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midmoonroom
Joined: 15 Sep 2009
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:24 pm Post subject: Visa through part-time work really not possible? |
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Hello,
I�ve read that getting a work visa for part-time employment isn�t possible because one needs the employer to guarantee 29.5 hrs per week in order to get that visa.
However, I�ve seen on some well-known schools/dispatchers� websites that they�ll sponsor a visa, yet claim that new teachers probably won�t get much work to begin with as they have yet to develop a base. Thus I�m concluding that this company will say they are giving a teacher 29.5 hrs for the visa, but in fact that may not happen, and so why wouldn�t other schools do the same? I mean it makes sense right�having a teacher handy but not necessarily having to guarantee work�and so the visa paperwork would be worth it to the employer. Regardless, I�d like to find out if it�s possible to get a visa via a part time-job.
I ask all this because I have a part-time telecommuting job I�d like to keep (at least until I�m established in Japan), so a part-time schedule world be preferable. Also, I�m not interested in teaching kids, and I worked 1 � years as an adult instructor in Taipei teaching in the evenings at my school with private 1:1s, teaching at companies, and doing freelance curriculum development/writing in the afternoon, and would like the same sort of schedule in Japan if possible.
The rest of the story: I'm American, I have 1 year of experience teaching college-level writing (the aforementioned telecommuting gig) and a BA in English as well. I plan on getting a job in Tokyo in the spring, (or summer, if it�s at all possible) and maybe staying 2 years. I�m uneasy about the idea of coming to Japan without a job offer/work visa and would prefer to get that all sorted prior to arriving, but I�d consider moving prior to getting a job in Japan.
One last thing: Would it be to my benefit or detriment to mention I plan to keep my telecommuting job? On the one hand, the potential part-time employer wouldn�t worry about me starving and moving back since I have a source of income, but on the other perhaps they might think such a job would distract from the job they�re offering.
Thanks in advance for any direction you can give, and know that any help given by you noble patrons shall be socially requited by me (kitten rescues, hobo bathings, hugs for the elderly, et al) |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:06 am Post subject: Re: Visa through part-time work really not possible? |
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| midmoonroom wrote: |
Hello,
I�ve read that getting a work visa for part-time employment isn�t possible because one needs the employer to guarantee 29.5 hrs per week in order to get that visa. |
FT work is at least 30 hours/week, true. Work visas (at least the initial ones) are only for people with FT jobs, true. After a year, though, PT work that can guarantee a certain undefined income (presumably over subsistence wages, so that you are not a burden on the government and society) is sufficient to "self-sponsor" that same work visa.
However, it is also true that people get jobs which are labeled as FT, yet end up being counted as only 29.5 hours/week so that the employer can avoid making copayments into shakai hoken. At present, there is no solution to this enigma, as I've alluded to on another thread.
| Quote: |
| However, I�ve seen on some well-known schools/dispatchers� websites that they�ll sponsor a visa, yet claim that new teachers probably won�t get much work to begin with as they have yet to develop a base. |
By law, your contract (something that immigration must see, or something similar that immigration must see) has to state how many hours you work and at what rate of pay (monthly, hourly, etc.). If an employer tells immigration you work X hours with this info, and then turn around and tell you that you work different hours, it's wrong. The problem is that it's up to you to decide whether you want to call them on it.
I haven't heard of what you wrote above. Do others have this happening to them?
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| I ask all this because I have a part-time telecommuting job I�d like to keep (at least until I�m established in Japan), so a part-time schedule world be preferable. |
How long have you had it, and what is your visa status right now?
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| Also, I�m not interested in teaching kids, and I worked 1 � years as an adult instructor in Taipei teaching in the evenings at my school with private 1:1s, teaching at companies, and doing freelance curriculum development/writing in the afternoon, and would like the same sort of schedule in Japan if possible. |
Put in a year and you can self-sponsor your own work visa, as long as immigration agrees with the income you can be guaranteed to make.
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| The rest of the story: I'm American, I have 1 year of experience teaching college-level writing (the aforementioned telecommuting gig) and a BA in English as well. I plan on getting a job in Tokyo in the spring, (or summer, if it�s at all possible) and maybe staying 2 years. I�m uneasy about the idea of coming to Japan without a job offer/work visa and would prefer to get that all sorted prior to arriving, but I�d consider moving prior to getting a job in Japan. |
Jobs are tight now, as you know. I'd strongly suggest that you get a job with one of the big eikaiwas or JET and stay for a year, then change. Otherwise, you should consider when you would come to look for work and whether you can support yourself for 2-3 months before a first paycheck comes in (typically $4000-5000).
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| One last thing: Would it be to my benefit or detriment to mention I plan to keep my telecommuting job? |
Mention to another employer? Probably not, at least not up front. Don't know about the hours you have, but they may conflict with what you are offered in teaching. Don't shoot yourself in the foot.
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| On the one hand, the potential part-time employer wouldn�t worry about me starving and moving back since I have a source of income |
They wouldn't worry anyway. In fact, they could care less as long as you do the work for them that they require. |
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midmoonroom
Joined: 15 Sep 2009
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the input!
I'm not ready to sign on with an eikaiwas yet, as I'm really not fond of the kiddies. If I do keep my telecommuting gig, I'd really only need to make about 100,000 yen a month to live and save, so perhaps I'll get a visa that allows for part-time work (student visa, and the like).
I'm finding it hard to reconcile the fact that it takes so much money to move to Tokyo just to start looking for a job however, but I was hoping for a gig teaching adults only, so I might just have to try my luck and head over this spring. I think I will bug a few employers that want you to be in Japan to be considered for the job though, and see if I can change their minds (not counting on it).
This forum doesn't seem fond of naming names, but yeah, the dispatchers seem to want you on board regardless of the hours the contract stipulates. (which in my case, I don't care about, but others might of course). |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:47 am Post subject: |
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Is there some reason you chose not to answer my question about visa status?
If you want to teach only adults, get a job with a business English agency. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 10:58 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
Is there some reason you chose not to answer my question about visa status?
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Visa status? But I thought that he/she wasn't in Japan yet.
@Midmoonroom:
You realise that in order to get a student visa or similar, you need to actually be accepted by some kind of learning institute and have them sponsor your visa. That's going to mean tuition fees, attending classes and only being able to work part time on the side to make ends meet; will you even have enough time for your current job?
The school/dispatcher you were talking about may not have you teaching 29.5 hrs in the beginning, but in order to act as the sponsor for your visa, they need to guarentee a certain salary for the duration of your employment with them (which used to be 250,000/month but these days it seems that immigration will allow sponsorship for lower salaries if they believe it is enough to survive on). Even if you are not teaching in the classroom, the employer is not going to pay you to stay at home, so expect to come into work about 40 hrs/week even if you don't have a full schedule of classes.
And you do realise that many of the companies advertising less than 29.5 hrs/week are counting actual classroom contact hours, not work hours. So once again, expect to be at work about 40 hours (often not including commuting time)
I think the only "reputable" company that I've seen which truely allows you choose your own hours is Gaba. But Gaba cannot guarentee a set income per month since they only pay for lessons taught. So they only accept applicants that already hold a visa which allows for work as they cannot sponsor work visas.
How much time do you spend on your current job per week? Does it really pay so well? Unless it's one of those jobs that really pays well for relatively low number of input hours, you are likely going to need to drop it in order to take on a job here that will allow you a visa... that is if you wish have some semblance of a social life whilst you are here.
If you seek employment before coming to Japan, and make sure you arrive with enough to cover set up costs and a couple of months living costs, you shouldn't have to worry about having a job from back home to keep you going until you get settled.
If you really wanted a job, with decent pay, no real start up costs, possibly highly subsidised rent, paid airfare, etc, then you would apply for JET. It's one of the best entry level jobs here, but this isn't the option for you since you seem set on Tokyo and don't want to work with kids. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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| seklarwia wrote: |
| The school/dispatcher you were talking about may not have you teaching 29.5 hrs in the beginning, but in order to act as the sponsor for your visa, they need to guarentee a certain salary for the duration of your employment with them (which used to be 250,000/month but these days it seems that immigration will allow sponsorship for lower salaries if they believe it is enough to survive on). |
Yes, the rule is that you are supposed to make what a Japanese would make in the equivalent position. For decades that has been "standard" at 250K, but in the past few years it has been allowed to go down (unfortunately) to as low as 170,000 or so at times. That is barely subsistence wages, by the way.
| Quote: |
| Even if you are not teaching in the classroom, the employer is not going to pay you to stay at home, so expect to come into work about 40 hrs/week even if you don't have a full schedule of classes |
Or if you have an ALT job, you may be traveling a lot to various schools and usually not getting paid for the travel time.
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I think the only "reputable" company that I've seen which truely allows you choose your own hours is Gaba. But Gaba cannot guarentee a set income per month since they only pay for lessons taught. So they only accept applicants that already hold a visa which allows for work as they cannot sponsor work visas. |
They used to, then they were denied that ability, and as far as I know now, they still can. The key thing, as mentioned earlier, is what immigration believes them to guarantee in the way of hours and salary. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 1:39 am Post subject: |
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| I'm not ready to sign on with an eikaiwas yet, as I'm really not fond of the kiddies. |
I worked in different eikaiwa jobs for years without ever teaching kids. There are plenty of adults learning English here. |
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mrbbkk
Joined: 02 Jun 2007
Posts: 70
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:28 am Post subject: part time or full time |
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As a part time Junior college teacher I taught 15 hours a week at two schools
As a full time university teacher I taught 8 hours three days a week and made much more money about 600K vs 400K
So often full time is less than part time in terms of contact hours but good luck getting such a job in japan now
They are few and far between. You have to have good connections and be in the right place at the right time.
I had such a job for 5 years but i think 99% of foreign teachers in Japan never get a full time university job that pays over 6 million a year with 5 months of paid vacation
The distinction between full time and part time is just different contracts but the contact hours may be less for full time than part time teachers. |
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