Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Jumping thru hoops! Again! Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
defense62andrew 23:21 UTC 08 Jul 2009 | Hello, Can someone give me the lowdown the hoops you have to go thru to get employment as a foreigner. Specifically, I'm trying to get scuba diving work. I'm a PADI Assistant Instructor with a little experience wanting work for at least 1yr. Is it hard to get working visa in Micronesia? Perhaps Palau or the Solomon Islands? Would I be better off just showing up and hitting the streets looking for work? Thanks for any info you can offer :) A |
5waldos 23:37 UTC 08 Jul 2009 | Uh- have you contacted the various companies in the various islands? Or have I already suggested this? I feel like I am repeating myself. Tis a very long way to go if there is nothing available. Great trip though. | 1
ozziegiraffe 11:58 UTC 09 Jul 2009 | You basically can't get a work permit for Solomon Islands from within the country - you would have to have a job, that can't be done by a local, before you apply, from outside the country. I think similar rules apply in most Pacific countries. | 2
oldpro 10:16 UTC 10 Jul 2009 | I don't know if the visa is as much a problem as a job in itself. If the second could be arranged, the first would follow. That's the order in which it happens. Same old hoops as in most countries I know about and have been to. Judging from your other postings, I think your main practical problem is that you want a clear solution to your wish before you actually go to a particular country. Unfortunately, your other option, "just showing up and hitting the streets looking for work" is closer to the reality. Although, this statement should be modified to mean that what you can use is some experience actually being in one or two countries, to get a feel for how things are done there. Long way to go indeed, but you may need to invest time and money in a trip to make it all come off. Work for foreigners is a very opportunistic state of affairs - being in the right place at the right time and so on. Be aware that the S Pacific (and SE Asia) is adrift with people wanting a job at dive centers, "living the dream" as one of them put it to me. They are already there, knocking on doors, or volunteering their services in the hope of making a good impression and getting something both paid and semi-permanent. So your chances of finding work at a distance is that much more difficult. Therein the practical dilemma: you need to be there to make contacts, find a job, but then probably need to skip back out of the country to arrange all the paperwork (work/residence visas). | 3
5waldos 23:52 UTC 10 Jul 2009 | Good words of advice. | 4
raro 01:13 UTC 13 Jul 2009 | Also, brush up on your geography. The Solomon's are not in Micronesia. But in general, I agree with tthe above, jobs are almost impossible to get. Harder from overseas, unless you know someone. I'd pick a few places, go there and see which you like, and check out jobs once you're there, either for a later trip, or rarely, while you are there. | 5