Can one get a job abroad without special papers?

How quickly can i get working papers in New york / do i even need them?

• im 17 and i need to get my working papers by tomorrow morning because i lost my original one last year. I am in new york and school is out here on summer vacation and tomorrow is a Saturday so im in a bit of a pickle here. What can i do to get my working papers before my job fair tomorrow morning at 11? Also if it helps i think the school would have them on file but again like i said tomorrow is Saturday and im pretty sure no one is there.

• Answer:

  Unfortunately the process of getting working papers is not something you can start and finish in an evening. You would need to have the application (which you usually need to get from your school) and after filling out the application you would need to submit it back with a copy of your birth certificate or other proof of age and a doctor's note saying you're physically fit for work. They would never put this online because they want to see you in person and make sure you have this documentation. When school is out, you may be able to do it at another state office but this is no more likely to be open on Saturday than your school is. This website explains how to get working papers: http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workerprotection/laborstandards/workprot/wpobtain.shtm Some ideas: 1) You say that you lost your original one. Normally, you give your working papers to your employer when you get a job. So if you were working last year when you were 16, your previous employer might have them. Just wondering...maybe you didn't lose them but just forgot who you gave them to. If they still have them and are open on Saturday, maybe your problem is solved. 2) Although you may have been told by the job fair organizers that you need to have working papers, really the state doesn't require the papers to be on file until you actually start working. So maybe you can still go to the fair and interview and just get it sorted out on Monday. 3) You ask if you even need working papers: the answer is you do legally need them to work at most jobs with some exceptions (things like babysitting and mowing lawns or working at a college if you're a student there): http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workerprotection/laborstandards/workprot/wp16or17.shtm But again, the state doesn't care if you interview before you have your papers, only the job fair organizers and the employers might be concerned about that, so see if you can get into the fair without showing papers and if an employer is interested explain that you will get them as soon as possible next week. 4) If it doesn't work out and the job fair organizers don't let you in without showing your working papers, remember that a job fair is only a place where you and tons of other people are trying to get interviews. It is by no means your only chance to find a job and it may not even be your best chance. Get your working papers as soon as you can and then conduct a job search - there are lots of sites online where you can find employers and if you ask around and find someone who knows about an available job, your chances of getting that job are probably better than if you're one of hundreds at a job fair.