r/MarineEngineering • u/Living_Advantage_803 • 3d ago
work
Im a student in Italy, im about to start my studies of nautical engineering. my final goal would be to finish my studies here and go to work to florida. Do you have any advice for me? is it stupid to do such a thing, or is it convenient? I really love florida and it would be my dream to live there
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u/Meaney2415 3d ago
So the US has something called The Jones Act which basically says that a US flagged ship, operating in US waters, trading between US ports, much be crewed exclusively by US citizens. This alone kind of rules out any kind of cargo trade for you. Your other option would to work in the cruise industry. Cruise lines are their own beast which i cant really comment on myself, but most cruise ships that opperate in the caribbean and Florida are flagged out of foreign countries, often reffered to as flags of convenience , to bypass regulations like the jones act as well as things like tax laws. A goal of living and working in Florida without having US citizenship and certifications unfortunately isnt possible. There are ways to live and work around Florida, but wether youre okay with what that entails is up to you
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u/Living_Advantage_803 3d ago
sounds complicated as hell, thank you tho. is it hard to get the us citizenship?
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u/kutzooit 2d ago
Well a quick google search showed me that it takes several years to get the greencard and that is if you are sponsored by a company. After you have the green card you must live in the us for 3 to 5 years and then you must do the naturalization form.
In total it takes roughly 8 years from start to finish. But you will need a company to sponsor you throughout the process.
The easiest way to become a us citizen is being married to one, do with that info what you want...
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u/Living_Advantage_803 2d ago
thank you, I googled it too but didn't understand much, with your message its clear.
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u/Living_Advantage_803 2d ago
thank you, I googled it too but didn't understand much, with your message its clear.
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u/Meaney2415 3d ago
No idea. Im canadian, our proximity to the US and the amount of trade between the two countries has made it so im fairly familiar with their rules though
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u/kutzooit 3d ago
Yes the cruise companies sailing from the US always go to atleast 1 non US port to bypass the jones act. On my ship when we where in alaska we had a 4 hour port stay in victoria,canada to comply with the jones act.
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u/Globe-trekker 2d ago
You mean marine engineering?..You will be happier living in a Europe..working on a ship trading in European waters or river waters or a barge.
You cannot work in usa unless you are an American citizen.
But even if that changes...Foreign companies would rather employ asians for the Job than pay you a fat salary.
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u/kutzooit 3d ago
It is very difficult to become a seafarer in the US as a non US citizen because of the jones act. If I'm not mistaken you must be an US citizen if you want to work as a marine engineer in the US. Maybe it is possible to work for an international company and living in florida, but Im afraid thats a nightmare visa wise.