tangobunny, I'm sure it depends where in Italy you go, but if it's any consolation, when I was having problems with my "legal" residency, the local police just said "don't worry about it, we're not going to go looking for you after 3 months" - Yes, the laws are there, but aren't necessarily enforced if you are no trouble to the authorities.

Molto interessante. So Mark, if I just stay in Italy I'll be ok then? I'll pay you rent money. LOL!

A proposito. Just found out that Giavanni da Roma leaves for Italy in solamente 10 days. He's going there to live per sempre.

Tangobunny:

I don't want to open old wounds, but has anything changed for you regarding this?

Just curious...

Well, here's one for size. See if any of you can get this one.

I was living in Italy for a short time when I called the Boston Consulate and spoke to a man named "Stefano" (whose name I could never forget)for two consecutive weeks before going. This was to ensure he'd remember me, similiar to what you did. So I go and buy the ticket and use my cousin's car, travel to Boston, find a parking space after at least 30 minutes of scouting one out and going around the same block an array of times.

I walk in and it's quite busy. I see a man behind glass a bit scruffled. Hi I say, I am Jacqueline. The face told me he couldnt care less if I was Kennedy. People were staring, falling asleep agitated all around me.
"remember we've been talking for the past two weeks'?"
"No" he replies
I now was in shock
"You are Stefano?"
"YES"
"you dont remember me?"
"NO"

I showed him a legal work contract I had in my hand so I could apply and get my work visa.
He told me there was nothing he could do to help me and was quite rude and brushing me aside.
"You must go back to Italy, can't help you"
"Go back?"
I was then questiioning myself to which nationality I was in real life.
I returned without anything, all that travel, time, money and they did nothing for me.
What the H*** are they useful for?