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bellatrix13

I know this is a pretty random question and maybe you guys can't help me with it, but I thought I'd give it a try on this board in case anyone has any ideas.

I'm planning to move to Japan to teach English in the next 6 months or so, and it would be great if my boyfriend could come and work as well. He's a US citizen but is from El Salvador, so he's not a native English speaker. He doesn't possess a bachelor's degree, which pretty much rules out the possibility of him teaching English full time. He speaks English almost perfectly though, so maybe he could tutor part time? He's a reservist in the National Guard, so I'm wondering if he may be able to get a job on an Army base there. He currently works in construction in the US and makes good money doing so; would this be a possibility for him as well?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 6:46 pm Post subject:

Canuck is right on this.

If you were married then you would have much better chances of getting employment on a dependent's visa.

bellatrix13 · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 9:42 pm Post subject:

Ok, let's assume then that he and I will get married before we go, and I'll be able to arrange a spousal visa for him. This visa will allow him to stay in Japan but not work, is that right?

If he's allowed to work with the spousal visa, or if he's willing to work illegally, what options do you guys think are most promising? We are both totally flexible as to where we'll be in Japan, but we want to make sure we can both earn.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Please reread these posts.

Married to you means he gets a DEPENDENT VISA.
Married to a Japanese means he gets a SPOUSE VISA.

Different animals.

He cannot work on a dependent visa alone; he must file for the (easily gotten) permission to work, which will allow him part-time work. Earning over 1.1 million yen/year will be bad for you, because then you can't claim him as a tax exemption.

What sort of work he'll be eligible for is up to the employer to decide. No Japanese language ability makes it very tough. Can he tutor Spanish? Look into NOVA or Berlitz for that. Otherwise, that language barrier is formidable because how can he take orders on the job without understanding them?

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Dependant visa is going to be your best way. After that he can ask to work part time and then perhaps be able to get sponsorship for a full visa.

As for jobs, well I have seen South Americans working in the construction industry but mostly in the low skilled end of the spectrum. How easy it is to get work there and what the pay is like, I have no idea but it's a start.

Finally I think you really have to ask yourself if it is worth coming to Japan.

Gypsy Rose Kim · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 151

Sorry, everyone else is overlooking something. If your boyfriend works on base he does NOT need a Japanese visa. I personally know people who are DoD civilians or reservists who work on bases all over the world and don't have work rights in those countries. (Actually, I have, too, twice, but not in Japan). These are two completely separate things.

I'm not sure how the hiring process works nowadays. You need to contact an MWR office if that's the kind of job he's looking at, or else look into GS jobs (which would pay better but be harder to get). I'm sure that he has some kind of benefits officer or whatnot. Have him chase up contacts through his chain of command.

Remember, most of these jobs go to retired military or family members of those stationed there. They're hard to get, and people stay in the good ones until they retire. Remember also, if he gets one, you'll be able to do stuff like buy gas and plane tickets and stuff on base. Would save you a lot!

I'd definitely look into it if I were you. There is a point system when they choose applicants, and I'd assume being a Guardsman would guarantee a certain number of points.

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

GRK

So you mean the OP comes and teaches English and gets a visa through her job and her boyfriend gets a job on a military base, which he won't need a visa for.
I'm not doubting it I just didn't know that that was an option.

Gypsy Rose Kim · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 151

Yep, that's what I'm saying. If I were the boyfriend, I'd get on it immediately, though.

jademonkey · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 180

Some few English schools don't require native speakers, and your husband may be allowed, but to be blunt, he wouldn't get far without even a degree.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Are there national guardsmen in Japan? I thought the military bases here were full of other types of US military (marines, air force, etc.). Besides, being asked to transfer to Japan is probably only going to be a short-term assignment, isn't it? And, there aren't that many bases around, so what are the odds that the girlfriend would get placed in a job near such a base that would allow them to see each other often? What happens in a year when her contract is not renewed, or in less than a year when he gets sent home?

AndyH · Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 417

He would probably need to finish his National Guard obligation before going to Japan. I doubt that he's be able to get a job as a civilian employee on one of the bases if he isn't a US citizen, but if he served any active duty time, he might be able to get some veteran's preference points for a job. It might be tough, though.

Gypsy Rose Kim · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 151

She said he's already a US citizen.

It's one thing to caution people when you know what you're talking about, but not everyone in this thread does.

There is a lot of speculation here, but like I said, I've worked on military bases as a civilian. It is entirely possible. It is not about him working as a "Guardsman" on a base in Japan. He'll fly home to serve his two weeks a year or whatever. The reason his status as a member of the National Guard is relevant is because it will give him better standing among a long list of potential applicants for on-base or on-post jobs.

Let's not pretend she won't be able to get a job teaching English in the area she wants. There's no guarantee, but she's got a great shot.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Not sure what sort of work he can land on the base, though, Gypsy. Do you have any idea? Carpentry on a US military base would seem iffy to me, and I would expect the military to hire out its contractors from abroad, not from within Japan. Not sure about SOFA status.

As for this...

Gypsy Rose Kim · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 151