Job Discussion Forums

MikeySaid · Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 509 Location: Torreon, Mexico

Hello all..

I think I've posted something like this before but I want to bring it up again.

We will be married in July and are trying to find work in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Japan, or another East Asian country.... but we would like to avoid South Korea.

I am from the United States, she is from Mexico.

She is a Master's Candidate (graduates in a month) and has the equivalent to a BA in Social Anthropology and has a year of experience teaching at the university level as well as experience as a Scout leader and camp counselor. Her English is excellent (studied a semester in the States).

I have a BA in World Languages and Cultures and a TEFL cert.

She'd like to be teaching either social sciences or at the kindergarten level probably.

Where can we go?

Can she teach Spanish in a Kindergarten?

Should I just secure a job that pays decent and see about getting her a spouse visa?

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

You would probably get a job on the NET scheme in Hong Kong and your wife could come in on a dependant's visa and get a job while she is here.

MikeySaid · Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 509 Location: Torreon, Mexico

surrealia · Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Posts: 241 Location: Taiwan

You can find resources for employment in Hong Kong here:

http://www.geocities.com/allhou/hongkong.htm

MikeySaid · Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 509 Location: Torreon, Mexico

found the EDB website finally... thanks for the other link!

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

I also heard that Japan also has some kind of spousal visa where the wife (even if she's the wife of a foreigner) can work up to 20-25 hours a week.

Maybe someone else knows more about that.

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

It's not a spousal visa, Tiger. That is for people married to Japanese, and it carries no limitation on the hours or type of job worked. http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

What you are referring to is a dependent visa. By itself, it does not permit work, but with easily obtained special permission http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/zairyuu/shikakugai.html , you can work part-time. Be careful about making less than 1.1 million yen/year, though, or you are no longer exempt from that partner's taxes.

Mikey,
Your wife has a BA now, and because she is not from a native English speaking country, if she tried to get an English teaching job, immigration would be very strict about things, perhaps even requiring 12-13 years of her education to be completely in English before letting her get her own work visa. You said, "Her English is excellent (studied a semester in the States)." Uh, unless she is a prodigy, studying a semester won't make anyone fluent, so I assume you mean she was good enough to be accepted by an American university (usual limitation is only 550 on TOEFL, which is not a speaking exam until recently and still not a stellar score). If she wants to teach Spanish, immigration may be a little easier on her, but there isn't a heckuva lot of call for that here. Some, yes. I'd look into Berlitz for that.

Want to teach social science anywhere here, and you have 2 options:
1) Know enough Japanese to teach in a public or private school. (Odds are, foreigners doing that are extremely rare anyway.)
2) Have a teaching license from one's home country, plus 2 years of teaching there, to qualify for a job at an international school.

MikeySaid · Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 509 Location: Torreon, Mexico

I've received an offer from HESS but I'm not really too keen on them because the pay seems relatively low and it sounds like getting my wife there will be a pain in the rear. Since we are geographically separated right now because I'm in the states to save money... being separated a month AFTER the wedding isn't something we're looking to do.

What oh what can we do?

blackmagicABC · Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 68 Location: Taipei

If you are not interested in going to Korea then I think living cost versus what you will earn Taiwan is a good option. I am not sure about how to go about getting a Visa for your wife but I have a friend who has visas for his children linked to his own visa so I'll ask him and let you know.
If your wife does come to Taiwan I would be one of her first students.

MikeySaid · Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 509 Location: Torreon, Mexico

Excellent.

I'll tell her she's already got one prospect. Spanish seems to be gaining importance outside of the Americas since Spain has reestablished itself in the EU and Latin American countries are becoming important trading partners for Asia. We'd REALLY like to look into putting a Taqueria or something like that in a place where it'd be well received in Asia... because.... who doesn't love Mexican food?