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Ichigo
Joined: 18 Jan 2008
Posts: 29
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:27 am Post subject: Visa change + work conditions questions |
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Hi there,
after browsing around for quite a while, I figured it might be a good idea to open a new thread for this rather than posting it somewhere else.
Where to start? This is going to be quite complicated, I guess.
Okay, let�s see. I�m a non-native speaker of English and currently working as an English teacher in Japan. I came with a working holiday visa (and my country�s version allows me to work full-time with it � it�s not like the Canadian version for example), so there was no problem at all.
As I have something that is equivalent to a masters degree (and even education related), I didn�t really have problems to find work either. Of course there are always those schools who don�t care if you have ANY qualifications and just want you to have a passport of an English speaking country (Jesus, as if being a native speaker qualifies you to teach your mother tongue *shakes head*).
Anyway � now the time has come and I need to apply for a �real� work visa. I already went to the immigration office (together with my boss) and (after quite a while � because they had to do some research) they told me that I don�t have to leave the country for a visa change, BUT they want to have something in English, that shows that I have a Bachelor or Master degree (which I don�t have, I have a degree with a title that�s used in my country � it is equivalent to a masters degree, but the name is different, of course!) AND they want to see that I have some qualifications and experience in teaching English.
I don�t have any qualifications as I have studied education in general and not English in particular. Of course my boss will write something in Japanese about me gaining quite a lot of teaching experience at his school within the last year and I also have some certificates that I got during various training seminars here in Japan. I hope that�s enough to get the work visa!
Currently somebody is translation my degree into English and I also got an explanation in English what my degree is worth in Germany from my university. No word about master degree, but my degree qualifies me to immediately go for a PhD in my country and things like that.
I�m really, really anxious right now though.
I work for an eikaiwa and I heard that you need to apply for another type of visa if you work as an ALT. The latter doesn�t care about your nationality at all (or so I heard), so maybe that one is easier to get for me? But that would mean to leave my current job and find an ALT position.
I think this option should be an emergency solution if my work visa application for my current job is rejected?
Again � anybody experience with this or any tips for me?
Next thing is that I�m not very happy about my work conditions. Nobody is obviously, because almost no teacher ever stayed longer than 1 year at this school (and that�s not for no reason, of course).
I don�t have ANY national holidays off, I have 3 weeks of paid vacation, no paid sick leave, no 2 consecutive days off. Officially 8 hours work per day (5 days per week), but apparently it�s way more as we have to come in earlier (like 1 hour or so) for various meetings at least once a week and other special events and things. We don�t get extra pay for this.
Even if there�s nothing left to do at work, we are not allowed to leave the school, nor are we allowed to do anything non-work-related.
I don�t know � is it just me or are these really no good work conditions?
On the other hand I really like my coworkers, the students and I can save quite a lot of money as my rent is super cheap plus I only have to pay half of the rent.
Saving money is the most important thing to me right now (apart from having time to study Japanese).
What would you recommend me?
I will definitely finish my contract with that school, but I�m not sure what I�ll do after that.
Actually I plan to stay another year there, because I think with this I can earn the most money (for my 2nd year I also can get more salary, right?).
Plus .. as I�m not a native speaker, I can�t be too picky anyways.
Should I try to get the work visa, finsih my contract and then change schools?
Should I stay another year?
And what should I do if my work visa application is rejected?
Anybody experience with getting a work visa as English teacher although you're not a native speaker of English?
That�s basically it. Thanks for reading and I�m grateful for any kind of help from you guys out there who have probably way more experience with this kind of shi�. than me. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:13 pm Post subject: Re: Visa change + work conditions questions |
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| Ichigo wrote: |
| I came with a working holiday visa (and my country�s version allows me to work full-time with it � it�s not like the Canadian version for example), so there was no problem at all. |
Anyone on a working holiday visa can work part-time or full-time. Look at the web page, second paragraph.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/index.html
| Quote: |
| as if being a native speaker qualifies you to teach your mother tongue *shakes head*. |
Try to stay focused, and don't tick off the native English speakers. Many agree with you, but don't be condescending when you are the one asking for help.
| Quote: |
| I don�t have to leave the country for a visa change |
True. Shouldn't have taken immigration much digging to find that.
| Quote: |
| BUT they want to have something in English, that shows that I have a Bachelor or Master degree |
Show them the regulations. You need to prove that you "graduated from college"
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/appendix1.html#6
for the Specialist in Humanities/International Relations work visa (read item #2 in the regs, because that is the one that applies to you), or for an Instructor visa (see below).
For the instructor visa, you also have a requirement if you are going to be teaching what is a foreign language to you (English):
"he or she must have acquired education in that language for at least 12 years. When the applicant is going to teach other subjects, he or she must have at least 5 years' teaching experience in that subject."
You do not have to prove any experience or "qualifications to teach" on top of your degree!
So, I would say forget trying for the ALT jobs (where you would need the instructor visa) and go for almost any other teaching job (where you would get by with the SHIR work visa).
| Quote: |
| Of course my boss will write something in Japanese about me gaining quite a lot of teaching experience at his school within the last year and I also have some certificates that I got during various training seminars here in Japan. |
Good, neither is needed, but they certainly won't hurt.
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| Currently somebody is translation my degree into English and I also got an explanation in English what my degree is worth in Germany from my university. |
Also good. Make sure that your university states clearly that it is at least equivalent to a bachelor's degree, plainly and clearly.
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Next thing is that I�m not very happy about my work conditions. Nobody is obviously, because almost no teacher ever stayed longer than 1 year at this school (and that�s not for no reason, of course).
I don�t have ANY national holidays off, |
Those are not mandated by law anyway. NOVA teachers didn't get them, either. You signed the contract, didn't you, so you knew this up front.
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| I have 3 weeks of paid vacation, no paid sick leave, no 2 consecutive days off. |
More than the minimum paid vacation required by law, and nobody in Japan (including Japanese) gets official sick leave. It's take off with your paid vacation time. As for no 2 consecutive days off, again, you signed the contract, so you knew what you were getting into. Eikaiwas are open to attract customers, and they are abiding by the law in giving you the time off as it is.
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| Officially 8 hours work per day (5 days per week), but apparently it�s way more as we have to come in earlier (like 1 hour or so) for various meetings at least once a week and other special events and things. We don�t get extra pay for this. |
Complain to the union or labor standards office, but read your contract first. If you are being asked to do work, you should get paid for it.
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| I don�t know � is it just me or are these really no good work conditions? |
Of course they are not the best, but I repeat...did you know this before you signed the contract?
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| What would you recommend me? |
If it were me, I'd find another eikaiwa. After a year on a work visa, you can "self-sponsor" and take on several PT jobs and perhaps make even more money.
| Quote: |
| Actually I plan to stay another year there, because I think with this I can earn the most money (for my 2nd year I also can get more salary, right?). |
Why do you assume this? Many eikaiwas don't raise salaries just because you stay on.
| Quote: |
| And what should I do if my work visa application is rejected? |
You don't have many choices. Student visa or cultural visa, perhaps. |
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Ichigo
Joined: 18 Jan 2008
Posts: 29
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: Visa change + work conditions questions |
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First of all thanks so much for all the detailed information and the quick reply!
| Glenski wrote: |
| Try to stay focused, and don't tick off the native English speakers. Many agree with you, but don't be condescending when you are the one asking for help. |
I didn't mean to offend anybody.
That applies for EVERYBODY. Let's say someone is Spanish and wants to teach Spanish here. Just because he/she has a degree in whatever and a passport of a Spanish speaking country won't help him find a job or get a work visa. As far as I know those people need a proper teaching degree in their home country to be able to teach here in Japan. Only for native speakers for English that doesn't seem to apply.
I just wanted to say: being a native speaker (English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Swedish ...) doesn't qualify you for ANYTHING, right? 
| Quote: |
| True. Shouldn't have taken immigration much digging to find that. |
It's a very small immigration office and to me it seemed that it was their first time that a "non-native speaker" tried to apply for a work visa for an English teaching job. I don't know if that's good or bad.
| Quote: |
| So, I would say forget trying for the ALT jobs (where you would need the instructor visa) and go for almost any other teaching job (where you would get by with the SHIR work visa). |
Just out of curiosity: if I had another work visa type than the instructor visa and then apply for an ALT job - would I have to change visas upon starting the ALT job or can I continue working with the old visa type until it expires?
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| Make sure that your university states clearly that it is at least equivalent to a bachelor's degree, plainly and clearly. |
Well, it's not clearly as the terms "bachelor" or "master" don't appear in the document, but it states clearly that my degree qualifies me to access high level jobs in my country immediately as well as the possibility to go for a PhD whenever I want to.
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| You signed the contract, didn't you, so you knew this up front. |
Actually, no. I knew about the fact that I won't have 2 consecutive days off, but that's it. My contract is pretty vague.
I was concerned about that when I was signing, but people kept telling me it's better not to ask too many questions about the contract and show more trust bla, bla.
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| You don't have many choices. Student visa or cultural visa, perhaps. |
Changing to a tourist visa and then looking for another job in another prefecture + applying for a new work visa then is not a possibility?
Thanks a lot again. This was really helpful. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Just out of curiosity: if I had another work visa type than the instructor visa and then apply for an ALT job - would I have to change visas upon starting the ALT job or can I continue working with the old visa type until it expires? |
In my opinion, you are not qualified for the instructor visa in the first place. If you were, then you could do the above, yes.
| Quote: |
| Well, it's not clearly as the terms "bachelor" or "master" don't appear in the document, but it states clearly that my degree qualifies me to access high level jobs in my country immediately as well as the possibility to go for a PhD whenever I want to. |
You're not listening. The letter from your university needs to state such equivalency. Make sure it does. Tell them.
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| My contract is pretty vague. |
By law, contracts are supposed to state how much and exactly when you get paid, plus exactly what your work hours are and what your time off is. Remember this next time.
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| Changing to a tourist visa and then looking for another job in another prefecture + applying for a new work visa then is not a possibility? |
Germans don't actually get tourist visas, just visa waivers to stay 6 months or less.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/02.html#a
Yes, you could go that route as you described, but realize that you could only shoot for a work visa of the SHIR type, AFAIK. If you want to do something else, of course, you could do that, too, like apply for a student or cultural visa. I think you've written in another thread about student visas. With either of those 2 types, you could also apply for special permission to do work and be able to work part-time only.
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/zairyuu/shikakugai.html |
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