From visitor to work visa?
 

Hey guys. I've recently decided to travel to Japan this next December and stay for around 6 months. I researched work opportunities in this forum and other websites, and apparently the easiest way out (given my short stay) is to get a job as an English teacher.

The problem is the following... I'd rather work as a part-time teacher, as I would like to have time to explore the country, but I won't get sponsored for a work visas unless its a full-time job. I also can't plan on traveling there on a visitor visa and then switch to a work visa because i require a return ticket (within 3 months from arrival time) which I would have to forfeit given my length of stay. Could anyone recommend any other alternatives to this Catch-22? Please correct me if I'm wrong in any of my assumptions as well. Thanks in advance for your time. :D

Unfortunately, there is no real alternative to this Catch-22.

I suppose you could look into a working holiday visa (if your under 25 I think the limit is, I may be wrong). That way you are not obliged to have a sponsor and can travel the country for upto one year and seek part time work to fund your stay (I am pretty sure I read it is only part time work your allowed to do on such a visa, that suits you perfect then). You could goto local schools, colleges while on your stay and hand in a cv for temp english work etc. Since your in the country and available for immediate start you could get part time temp work easily.

Hey again. I was looking into what Saffy85 mentioned of having a working holiday visa, but apparently that doesn't apply to me. This visa is only handed out to certain countries, which doesn't include my 2 nationalities (USA and Spain).

Upon looking at the different visa's however, i saw the General Cultural Activities Visa, which would provide me with 6months - 1year stay. This way I could probably buy my return ticket for the 6months later, and then maybe get a working visa while I'm there. I'm not sure what the requirements for this are, or whether I'm allowed to work part-time at all with such a Visa. :confused:

Your best bet is to goto your local Japanese Embassy or Consulate and ask them (or call/e-mail them). I am sure they will let you into the country without a return ticket, as long as you can prove you have the funds to stay and support yourself for the year as well as buy a ticket for departure at the end of it (roughly 2000-4000 pounds, double it for dollars).

Some people get jobs and don't like them and quit or change conditions. Some people have said the visa is yours until expiry, but check that out at a consulate or somewhere.

You are mistaken about the full time work requirement. Pretty much any Japanese employer will limit you to a part-time 29.5 hour work week (which somehow magically becomes at least 40 hours).

On the other hand, employers usually hire people on an annual basis, having you sign a one-year contract. Most employers will not go to the trouble of hiring, sponsoring, and training a person who will only stay for 6 months. Those who hire teachers to work for shorter terms usually want those teachers to already have experience and a work visa.

Your best bet is to get hired, sign a one year contract, and leave after 6 months. Many people get hired, sign the contract, get the visa, and leave immediately to do something else.

Hmmm... are there any negative repercussions to doing something like that? What if i want to return some day? Although I've thought about doing that.....

Of course there are. You keep up the stereotype that foreigners cannot commit to a contract and will bail out any time. This is why people have honest people have trouble finding jobs and renting apartments.

MMM is right that many people have done this, and that it has made things more difficult for those who commit to their contracts.

But there are no real repercussions, provided you give 30 days or so advance notice before leaving. You might find that teaching is not something you really enjoy, and you may not even want to do it for 6 months. Or you may find yourself working for one of those schools who's working conditions are less than good.