# Study/Work after American Marries an Italian



## ctown (Jan 3, 2014)

Hello!

I am about to marry my Italian girlfriend of 4 years. We have been back and forth between America and Italy for a while trying to find jobs. We have decided it will be easier on us if we just get married.

I know that after we are married I can apply for the permesso di soggiorno. Is this the same as a residency status? If not, how long does it take to acquire residency status?

Why I am writing is because I am planning on going back to school in Europe to get my Masters after we are married. As an international student studying in a European school I am required to pay tuition while EU citizens pay little to nothing. With my residency status after marriage will I still be require to pay international student fees or will I pay as a EU citizen? 

We have been planing on the possibility living outside of Italy for economic reasons and for me to go to school. Will my residency status for italy still allow me to stay in other EU countries or will I have to get a new residency status to reside in the country we move to.

Thanks for your time!


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

ctown said:


> I know that after we are married I can apply for the permesso di soggiorno. Is this the same as a residency status?


Yes, though you have to periodically renew it. Over time you can graduate to longer term permits or even apply for Italian citizenship if you wish.



> As an international student studying in a European school I am required to pay tuition while EU citizens pay little to nothing. With my residency status after marriage will I still be require to pay international student fees or will I pay as a EU citizen?


It depends. Each country has its own rules about who does and who does not qualify for EU rates.

First of all please note that an Italian PdS applies to Italy. It comes with tourist rights to visit other Schengen Area countries for short stays, but you already have that as a U.S. citizen. The PdS gives you permission to live with your wife in Italy, and to work in Italy.

So you've got a couple choices if you want to study at a university outside Italy. One is a student visa, and the other is for your wife to accompany you and then you both become residents of that other EU country. Your status is tied to your wife's, in other words.

OK, moving on to tuition rates. A common policy (e.g. the U.K.'s) is to assess your eligibility for EU tuition rates once only, at the beginning of your degree program (including extra year master's extensions and that sort of thing). Often they'll require a demonstrable minimum period of continuous legal residence in the EU prior to that assessment date, e.g. 3 years. So if you clear those typical hurdles, then you get the lower tuition rate. Once you're paying the higher rate you're usually locked into it for the duration of the degree program, including extensions.

Note that this assessment is not connected to whether you need a visa or not. It is possible to qualify for the EU rate but also to need a student visa. They're separate issues. (It's also possible to be an EU citizen and be required to pay the higher rate.)

You have to check each country's requirements about tuition rates. I think Sweden, to pick another example, doesn't even have different rates for EU and non-EU status students.



> Will my residency status for italy still allow me to stay in other EU countries or will I have to get a new residency status to reside in the country we move to.


The latter, and contingent on your wife's establishment of residency. You're a "tag along," and she's the boss. 

One bit of good news, though, is that, unlike the U.S., you have "get on the next plane/train with your wife" rights in the EU. The red tape is comparatively minimal. She moves wherever she wants in the EU as long as she's economically self sufficient, and you (must) tag along. Yes, you have to both (typically) register as residents -- not unlike Italy's process -- but there's no prearrangement (e.g. visas) required. She can just get up and go and drag you along. Bring your passport and an official copy of your marriage certificate. The Italian version, in international format, will do splendidly.

After a waiting period which is never any more than 3 years after you marry under current law, you can apply for Italian citizenship if you wish. The Italian Interior Ministry will then probably sit on your application for the legal maximum 2 years, so figure about 5 years to Italian citizenship from the date you marry if you apply as soon as you're eligible with paperwork that's all in order. You must remain married to your Italian spouse (and not separated) through the entire process.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

And I should add that unlike most countries (the U.S. as an example) residency in Italy is not required in order to apply for Italian citizenship on the basis of marriage to an (opposite sex) Italian citizen. The waiting period before you can apply may lengthen a bit (up to 3 years) if you're not resident in Italy, but that's it.

For the record, if the Italian spouse dies before the foreign spouse takes his/her oath, the entire citizenship application dies, too. That's not wonderful, but that's how the law is written.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

One resource you may be interested in is the europa.eu portal: EUROPA - European Union website, the official EU website

Although it's intended for EU nationals, there is lots of information available in the sections on living and working in the EU that applies to non-EU nationals, especially those married to EU nationals.

Technically, you have the right to accompany your EU spouse to live in another EU country and you are entitled to the same rights as your spouse. The trick is that some countries (France is one of these, which is why I mention it) will require your spouse to show proof of what they are doing in the country (i.e. working, retired, student - primarily they want to know your financial resources) before they will grant you residence rights. 

On the study side of things, France charges the same educational fees to foreigners as to local nationals - and they are pretty reasonable. There are some requirements with regard to insurance that you need to have (and the usual visa requirements - though that's not an issue for you once you're married). The one big hurdle is that you need the local language for most educational programs in the public universities.
Cheers,
Bev


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