I moved abroad with my partner but now I can't work
Posted by Lucylucy4922@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 16 comments
My partner was posted to South Africa as a diplomat, and I moved with them, hoping it would be an adventure and that I could find remote work. It’s been a year, and so far I haven’t been able to secure any work. I don’t have a local work visa, and remote work for my Australian employer isn’t possible, so I’m facing the prospect of several years without professional engagement.
We don’t have children, so I have a lot of time on my hands and would really like to put it to productive use. My background is in government policy, and I’m keen to find remote opportunities that I can do from here.
If anyone has suggestions or knows of platforms or networks where diplomatic spouses or expats in similar situations have successfully found remote work, I’d really appreciate your advice.
Thanks in advance!
Gilgamesh-Enkidu@reddit
I mean your options are to either find online work, try to find work in South Africa that would sponsor you for a work visa, go back to school for something (I’d recommend in South Africa since that can usually lead to a short term work permit or; but you’d have to check. Either or online), or get small part time gigs online such as ESL teaching, virtual assistant work, or sales/customer support.
doepfersdungeon@reddit
How can you work remotely if you can't work in South Africa? Would you leave and try and reenter on a Nomad visa or something.
Is then plan no kids? Could be a good time no?
Is there some way of using the time productively to volunteer and study so as and when you possibly leave SA you are ready to hit the ground running.
I have been there, following someone for work. It can be really demoralising. And boring. Just don't let it bleed over into resentment.
Ladline69@reddit
Ufff not good - I'm from SA and work and live abroad, haven't been back in years so I can't help. Goodluck to you 👍
FrauAmarylis@reddit
It’s the reality of being a “Trailing Spouse”. Google it. It’s not good.
bigopossums@reddit
So to make sure I am understanding correctly since I'm not super familiar with the South African context: you don't have the right to work in South Africa, but you have the right to be there with your partner? and obtaining these rights are separate processes unlike elsewhere, where you typically gain the right to work when arriving with a partner? Unless you aren't married and have arrived on other means.
I am also a policy person and The Bloom, GlobalCharityJobs, Idealist, and the remote section of UNJobs have all been helpful for me. Although it's hard to understand where you might land without knowing your specific background (ex: someone with a background in taxation or city planning might have a more difficult time finding something relevant than a global health professional who is less geographically-tied.) Also, many of these employers might expect you to prove you have the right to work in South Africa and won't provide it for you to work remotely.
Key_Equipment1188@reddit
It is very unusual that your spouse gets the right to work, if you are on a work visa/work permit. This is usually given once you obtain an indefinite stay permit in most countries.
bigopossums@reddit
In Germany this is not the case, spouses have immediate working rights under their visa conditions, this is the same for spouses of skilled workers in France. I think there is a lot of variation depending on how the first person arrived and if they are married or unmarried.
Key_Equipment1188@reddit
Expat family here and we had the same restrictions in the first 5 years. This is what usually happens:
the wife is having a child - this was our solution and pre-planned. My wife wanted to leave her corporate job anyway and starting a family
Chardonnay Charity Club - engage in those expat clubs that have a boozy lunch on a Tuesday
get an alibi post with your husbands employer - met some who do it, but regardless how good you are in your job, it is nepotism
get a small online job and build up from there - this is what my wife did, after our child started attending school. Got a typical online assistant job through an agency (non-English) and moved on to direct hires for project management work
Adorable_Misfit@reddit
This is probably something you've already considered, but have you tried other countries' embassies to see if they have any job opportunities available for spouses of diplomats? Employment within the diplomatic community has been the only way I've been able to work as a diplomatic spouse. Not in the field I would work in at home, but at least something to keep me busy while the kids are at school.
Lucylucy4922@reddit (OP)
It's a good suggestion and yes I have been trying that. Unfortunately jobs are few and far between down here but I'm hopeful something will come through. It's been my main source of hope until this point. But I'd like to start looking more broadly too.
Good to hear your perspective about just something to keep you busy. I think that's all I need qt this point. Too much time on my hands is making me loopy.
Adorable_Misfit@reddit
I know what you mean about too much time on your hands making you feel loopy. I felt like I'd forgotten how to communicate with adults when I'd been stuck at home with my then toddler for a year and a half (during COVID as well, when South Africa had really strict lockdowns). And you don't even have a toddler for company!
Can you find something else to fill your days in the meantime? Volunteering of some sort, maybe? Are there other spouses linked to your embassy who are in the same shoes? When we were in Pretoria, some of the other spouses who didn't work took language courses (Afrikaans and iziZulu, I think) and got involved in fundraising activities for charities working with homeless kids and stuff like that. Not sure if something like that would be an option for you, just so you don't feel like you're completely idle.
It can be really hard being a trailing spouse. I hope something turns up for you soon.
No_Translator8881@reddit
The concept of remote work has all but disappered after Covid, when the elite globalist bankers soon realised that all the pension funds and hedge funds that own those empty office towers had better find a way to get the employees of their tenants to come back to the office, before these companies figured out they really didn't need to pay the rent for all that office space, collapsing the entire house of cards they had built.
Good luck. I amy win the lottery one day and you may find remote work.
Advanced_Stick4283@reddit
“It’s been a year, and so far I haven’t been able to secure any work. I don’t have a local work visa,”
So you knew ahead of time that you wouldn’t be able to work ……..
Necessary_Quit_3542@reddit
LinkedIn. Or teach English to foreigners and do volunteering in your free time.
flower-power-123@reddit
I follow this cooking guy on YouTube. He moved to Brussels with his then partner (now wife) when she had a diplomatic job there. He didn't have a work permit but he could legally live in Belgium. He decided to get the only job that was available to him. He did youtube cooking videos. Jamie has a disarming presence on camera, with a natural comedic timing, and is a talented editor. Everything just clicked for him. If you don't look good, or you don't know how to act, or you just aren't a people person this might not be a good suggestion. Tons of unlikely people have made a living off of YouTube videos. I don't recommend this path to most people. If you are a stay at home spouse with no other options you might give it a look. If you do decide to do this you should be aware that most YouTube stars don't make any money from their channels. All of their money come from patreon. There are a few youtube channels that do well. They focus on finance. What field did you say you where in? The big winners are doing gold and bitcoin. They cater to the doomer crowd and have clickbait titles. Let me give you a sample:
David Lin: Is The Market Bubble Finalizing Imploding? | Jim Bianco
Inside China Business: NATO's artillery shell problem: our factories don't make TNT, and they need China for the cotton
Eurodollar University: BREAKING: Credit Markets Just Broke
Kitco NEWS: Bert Dohmen: Market Manipulation, Global Tensions, and Gold’s Reckoning
ITM TRADING: Gold Signals Panic as America’s Debt Spiral Accelerates
I think you get the picture.
I follow a twitch streamer. I found her by accident. I was specifically looking for a French language instruction twitch stream. I didn't find any to my liking but watching hours of french classes is boring. You know what isn't boring? Watching a 60 something grandma play video games. There are twitch streams for everything from gardening to finance. I don't know what the economics of twitch are like but there are clearly people that are making a living by doing twitch.
Moist-Ninja-6338@reddit
Start your own online business or learn a new language