Recently, I was laid off (yet again, sigh) from my art teaching job. I will be eligible for unemployment if I do not find work soon. The job market for Art is crap from what I have seen and I was thinking of moving overseas to get a job.
I can file on-line and get my checks direct deposited, so logistically I can get unemployment compensation from overseas. As long as I don’t work and collect at the same time, this should be legal and I have not found info that says otherwise. However, when I tell people about this idea they seem to think that this is not legal but they can’t tell me why.
I am by no means an expert on the subject, never having filed for unemployment myself (knock wood – although I certainly know lots of people who have), but I believe the whole point is that you are supposed to be able to show you are making reasonable efforts to look for a job. I imagine there is a great deal of variation in what kind of proof state unemployment agencies will accept, but I also imagine they are going to have a hard time calling Kathmandu or wherever to verify that you’ve gone on interviews there.
Methinks you need to talk to your state unemployment agency.
I visited several state unemployment office web sites and all offer information similar to the State of California UI web site:
(Bolding mine.)
Having lived overseas for a spell, but generally speaking, you cannot move overseas to look for a job in that country. Instead while in your home country you must find and secure a job in a foreign country and then move there.
What if you manage to move overseas and look for work your state UI office calls stating they have a job for you, and it starts tomorrow? How do you explain the fraud?
I believe all of you are looking at this from the wrong end. altiod apparently has every intention of looking for work, and accepting work if found. Whether the unemployment office cares whether that search is performed in Sacramento, St. Louis, Paris, or Timbucktu is something only that office can answer. Of couse, as previously mentioned, getting into a foreign country without a job is going to be difficult to do.
I am considering a few places in SE Asia that all give up to 60-day tourist visas. When I find work, I have to get a new visa and working papers. From what I understand, teachers that speak English are in huge demand and 60 days is enough time to find something. I am just worried about the few weeks time between getting the job and getting paid. Having some UC paid before that point would be a huge help in surviving.
If I stay here, the only jobs are in inner city. I am not doing that again.
