My New Life in Malta

I write this posting as a way to ask for help from my Maltese readers. My attempts at finding employment in
Malta have proved unsuccessful so far, and it is now becoming a bit of a problem.

The question I most get asked when I meet people is “do you want to get a job in Malta?”  This question always puzzles and astonishes me and I really do not know what people expect me to answer. Without sounding too cynical in my response: personally, I do not know a single person who is independently wealthy enough to lead a life of endless leisure, and that includes me, so… yes, of course I need a job. I need to make a living. I have remained optimistic since I arrived here that I would eventually find something, but now it is becoming a highly pressing matter as my pockets begin to hurt.

This leads me to my main problem: the work permit. Many people ask me if I have one. Well, it is both a complicated and a simple matter. Complicated because there is no such thing as a work permit that allows foreigners to take up any job they wish. A work permit is only issued to a foreigner in Malta for a specific job and for a specified amount of time (usually not more than one year, renewable). More specifically, the permit is requested by the employer. That is where it becomes fairly simple. “All” I need is to find an employer who is willing to request the permit and say that I am necessary for the job.

I keep running into circular logic about this. A while back, for example, I heard that a tour guide company needed someone to translate the tours into Spanish (apparently they do not have enough Spanish-speaking tourists to warrant hiring a full-time guide). I was shocked when I was told that they could not hire me because I did not have a permit, since it was like a chicken-and-egg scenario. Of course I did not have a permit, because THEY had not requested it for me. I bring up this example, but it was not the only time that I was given this line of reasoning.

If I were an EU citizen, then I could freely take up any job. And if I were married to a Maltese or EU citizen woman, I could do so as well. But seeing as I am not allowed to marry my partner here, and I am granted no rights at all since our relationship is not legally recognised in Malta, this is not an option. (And let me pre-empt the suggestion I often get: no, if we get married in another country where same-sex partners have rights, it will not be recognised in Malta).

Another major problem is that adverts for jobs are few and hard to find. At least this is my experience. So, not quite in desperation yet, but yes in great frustration and quickly running out of ideas, I turn to the blog as a request for help.

I have experience in two fields. The first is translation. I can translate from English to Spanish and vice-versa. I realise that Spanish is not the most in demand in Malta, but since there are relatively few qualified Spanish speakers, this might be of some advantage.

The other field is teaching. I have taught English as a second language to children. I have also taught in a bilingual Spanish-English setting. So I could teach English, which I realise puts me in competition with half of Malta, or Spanish, which I realise has less demand but it is still an option.

Thirdly, I am willing to be flexible. Realising that the job market is small, and getting a job is the only way I can live in Malta and remain here legally, I am willing to take up other types of work where my skills might be of use. I am particularly good with languages, and in addition to being fluent in Spanish and English, I have a high level in French and Italian, and can also speak Portuguese, Hebrew and German. In addition I am working on Maltese, as shown below in this blog. So jobs that might require the use of languages might also be a good fit.

When I say compromise, I do have my limits of course. No job is “beneath” me, nor am I “too good” to do certain things, but I gave up many things, including a job, apartment, sold many of my possessions, etc. to move here with M, and I feel that if I am not able to find a reasonable job, then moving here would not have been worth all the effort and sacrifice.

If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment below. Out of respect to your privacy, I will not publish anything that contains personal information, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.

Any leads and tips would be highly appreciated. The clock is ticking, and if I do not find something soon then lack of money combined with immigration laws might force me to have to give up on my Maltese dream.

Grazzi.