except that it—the Maltese government—doesn’t want you.

On Friday, I got an email from someone requesting my help—and now I need help.

I got an email from M—an American with dual citizenship from another NON-EU nation—who has been living and working very successfully in Malta for the past five years.  He works for a big company which just reapplied for his work permit.

The ETC (the Maltese government) turned him down.  Why?  Because according to M, the ETC automatically turns down NON-EU permits after NON-EU’s have been working for four or five years because it doesn’t want NON-EU’s becoming eligible to apply for long-term residency or Maltese citizenship.  M asked for my help and says that his company is hiring a lawyer to fight the ETC’s decision.  (M has asked for my help; I’ve had a headache for the third day now since I got his email).

So I wrote to my contact at the ETC and asked him directly. Here’s what he said: