Getting Your Visa

You may have heard about Italian bureaucracy .... The good news is that the staff at AOSR have been helping new teachers successfully with their paperwork for many years! You will want to be familiar with the steps you will go through to obtain all the necessary permissions to stay and work in the country.

Let's look at two important steps that need to be completed before you obtain a visa:

Work Permit:

As soon as the school receives all the documentation required (see list below), AOSR will apply for a work permit “Nulla Osta". For U.S. citizens, AOSR will need certain key information such as your official U.S. state of residence. This is important because you will get your VISA from the Italian Consulate that has jurisdiction for your official state of residence. To prove your residency in U.S. you must submit to AOSR one of the following documents: driver’s license (preferred), bank statement (only if the bank address is indicated), rental agreement or utility bill.

Documentation Needed for Application of Work Permit ("Nulla Osta"):

• Original diploma (Bachelor’s OR Master’s degree - only one needed) using the same spelling as listed on your passport.
• Official translation in Italian of ONE of your diplomas (BA/MA/PhD) with Apostille* *Documents issued in one country and intended for use in another country must be "authenticated" or "legalized” with an Apostille stamp in order to be recognized as valid in the foreign country.
• In order to facilitate this process, for college degrees issued in the U.S., AOSR uses Apostille Pros (www.apostillepros.com). This company in the U.S. will take care of translating and authenticating all documents necessary. Once the process is completed by Apostille Pros, they will send the documents directly to AOSR. AOSR employees do not pay for this service. The school will cover all costs associated with Apostille Pros.

Work Visa:

• Once your Work Permit “Nulla Osta” is issued by the Italian Labor Office, AOSR will send you a hard copy along with other documents that you will need to apply for a visa.
• The appropriate Italian Consulate will receive an electronic copy as well from the Italian Labor Office directly.
• You will then need to file in person a Work Visa Application at the Italian Consulate of your place of residence (the residence indicated in the application).
• Processing time can vary from a few days to 3-4 weeks, depending on the Italian Consulate.
• When possible, and if required, AOSR will facilitate the scheduling of an appointment at the Italian Consulate.
• Depending on the location of your closest consulate AOSR will reimburse for travel costs upon presentation of receipts. AOSR will also use a travel agent to book a flight to/from your consulate appointment if necessary. Please do not book your own airline tickets.
• Only ONCE you have the visa in hand, AOSR will proceed to book your plane ticket, please do NOT book your own plane tickets. Please note, the general baggage allowance is 1 checked bag and 1 carry on per person. Please consider allocating some of your reimbursement allowance for additional baggage fees, or to ship your extra bags or boxes.

IMPORTANT: Once you receive a work visa in your passport, your first trip to Europe MUST be Rome, Italy. You must arrive on the date provided by AOSR, and not earlier, using the ticket purchased by AOSR. As soon as you arrive in Rome, you will be required to complete the next step of your hiring process at the immigration office to sign your labor contract.

If you are planning on spending some vacation time in Europe before you begin your employment at AOSR, you must do this BEFORE YOU OBTAIN YOUR WORK VISA, fly back to the USA, and then depart for Rome on the flight booked by AOSR.