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Lejen
Joined: 24 Jul 2010
Posts: 5
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 Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:47 pm Post subject: What to do with a professor visa? |
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I�ve got a Westgate offer, but the job looks to be a less than pleasant experience. The money is descent though, and it looks like it will provide an easier �in� to Tokyo than just going there to search for work. And, more importantly, it gets me a visa for at least a year for 3 months of work.
However, this visa is a professor visa, which leads me to a couple sets of questions:
I know I�m only able to work at colleges with this visa, but don�t have an MA, so would any jobs likely be available? I am an English major, have a year and a half experience as an ESL instructor in Taipei, and a year and a half as a TA at a Canadian university, but that doesn�t sound like it�s good enough in this job market. I�ve read comments saying some employers only need to see a work visa and don�t care about its classification, so are jobs apart from colleges on a professor visa viable?
One of the reasons I�m okay with Westgate�s offer is that I hope to have some job flexibility after that contract ends. So, could I get a change of status to a humanities visa through a contract(s) from a part time employer, or a couple part-time jobs? Or would I have to get a contract with the required 29.5hrs per week stipulation needed for a work visa to change the status of my visa and thus be back at square one, beholden to one employer, after my WC contract ends?
Note that I write and teach composition online part time for U.S. companies for work I enjoy, but I�ll need other work since these jobs don�t pay enough to live on, though not so much work that it would make keeping these online jobs unfeasible so that�s why I�m concerned with having flexibility (part-time work, privates). Also, I�d hope to self-sponsor after a year in Japan, and wonder if that would even be possible with the situation I�ve laid out; i.e. would immigration officials look back into the year I will have worked in Japan, and if so, see a spotty employment record with varied part time work and maybe eikawa jobs on a professor visa as reason to deny a self sponsorship?
Comments much appreciated! |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: What to do with a professor visa? |
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| Lejen wrote: |
| I know I�m only able to work at colleges with this visa, but don�t have an MA, so would any jobs likely be available? |
Not at 99% of universities and junior colleges, I'm afraid.
| Quote: |
| I�ve read comments saying some employers only need to see a work visa and don�t care about its classification, so are jobs apart from colleges on a professor visa viable? |
Yes. You can file for permission to do work other than your visa specifies
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/zairyuu/shikakugai.html
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/09.html
...but I can't promise that you will get it, since you will not even have a job with your original sponsor.
This is another confounding and frustrating thing about dispatch companies like Westgate. How they can be allowed to get such visas for their instructors (not professors) is unbelievable.
| Quote: |
| One of the reasons I�m okay with Westgate�s offer is that I hope to have some job flexibility after that contract ends. So, could I get a change of status to a humanities visa through a contract(s) from a part time employer, or a couple part-time jobs? |
Debatable. Typically, such "self-sponsorship" is granted only after you have been working a full year. (See the FAQs.) Who can say what immigration will judge, though?
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| Note that I write and teach composition online part time for U.S. companies for work I enjoy, but I�ll need other work since these jobs don�t pay enough to live on |
Noted, but that won't cut it with immigration.
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| Also, I�d hope to self-sponsor after a year in Japan, and wonder if that would even be possible with the situation I�ve laid out; i.e. would immigration officials look back into the year I will have worked in Japan, and if so, see a spotty employment record with varied part time work and maybe eikawa jobs on a professor visa as reason to deny a self sponsorship? |
Again, nobody can say. Remember that "self-sponsorship" means being allowed to continue working on the same type of work visa that you've had for a year. |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:28 pm Post subject: Re: What to do with a professor visa? |
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| Lejen wrote: |
| I�ve got a Westgate offer...The money is descent though...don�t have an MA...I am an English major...have a year and a half experience as an ESL instructor in Taipei... |
Let's hope your salary doesn't decend too much, eh?
NCTBA |
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mdoor
Joined: 16 Jun 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 12:18 am Post subject: Re: What to do with a professor visa? |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| This is another confounding and frustrating thing about dispatch companies like Westgate. How they can be allowed to get such visas for their instructors (not professors) is unbelievable. |
The Westgate university program (the most popular Westgate program) offers basic, non-credit English conversation classes. Visa nomenclature is determined by the immigration office and is an indication of the work site, not the academic standing of the instructor.
Some people seem to get worked up that the �professor� visa indicates some type of unearned status by a Westgate instructor. My take on it is forget about status in the ESL field. First, no one sees your visa save a few people in the school administration office. Second, the ESL field is not highly respected field by the general public. To claim you are the "World's Highest Status ESL Instructor� is akin to calming you are the �World's Tallest Midget�. Don't worry about it.
If you want to change to another teaching job you can do it with no problem. Teaching at a public school or private academy is not considered a change of activities by the immigration office. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 12:58 am Post subject: Re: What to do with a professor visa? |
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| mdoor wrote: |
| Glenski wrote: |
| This is another confounding and frustrating thing about dispatch companies like Westgate. How they can be allowed to get such visas for their instructors (not professors) is unbelievable. |
The Westgate university program (the most popular Westgate program) offers basic, non-credit English conversation classes. Visa nomenclature is determined by the immigration office and is an indication of the work site, not the academic standing of the instructor. |
But the legality of putting dispatched instructors into universities is the issue here.
| Quote: |
| Some people seem to get worked up that the �professor� visa indicates some type of unearned status by a Westgate instructor. |
Not me, except when someone who works for a dispatcher that gets into a university claims to be a real professor. Some do.
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| My take on it is forget about status in the ESL field...Second, the ESL field is not highly respected field by the general public. To claim you are the "World's Highest Status ESL Instructor� is akin to calming you are the �World's Tallest Midget�. Don't worry about it. |
Who is talking about status here? Not me. |
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mdoor
Joined: 16 Jun 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 2:00 am Post subject: Re: What to do with a professor visa? |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| mdoor wrote: |
| Some people seem to get worked up that the �professor� visa indicates some type of unearned status by a Westgate instructor. |
Not me, except when someone who works for a dispatcher that gets into a university claims to be a real professor. Some do. |
I have never heard anyone do so. Since you have never worked for Westgate or in a city where they employ instructors it is doubtful that you have either. I am not even sure how one would "claim to be a real university professor". Just more nonsense rumor, smear and hearsay. However, if someone wants to claim they are a very tall midget, who cares?
| Glenski wrote: |
| But the legality of putting dispatched instructors into universities is the issue here. |
No legitimate issue about it. The classes are basic English conversation classes and don't require the the skill set or pay and benefit packet of a traditional university instructor. It is what the university administrators and students want. It is why the program is so popular. Nice to see the law is being applied to serve the greater needs of Japanese society and not a special interest group.
The issue here is �What to do with a professor visa?�. The answer is apply for any regular teaching job you like. |
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Ryu Hayabusa
Joined: 08 Jan 2008
Posts: 182
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:18 am Post subject: |
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@mdoor
Wow. Your tone with Glenski isn't very polite. For the record, he and others who have been at Dave's for longer than you have, have come across at least one person who works for a dispatcher that gets into a university and claims to be a real professor. I can do a search and bring up the thread for you but I don't think it's necessary.
I just wanted to point out that in this case it's not just,
| Quote: |
| more nonsense rumor, smear and hearsay. |
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mdoor
Joined: 16 Jun 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:28 am Post subject: |
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| Ryu Hayabusa wrote: |
@mdoor
Wow. Your tone with Glenski isn't very polite. For the record, he and others who have been at Dave's for longer than you have, have come across at least one person who works for a dispatcher that gets into a university and claims to be a real professor. I can do a search and bring up the thread for you but I don't think it's necessary.
I just wanted to point out that in this case it's not just,
| Quote: |
| more nonsense rumor, smear and hearsay. |
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How does one claim to be a real professor? For that matter, I worked at Westgate and I profess to have a high degree of knowledge and experience in the field I was teaching. Basic English conversation. I am a professor of English conversation if I worked at Westgate or a preschool. It is my job, should I profess to be a hairdresser when I step in front of the students? If I was claiming to be an expert in English composition, Science or Japanese history, I would be out of line. How would a Westgate teacher claim to be a real professor that is out of line with what any other professor at a university would claim?
In some countries the term professor is used for any one who teaches at a school, ANY school regardless of the level of the subject matter taught or the level or ages of the students. Japanese immigration sees the qualifications of a Westgate instructor and knows the work site they will be teaching at and issues a visa with the term �professor� on it. Are we going to argue now about the height of the midget to determine when he is tall?
I am really not interested in being lectured to about my tone. It is a tone reserved for someone who gives out information with an agenda. "confounding and frustrating thing about dispatch companies"? What does your frustration have to do with what you can do with the visa once the OP has it? I stand behind what I wrote.
As I said the issue here is �What to do with a professor visa?�. The answer is apply for any regular teaching job you like. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:39 am Post subject: |
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mdoor,
The fact that you yourself have never run across such a person means nothing. They exist. Look up Miyazaki on this forum as an example.
As for "no legitimate issue" about illegal dispatch operations in universities, once again you astound me with such a comment. Illegality is illegality. Let's not pursue this line of drivel any more, ok? You worked for Westgate and support them for obvious reasons, or you are trolling.
| Quote: |
| What does your frustration have to do with what you can do with the visa once the OP has it? |
You obviously are having a hard time understanding the meaning of the word "illegal". But then again, you really aren't taking this thread seriously, are you?
As for your "I am a professor of English conversation" line, give it a rest. Such a lame attempt at shoe-horning in the definition is pitiful.
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| In some countries the term professor is used for any one who teaches at a school, ANY school |
This and the above remark really show that all you can muster are trolling comments.
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| the issue here is �What to do with a professor visa?�. The answer is apply for any regular teaching job you like. |
Untrue. You cannot apply for jobs like eikaiwas. They require another sort of visa.
I'm outta here before I get caught up in more trolling. I suggest others treat the thread similarly because it is not helping the poster. |
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mdoor
Joined: 16 Jun 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:37 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| I'm outta here before I get caught up in more trolling. I suggest others treat the thread similarly because it is not helping the poster. |
I am curious, how do you suppose I am �trolling� by giving accurate information about my experiences. An easy way to dismiss me by personally smearing me as a �troll�. Seems like you just could not give an intelligible response. Frankly you seem easily astonished.
Maybe the anwser can be found in a previous thread:
| Gaijinalways wrote: |
| Glenski has seen the same kind of bs. I suppose it is also possible that the dispatch companies have tried to enter his uni as well |
You smear dispatch companies, as you don't like the competition for your job. I make a point of countering the rumor, smear and hearsay as it turns away good teachers from good jobs. Sorry you fear for your job, but others have the right to look for a good opportunity. |
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:40 am Post subject: |
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| The thread is locked and if the insults continue, those posting them will not. |
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