What should I consider before moving to Japan?
 

Like health care, importing goods from the US, customs, etc? I was in Japan when I was in the military, but my living conditions will be a little different as a regular civilian. I have my income and living expenses worked out (I can tell you my long, miserable story, but I want to focus on my question first), but I was wondering what other precautions I should make before flying over there.

One specific question I have: about how much should it cost to mail a 32x19x17-inch storage bin full of my stuff from the States to Japan?

Thanks for the help in advance.

The box will probably cost about 3-500$ at USPS, depending on weight, I assume it is heavy. Google Nippon Express, Pelican freight and check with them too. They have deals on cubic meters (volume) shipping. Basically you get like 10 decent sized boxes to ship for about 2000USD.

Are you coming on a tourist visa?

Japan has a nationalized health care system, so depending on the capacity you will be staying, that will be covered.

The first question is what visa will you be using?

UPS quoted me $600 for my storage bin, but I was wondering if I was doing anything wrong. No big deal but I was hoping for a cheaper shipment.

The plan is to finish my school on a military base (I'll use veterans' benefits to cover the costs), get married to my fiancee (gf of 5 years), and share expenses for an apartment. I'll fly in on a tourist visa, but I want to try and find a job on base that would help with sponsorship. If that doesn't work, I can apply for a spouse visa.

I don't have a whole lot of money to play around with right now, so I just want to make sure my bases are covered before I make my travel reservations.

I'm confused. If you are married to a Japanese national, why not apply for a spouse visa straight away? Far simpler, and there will be no restrictions on time to find a job or what kind of work you can do. :confused:

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I thought it was easier to apply for a spouse visa in Japan than it is in the US? Either way, I would have to go to Japan on a tourist visa first, right?

If I go to the school on-base, I'm only allowed to enter the building where the classes are held, then leave the base afterwards. If I get base sponsorship through employment, I would get full base privileges.. not that I need it, but it would be an extra convenience. We've planned on getting married either way.

Marry her in the US, then apply for your Spouse Visa and head to Japan.

Incidentally, she overstayed her tourist visa a few years ago, so it's going to take a lot of work and money for her to enter the US. A lawyer advised her that I should sponsor her once I get a job and a record of steady income. I 've been trying (hard) to get a job in the past year, and I haven't been successful. So instead of her relocating to the US, we both agreed that it would be easier for me to move to Japan, for now, and get married there.

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

Yeah, he can transfer any visa from one type to another but I get the impression that Air wants to be able to work while studying to help with living expenses and such in Japan so waiting for his studies to be completed before he starts working may not be an option for him.

Oh yes, also there are many limitations to a spousal visa in Japan that makes it harder to get in some cases than a working visa. Thats the reason why so many married westerners in Japan have working visa status rather than spousal status.

You can work on a student visa, but you have to go through all the beurocratic hoops to get express permission to do so, which means your educational institute will have to agree, as will immigration:

"You cannot work on your initial visa, but you can apply for a document entitled "Permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted by the status of residence previously granted." This just means permission to work up to 4 hours per day, 28 hours per week, in order to help support your studies. During holidays, you may work up to 8 hours per day. However, this is intended to be supplemental to your savings, so you cannot declare this proposed income when applying for a student visa. Also, this activity is not meant to detract from your studies - so if your attendance begins to suffer as a result of working you may find your visa revoked. The immigration office does check your attendance while on the student visa, and the school is obliged to take a daily record of attendance.

The relevant forms for application are usually available from your school. Some schools will make the application for you; most will just issue you with the documents that you need to take to the immigration office.

Education Japan | Visas | Work Permission

That's something that I haven't thought of yet. To apply for a student visa, does the school actually have to sponsor me? Or do I just have to prove that I am/will be enrolled in the school full-time? Also, I'm not sure if a college on a US military base is eligible; it's a fully legit and accredited college, but is it 'technically' in Japan? I'll talk to my local Japan consulate for more answers. If the student visa works in my favor, I don't really need to find work on base.

To be clear, the main priority for finding a base job was to have another sponsorship option to choose from. For the sake of example, if I don't like my student visa restrictions, I'd like to have the option to get married and use the spouse visa instead. If I can transfer the tourist visa to student visa without any problems, a job won't be important anymore, and I can wait and look for one later.

And while I could always use extra money, I would just need a small job that would add extra pocket change, but wouldn't detract from my studies. Thankfully, I do have friends in Japan.. while I wouldn't bother them for handouts, they did tell me that if I move back there, they know nightclub promoters that let people volunteer for odd jobs (passing out flyers, cleanup, etc) for about $50 a night.

Thanks again for the responses, this is the kind of help I was hoping for.

Also want to know some stuff about moving to japan
 

(appolgiseing in advance for bad spelling dyslexia makes me suck as such things)
Hey Iv wanted to move to japan for as long as I can rember Im going to tokyo in feb to have a lok round get a genrall feel for the place and make 100% sure its what I want if all goes well which to be honest im pretty sure it will I plan on moving there around september or october next year I have a national diploma and and in my final year of uni so will have a ba honers degree by june so qualifications arn't a problem what Im really having trouble with is where to lok for a job Iv looked through agencies like jet but as they only offer a max of 3 years its not really what im looking for kinda want something more perminant yo9ou know just wondering if anyone can help me in my job search it would be great also iv had a look and im pretty sure that i dont but if im going to tokyo for a week i dont need to apoply for a visa do I any replys would be much appriecated sorry to the starter of the thread for hijacking your topic but didn't think it would be good to start another thread on this topic :)

I have a national diploma and and in my final year of uni so will have a ba honers degree by june so qualifications arn't a problem
Can you speak Japanese to a relatively fluent level though? That will seriously affect what job you can get and whether or not you can live there.

What Im really having trouble with is where to lok for a job Iv looked through agencies like jet but as they only offer a max of 3 years its not really what im looking for kinda want something more perminant yo9ou know
It depends what sort of career you are looking for. To teach in Japan on a permanent basis you will need a genuine teacher's qualification; not just a TEFL certificate. Jet now offers up to 5 years. To get any other job, you again will need strong ~business~ japanese or else be experienced, gifted and/or lucky enough for a company to take you on.

Just wondering if anyone can help me in my job search it would be great also iv had a look and im pretty sure that i dont but if im going to tokyo for a week i dont need to apoply for a visa do I You won't need a visa if you're only going for a week, but honestly, do you REALLY think a week long visit is long enough for you to make the decision to move your whole life to the other side of the world? Have you been to Japan before. Just FYI, I know dozens of people who lived there for a YEAR and still aren't sure if they'd settle there permanently. Not to burst your bubble or anything, but don't set yourself up for a dumb and expensive mistake.

As for finding a Job, you can search on Language Jobs, Language Recruitment - Top Language Jobs and GaijinPot: Jobs, Apartments, and Information for living in Japan but be warned; the working visa issue is tricky. Most companies advertising for hire want employees already IN Japan, with a valid -working- visa. Some will sponsor you for the visa, and you can always ask, but some just don't want the hassle. The easiest way to find a job probably is from inside the country.

If you are a foreigner attending school in Japan, the school doesn't technically "sponsor" you. They merely provide a form to immigration which says you are enrolled there, and the terms of your enrollment. Getting such a visa is not difficult. Working while attending school is possible with a permit, and such a permit is no harder for a foreign student to get than it is for foreign students who wish to work in America or other countries.

Before taking the plunge and moving to Japan, you have to think about your situation objectively. What kind of work are you qualified to do? And how much will that pay in Japan? In most circumstances, the pay for the same or similar job will be more in America than in Japan. Without a degree, you'll be lucky to find a job in Japan which pays more than 1000 yen per hour, and these low-paying jobs will require a certain amount of proficiency in Japanese.

If you are coming to Japan because of your girlfriend, that is something else to think about. It is very easy to get married in Japan, it takes less time than the wait for a hamburger at Tokyo McDonald's during lunch time. Getting married is one thing, however, getting a spouse visa is something else. As I said in a previous post, you will not qualify for a spouse visa unless your wife makes enough money to support the both of you. If she doesn't, then you'll have to have her family sponsor you (provide they can prove they have the income to support you).

In any event, you will need to make enough money to support yourself and your wife, and handing out fliers for 5000 yen per night will scarcely pay for train, rent, and food for that day. If you don't have the skills, experience, or ability to get a decent paying job after you arrive, then you shouldn't come in the first place. You should wait until you have such skills, experience, or ability.

Teaching English is usually the quickest way for a foreigner to get a decent paying job in Japan. It typically pays about 3000 yen per hour, which isn't spectacular, but will allow you to live in relative comfort. You won't find a job on a military base that pays as much unless you are a military retiree, or have a professional degree.

In most cases, teaching English in Japan requires at least a 4 year degree, and 95% of foreign teachers have such a degree. You can get by the degree requirement by having 3 consecutive years experience as a teacher in your home country. You will need to provide proof of experience, by presenting tax returns or employment contracts. You can also teach without a degree if you have an TESOL, TEFL, or CELTA certification from a certified college. Unfortunately, most of these schools require that you have a degree before you can take these courses, but some make exceptions for those with excellent English ability and knowledge.

This one can also be difficult to get past Japan Immigration. While you might have a chance of getting a working visa with a CELTA and no degree, it is by no means guaranteed. With a degree (it can be a three-year degree from countries like the UK and Australia where a bachelor of Arts for example only takes 3 years) you are almost guaranteed to get the visa if you have a job lined up.

Buggedout, don't give up on JET because they only offer 3 years- you are free at the end of that 3 years (or earlier) to look for other work in Japan, you don't have to go home at the end of that period. No other job in Japan is going to offer you more than a 1 year contract (usually renewable) to start with, but as long as you have an employer to sponsor your visa, you can stay in Japan on a working visa as long as you like.

I feel however that your dyslexia is going to cause you problems with English teaching jobs, including JET- many schools have on-the-spot grammar and writing tests at the interviews, and I'm afraid that anyone who makes a lot of spelling mistakes is probably going to be passed over.

For other kinds of positions (finance, IT), you will need qualifications and experience in that field before you come to Japan.

Ah i see thanks guys Iv never really thought of dislexia as a hinderence but i guess it is i was kinda hoping to teach english speaking but aw man i wont give up on jet then infact Iv sent my application in this morning hopefully all will go well :)

I have not yet been to japan and maybe most people wouldn't think a week is long enough but iv constantly moved from place to place since I was 15 and left home and normally iv decided on moving to new places on a days visit i know its not much for some but for me i dont need lon to know if I feel comfertable some where

as for the language I can speak with vary degrees of success I think what iv been lacking from learning it is full on expierence of the language and actually been able to talk to people

Even though you are teaching people to speak English, you are still expected to be able to write down example sentences accurately, be able to answer questions on spelling, and display a reasonable knowledge of the basics of English grammar, hence the writing/grammar tests. Anyway, good luck with your application.

Is there any reason you can't check in this bin or 1-2 suitcases on your flight? I bought something even bigger than that and it was free. Some airlines will charge you $100 if it's oversized or over your 2 suitcase limit. You're basically robbing the airline when you do this.

I mailed several boxes of personal items to Japan before I moved here. The boxes were similar in size to the one you are describing, and they cost about $100 each to send by priority mail.

Flying with an oversize or additional bag can be costly. I checked-in a bicycle case in addition to my 2 checked bags, the bike case cost an extra $150, and had they known there was a bicycle in it (I lied and said it contained camera equipment), it would have been an additional $150. One of my suitcases was deemed to be overweight, so I had to pay a further $75.

Wow, I've always wanted to move to Japan, but I haven't looked into it yet. I wanted to move to an urban area, like Tokyo. The only problem is that I have a professional job here and I'm not sure how much extra licensing it would take to be able to practice the same thing in Japan.

What have you done so far to prepare for the move?

What have I done? Well, I just landed in the country yesterday. I'll post my results later on. Thanks again for the advice everyone.

Update: Immigration granted me a cert of eligibility to stay in Japan for a year. Also, the base accepted me to the school with no problem, and I got my veterans' benefits in my bank account. I'm not going to live rich, but I think my expenses will be okay if my girlfriend has a job (she does) and I can find work doing odd jobs and etc. This was such a crazy plan (and I'm not sure if anyone else would have the same success), but I'm glad it worked out.

!!!!!!!!!!!

I am glad things are working out.