I just arrived in Utrecht a few days ago. My ex-husband moved here two years ago after getting a job at SRON. I was finishing graduate school at the time. We have two boys, and my health soon deteriorated. I graduated but was unable to find employment. My boys and I ended up homeless, and it was only after more than half a yeat that my ex-husband finally decided he would host our children here in the Netherlands.
He is renting a house and enrolling them in school, and they will get a resident VISA with his permission. But he will not help me apply for a resident VISA (I would require his sponsorship), which means that I have only 90 days to come up with a way to live in Europe, or I won't see my children again.
I can sleep on my ex-husband's couch for a few more nights before I must find another place to stay, but my money is extremely limited. I have no plans of returning to the US voluntarily and leaving my children behind.
I would be grateful for advise and recommendations. I am highly educated with writing, editing, and research skills. I'm looking for youth hostels or short-stay apartments, and I am open to establishing a life anywhere within 5 hours of Utrecht.
