Graduate from college if you want to live in Japan.

[gr8gonzo1775]

Hello to all,

I have future plans to live and work in Japan as an English teacher. As of late I have been doing a lot of research on the subject of living in Japan, and have come to find out that there are seven forms to fill out in order to be considered for residency in Japan. I am currently attending college for a Bachelor's degree in Human services administration, and also plan on getting my TEFL certificate for English teaching. I was wondering if there was anything that I may be missing in this search. I also am going for a two week visit at the end of this month to see the area and look for potential residence sites.

Tim

[sarasi]

Seven forms? It depends on what visa you are applying for, but I don't remember it being anything like seven. Residency, as in permanent residence, requires that you have lived in Japan for at least 5 years before applying, so I'm assuming you mean a working visa when you say "residency".

More important than the forms is having an employer to sponsor you for the visa- worry about the forms once you have actually found a job. The sponsoring employer does a lot of the paperwork anyway.

Your question is kind of vague- anything that you may be missing in this search? See if you can be more specific if you want helpful answers.

[gr8gonzo1775]

Originally Posted by sarasi

Seven forms? It depends on what visa you are applying for, but I don't remember it being anything like seven. Residency, as in permanent residence, requires that you have lived in Japan for at least 5 years before applying, so I'm assuming you mean a working visa when you say "residency".

More important than the forms is having an employer to sponsor you for the visa- worry about the forms once you have actually found a job. The sponsoring employer does a lot of the paperwork anyway.

Your question is kind of vague- anything that you may be missing in this search? See if you can be more specific if you want helpful answers.

Yes, I mean residency not just working visa. And the statement that I made about the search, was for the process needed to go through for that residency. Thank you for the information that you have provided this will be of great use to me. I did not know that potential employers did some of the paperwork for you.

Very appreciative,
Tim

[sarasi]

Don't waste time thinking about permanent residency in Japan at this point. Unless you marry a Japanese national you are probably actually looking at 10 years here before you can apply- the 5 years is for people who have made an outstanding contribution to Japanese society in some way. If you marry a Japanese national then PR can sometimes be obtained in 3 years, but all of that is putting the cart before the horse.

As I said above- first think about how you are going to get a job and whether you will actually like living in Japan. How many forms you will need to fill out years down the track when you might apply for permanent residence is not something you need to be concerned about- the requirements/process are likely to have changed by then in any case.

Incidentally, I have lived in Japan 12 years and have just recently started to think about applying for PR. I have only seen 2 pages of forms to fill out on the Japanese government Immigration site, so I'm not sure where the 7 came from.

As for working visas, yes, companies have to do some of the paperwork related to getting you a visa as they are the sponsors. The companies do not assist with getting PR as that is based on individual merit.

You mentioned going to see "the area" to look for potential places to live- which area would that be- Tokyo? Bear in mind that where you live is going to be dictated more by where you can find a job, not the other way around. Popular areas like Tokyo and Kyoto are harder to get a job in these days.

[Orochitachi]

Originally Posted by noodle

I think it's also safe to say that most of the people that are wanting to live in Japan really ought to go there for some time before making such important plans. I seem to see a lot of people that dream of living in Japan, purely from stories of a perfect society. I have to say, those people seem rather naïve.

Absolute Garbage... did you waste time typing this...

It is quite clear that negativity has shrouded you.. leave people who have an aspiration of working in Japan alone.

Gosh...

[sarasi]

Actually Orochitachi, we see a lot of posts from people who think that moving to Japan will solve all their problems- and all they have to go on is their love of manga and anime. Sometimes they are talking about wanting to become citizens- and they haven't even set foot in the country! Telling those people that they might want to visit before putting all their eggs in one basket is not negative, it is realistic. How much time have you spent in Japan yourself?

Why do you think that a suggestion that Japan is not perfect and that it would be a good idea to visit before moving there permanently means that that person is "shrouded in negativity"? How is that not good advice?

[Tsuwabuki]

Originally Posted by sarasi

No, not really. It's just harder now than it used to be back in the 90s when all you needed was to be a native English speaker with a pulse. Bear in mind that teaching English in Japan isn't really a career, unless you plan to become a university linguistics professor for example. Most people just do a couple of years in Japan teaching English and then go home, so you will need qualifications that allow you to get a decent job once home.

Insert angry diatribe about this being my career here.

[sarasi]

I am talking about your standard eikaiwa or ALT job in Japan- there is only so far you can take them. I worked in eikaiwa for 6 years myself, but never considered it a career! I did not mean to offend you or anyone else who is a genuine teacher, which I and many other eikaiwa teachers/ALTs are not because we have zero real training and qualifications. If you consider it your career I am sure you have made the effort to develop your skills and ensure English teaching actually became your career, but the vast majority of people who come here to teach don't, and return to their home countries in less than 2 years.

[Norwegian86]

For a long time now, I've considered working in Japan or China for a while. Maybe just a few years, to experience your interesting and beautiful culture, and also get some new imput in my life. After this summer (if I get accepted) I am going to start my four year study to become a teacher, at the Oslo university college (Norway). I will get a bachelor degree + one year to qualify as a teacher in compulsory primary and lower secondary school. Over these four years I am going to specialise in teaching english and I can do some of the education abroad, in Japan or China. If time is on my hand, I also plan to study japanese or chinese language at the same time. What would my chances be of getting a job in Japan? And with my education, can I call the job I might get, a career?

I am a native norwegian with norwegian as my first language, and english second. Is this going to ruin my chances to get a job as an english teacher in Japan? Thanks for all replyes! Good or bad! It is always nice to hear other peoples opinions!

[Hatredcopter]

Originally Posted by Norwegian86

I am a native norwegian with norwegian as my first language, and english second. Is this going to ruin my chances to get a job as an english teacher in Japan? Thanks for all replyes! Good or bad! It is always nice to hear other peoples opinions!

It won't ruin your chances, but it will still make it more difficult for you to get a job teaching English. Schools and companies in Japan often prefer hiring people who are from a country where the native language is English. You'll probably have to go out of your way to convince an employer that you can teach English even though it's not your first language -- learning how to speak in a British or American accent is probably one way to boost your chances.