Im in the EU right now and family could help get me there
she said I would get insurance.
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Yeah but I heard internship regulations are different in Germany and that it is more âlaid backâ then again I donât know I think I might be thinking very naively. Iâm just trying to decide if I should jump for this opportunity or hold back and try to find another option. This would be work over summer break only.
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Oh, hell no. That is shady AF.
Cautionary tale #1: (cue music)
A long, long time ago, I can still remember how much it sucked when I became an involuntary working student. My sister and her friend spent a summer as working students at an eventing facility. Having no competitive aspirations, I had a âregularâ summer job. (I already got enough stall cleaning at home, and, while I like backpacking, if Iâm not in the mountains, I want a shower, a flush toilet and accomodations other than an elderly camper with no AC.
Long story short, they talked me into joining them for a week, though I opted to PAY for my mare and myself to be there and take lessons. One lesson, day I got there. Rest of the time? I paid to clean stalls and turn out horses. Being a non-confrontational teen, I sucked it up for a while, then packed up my horse and left.
This trainer wasnât even shady, IMO; I think she was just your typical disorganized horse pro who couldnât keep track of who was doing what.
Cautionary tale #2 :
Later, as a grown-ass adult, in my first real job as a veterinarian, I took a job with a guy who was a real piece of work. He didnât believe in contracts, and sold the idea as being safer for both parties not to be âtrappedââunfortunately, this meant no recourse when I was paid less than promised, wasnât reimbursed for on-call work, no benefits. That was where I also learned to speak to both current AND past employees before considering a job. If the employer canât or wonât provide names of previous people, especially in a working student or internship situation, thatâs a bad sign.
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If you are on a student visa then you should go either to an immigration lawyer or to the international student office at your university (if they have a good one) and get it explained exactly what you are and are not allowed to do on a visa. I was a student in the USA and there were different types of student visas. You may only be allowed to work on campus. You may be allowed to work in an internship related to your university course. Etc. donât go on rumors or what you heard from friends
You and your prospective employer are collaborating to have you work secretly âunder the tableâ without documentation or taxes paid, presumably because you are not actually allowed to work. You are both proposing to break labor and tax laws, without you understanding the ramifications. You stand to lose most.
You are dazzled and awe struck at the thought of meeting a hero. Realize you wonât ever see her on the job except at a distance and will likely get lessons from her junior assistants.
But first go to an immigration lawyer and get actual advice about your particular kind of visa.
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phone calls to who? the visa center?
I feel like the odds are good he had the same view of marriage licenses. Lol.
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Can you tell me specifically what the visa is? Is it a C Visa? Did you obtain this through your uni?
I worked in Germany and Austria (and hired others in Germany) so I have a little knowledge. Typically visas in Germany are very specific about what they can be used for, and you also have to register with the office exactly what your work entails, even for Schengen study. My understanding was that if you are from an EU country, you then do not need a student visa for study. Only non-EU folks do.
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It is hard to think you may pass up an opportunity with a top rider. But this for sure sounds sketchy. I would find out if this opportunity is even legal to pursue with the visa you have.
I have an idea who âsheâ is. But I do not think you should post her name publicly.
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It sounds like you are looking for the âyes go for itâ answer. So go for it. Report back later if it went ok or if youâre in jail.
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lol what?
I have an EU student visa
Without ever knowing her or anybody who has worked or ridden with her? That is a bit naive. Donât like the fact you will be âoff the booksâ either. It is a cheap way to get labor from non citizens. If shes so awesome why does she need help like that?
Might add in some very famous up to international level riders and trainers here in the US inspired the creation of Safe Sport. Celebrity is not a valid reason to blindly trust. At all.
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As someone who was once young, aspired to work alongside top trainers and enjoyed adventures, I have to echo these three sentiments, which reflect my experiences as a working student:
Iâm sure there are posters here who had fabulous working student positions. I, though, am not one of them. The whole proposition sounds sketchy, and the long hours leave me wondering exactly when youâre going to get those riding lessons.
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I meanâŠshe gave me the contact of a girl working there.
Iâm getting the strong sensation based on your answers that you arenât super detail oriented.
There are different types of visas and the rules are different in each country. People on this board have experience navigating the bureaucracy and just from these posts, I think you can tell that working in Europe is more involved than getting a job in the US. And that is to protect vulnerable workers.
Your hero knows this. All by itself, thatâs a red flag and would be enough for most of us to say no thanks.
But you seem really determined to work for this person. So maybe that overrides the risks for you. What I will say, being a dual French and US citizen is that when you get sideways with visa rules, it can have serious consequences. So while you may not mind leaving this personâs farm if it doesnât work out, it could very well have material consequences for you after the fact.
So why does she get a contract, but you do not? Thatâs even worse in my eyes???
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sheâs not an intern
also Im not from the US but I have long term residence in the EU and a student visaâŠnot detail orientedâŠsure, but you donât know the whole story too
