Job Discussion Forums

sheridan · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Posts: 20

Does anybody out there know anything about this school? They want me to start there on Monday the 14th April!! I am on fast forward and would appreciate any feedback asap.

The contract sounds fairly standard except for the following:

HEALTH INSURANCE
Health insurance is not supplied by Michigan, as foreigners with a proper working visa are entitled to coverage under the National Health Insurance Plan. We will help new employees acquire coverage; travelers insurance is strongly recommended for those just arriving from overseas, this can be acquired at any large airport, or your local travel agent.

Does this sound reasonable?

Does anyone out there know anything about the intricacies of getting a work Visa in Japan? I have just rung the Japanese consulate in Brisbane, Australia and they have advised me that I will have to wait 6 weeks minimum to arrange one from here. The alternative is to go to Japan and then fly out to Korea, Hong Kong or Taiwan and arrange it from there!! All of which will cost me money not to mention the health risk factor!!

HELP

Sherri · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2003 1:41 am Post subject:

I have never heard of the school, but that isn't unusual, there are hundreds, thousands here. As for the health insurance, it is not unusual for the company not to pay for their teachers. Of course it is nice when they do. Health insurance is a complicated topic and I think it has been thoroughly discussed in another thread on this board.

The questions about your visa should be directed to the school. They should be helping you through the process. In any case you need documents from them to make the application.

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

sheridan,

Six weeks sounds about right for a visa. Mine took 6-7 weeks. I assume you have a bachelor's degree, or you can't get a work visa. In which case, you'd have to get a working holiday visa, but that restricts you to a certain age limit and number of working hours.

National Health Insurance is cheap for the first year (about 2500 yen/month for 10 months, covering you for 12 months), but it goes up significantly (perhaps tenfold) in the next year.

Can't tell if they are on the up and up. They may just need a replacement for losing a teacher on short notice, or there may be something else behind them. You don't give much information for us to make this decision.

If it's possible to get this book quickly enough, I'd recommend it.
A Japanese Visa Handbook by Motoko Kuroda, ICG Muse, Inc.

sheridan · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Posts: 20

Thank you Sherri and Glenski

You are of course both correct with your advice and warnings. The employer has been up front with me re her need for urgency and it sounds feasible to me. This still leaves me with a difficult decision to make. I would like to take the position and feel some empathy with the employer.

Would I be covered if I deferred any salary payment until my work visa comes through? I realize that this course requires a great deal of trust (or stupidity) on my part but I would be prepared to take that risk if it was legal.

Other advice I have received assures me that there is now no need to leave Japan to acquire a work Visa. I am going to double check this on the Japanese immigration web site asap.

Thank you again for your advice and I would appreciate your further comments.

Sherri · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2003 3:55 am Post subject:

Sheridan
It is illegal for you to work without the proper visa, as you know. What happens in practice is different. It isn't unusual for someone to be hired on a tourist visa and for the employer to start the visa application and have the employee begin working. You will probably have to wait about a month for the certificate of eligibility to come through and from what I understand people don't have to leave the country anymore. In my experience immigration turn a blind eye to people working while they wait for their application to be processed. Make sure that you get the stamp in your passport that shows your visa is being processed. Of course you really have to trust your employer to do the right thing and pay you etc. In the end it is your call whether to do this or not, like I said it is illegal, but common.
S

sheridan · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Posts: 20

Thank you again Sherri.

"Make sure that you get the stamp in your passport that shows your visa is being processed."

At what point and where do I acquire this stamp?

Please note that as an Australian I don't require any visa to come into Japan as a tourist.

mc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Posts: 90 Location: Aichi, Japan

Sherri · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2003 5:23 am Post subject:

Once you arrive in Japan, right away, you will need to go to the local immigration office--preferable with someone from your school. You need to provide your passport and original diploma(s). Your school has to provide more documentation from the school, and a copy of your contract. You will have to fill out a form and hand everything over to the immigration officer. He/she will make photocopies of your diplomas, check to make sure all the paperwork is there. You will get a postcard which you have to write your new local address on--when your certificate of elegibility is ready, they will send you the postcard to notify you. Then you will get a stamp in your passport with a number, this shows that your visa is being processed.

I really think your employer should have told you all of this. I hope you feel comfortable enough with them to ask them questions like this. I used to be in charge of recruitment (now on maternity leave) and I would have explained all of this to any new applicant. Your employer should have all the paperwork ready to begin the visa process on your arrival. If they haven't explained this to you all ready, I think you should contact them and ask when they plan to start this for you and if the documents they need for immigration are ready to go.

sheridan · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Posts: 20

Sherri

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

That is very clear and if I do take a risk I will ensure that the appropriate action commences on my arrival or I will have a little holiday and return home much wiser.

Maybe we have a cosmic connection - given that our names are so similar. My name is Sherre but pronounced as yours is written. My mother's maiden name was Sheridan and I was named after her nickname but my father misspelled it when registering my birth!!

So much for my ramblings. Thank you again.