Looking to move to Hamburg

Guten tag! My name is Jewel, and my husband and I are looking to move to Germany in the next five years. We decided to give it five years so we could make all the plans necessary and make sure we knew exactly what we're getting into.

So, a little about me. As I said, my name is Jewel and I currrently live in North Carolina, United states. I am currently a freelance writer, but am planning to return to school to get a Bachelor's in English with a minor in Journalism. In Germany, I hope to teach English as a foreign language and write on the side.

I enjoy reading and writing, especially poetry and fantasy stories. I also enjoy camping, hiking, and listening to the birds. Nature is a beautiful thing, and I love to be out in it (so long as there's no snow on the ground!).

I have been married since July 2016 (though we've been together since 2008). My husband's name is Mike, and he works as a factory worker. He and I are both legally blind, though his vision is better than mine.

I am learning German from a friend who lives in a little town in Schwig-hollstein. She is my best friend and is part of the reason I chose Hamburg, so I can be close enough to her to go visit onthe weekends. I have learned a lot from her, but I know I need to learn a lot more before I'm ready to live in Germany.

I have so many questions, I don't know where to start, so I'll leave them for later. I would really like to make friends with people in Hamburg and get to know about the city and all it has to offer. Friendship with people in other places in Germany are fine, too.

Thank you for reading this, and I look forward to getting to know all of you!
~Jewel

Hello, you must find a job in Germany before to go to live there. You have to contact all private, international and languages schools to find one what will accept to sponsor you.

Teaching English in language schools or as a private tutor is usually not well paid at all. As an American you have the advantage of being a native speaker which is a plus. The problem is getting a visa. Priority is given to EU citizens. Only if a potential employer can show that they don't find someone qualified from the EU then they would be allowed to take you. But there are already a lot of Americans already in Germany as spouses of military who might accept part time jobs doing such teaching. Or students making some extra money.

And I'm not sure how your handicap might affect your chances. For people already living in Germany there are probably advantages and special programs to support them getting employment. But for someone trying to get permission to immigrate, it sounds like it would be a disadvantage. The last thing governmental officials want is to have someone come who can't properly earn a living and end up needing some kind of social assistance. That said; I could also imagine an institute of some sort for handicapped people that want to offer English classes that might think a fellow handicap and native speaker would be the perfect fit… Otherwise, Hamburg is a nice city and as the 2nd biggest city in Germany as good a bet to find something as anywhere.