What should I consider before moving to Japan?

[Sangetsu]

You aren't going to have an easy time of things. There are a few basic requirements you need to get a work visa (generally speaking, a 4 year or better degree, or 3 or more years experience in a "profession" (teaching, IT, finance). You can come to Japan easily enough with a tourist visa, but finding an employer without the above mentioned qualifications will be very difficult, to say the least.

Getting a spouse visa in Japan may not seem hard on the surface, but in order to get one, your wife will have to prove that she has sufficient income to support the two of you. If she doesn't make enough money, you might find yourself in the uncomfortable position of having to ask her family to sponsor you.

Once you have a spouse visa though, you will have many more options/opportunities for employment.

[Air]

That's another reason why I wanted to find a small job on a military base that would assist with sponsorship-- my fiancee should be able to sponsor me, but if I do find the part-time work I'm looking for, I won't have to worry about any technicalities to apply for a spouse visa.

And again, I'll receive an allowance for going to school. I won't be rich, but as far as finances, a job isn't that important right now.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Air

That's another reason why I wanted to find a small job on a military base that would assist with sponsorship-- my fiancee should be able to sponsor me, but if I do find the part-time work I'm looking for, I won't have to worry about any technicalities to apply for a spouse visa.

And again, I'll receive an allowance for going to school. I won't be rich, but as far as finances, a job isn't that important right now.

You are certainly out of my expertise when adding in the military base stuff, as they do things very different.

Are bases hiring non-military non-visa carrying people? How do you go to school on a base if you are not a soldier or related to soldier stationed there?

Why are you thinking military base?

[Air]

For the past year, I tried every day to find a job in the US that pays enough for me to sponsor my fiancee over here. Basically, I don't remember doing anything in 2009 except look for a job. My job search has been completely unsuccessful. I almost considered breaking up with her, giving up on everything and returning to school. This has not been a great year by any means.

One day I called the college that I went to when I was in the military, so I can have my transcripts sent to me. They said that since I'm still enrolled as a student there, even if I'm out of the military, I would be allowed on base to just go to school, then leave. At this point, I think it's the only way to save a relationship that didn't have anything wrong with it, aside from me having to leave.

I'm hoping that I can apply for a work-study program, but I don't know if I can be hired if I just have a tourist visa. If not, we'll get married. Thankfully I can help with living expenses, and when I finally get my degree, everything else should fall into place.

[Sangetsu]

Have you considered going back to the military? I was in the Army myself for several years, and know what the life is like. At least the military offers a steady paycheck, health benefits, and will make it easier for you to sponsor your wife if you were to be stationed in America.

If returning to the military isn't an option, then you need to return to school. You should have something coming to you in the way of educational benefits, and you ought to make the most of them. Go back to the school where you were studying and talk to a counselor, and see what advice he or she has to give.

Working on a US military base in Japan is an option, but such jobs are usually given to those who have advanced experience in their military occupations, meaning those who have retired after their 20 years of service. In such positions you will be sponsored for a typical Japan work visa, like any other foreigner who lives and works in Japan.

Don't be impatient, poor choices made early in life have a way of compounding later on. You should return to school and begin studying again, working to get at least a bachelors degree. If your girlfriend is Japanese, she'll understand the importance of this, and will be more than happy to wait. If she's like most Japanese women, her goal in life is to be a housewife, and to reach that goal, she's going to need a husband who earns enough money for her to stay home. Someone without a college degree is not going to make that much money in Japan.

Good luck

[trunker]

not to nitpick, but,...

even if you did get a small part time job onbase,... would the military actually sponsor you for that?

you might want to check into that.

[Sangetsu]

Originally Posted by trunker

not to nitpick, but,...

even if you did get a small part time job onbase,... would the military actually sponsor you for that?

you might want to check into that.

That depends on a few things. Some base employees are government workers, and work directly for the federal government. Other services are contracted out to private companies, both American and Japanese. If you work for the federal government, then getting permission to work is not a problem, if working for a private contractor, then the contractor will sponsor you.

On the other hand, getting a work visa requires that you earn at least 200k yen per month, and many part-time base positions are not going to pay that much. Even full-time positions at a private contracting company will probably pay less than that.

[Air]

Originally Posted by trunker

not to nitpick, but,...

even if you did get a small part time job onbase,... would the military actually sponsor you for that?

you might want to check into that.

That's a very good question. I talked to the school's field representative, and they said that they could help with getting sponsored if I work for them. There aren't any openings right now, but I want to know if there's a work-study program that would make it easier to get hired.

Is there anything else that I might want to look into before I leave? How would my taxes in the US change once I reside overseas?

[aussielung]

HI Air,

There is also one thing to keep in mind when it comes to the tourist visa.

Firstly you'll get 90 days at the airport as you are American, that can then be extended for an additional 90 days giving you 6 months in Japan before you have to leave (tourist visa's can not be extended more than once). From what I understand the extension of the visa is a fairly straight forward process (just a new stamp in the passport) and reasonably easy to get comparatively speaking. You can use that time to either look for a job that will sponsor your working visa (you do not need a working visa to start looking for jobs) or even get married in that time and transfer it to a spousal visa.

If you are going to Japan to study I see no reason why you would not be eligible for a student visa and since your Veterans payment will be paying for it there appears to be no reason why it would be refused. Although from what I have heard those holding a student visa are not legally allowed to work but there is always the chance of gaining some cash in hand work that does not get taxed and therefor does not need to be declared to immigration.

But all the above is just what I have heard. The best thing for you to do at this point is to go the Japanese consulate or have your fiance contact an immigration lawyer in Japan and get their advice. The other benefit to going through an immigration lawyer (as long as you don't mind the cost) is that they can take care of all the paperwork for you so that you don't have to worry about accidently not dotting an i or crossing a t and getting deported. They are the experts after all.

[SSJup81]

If Air goes over on a student visa until he's done, he should be okay, right? He can then get married, and can switch over to a spousal visa, right? Then he'll be able to legally look for work.