Job Discussion Forums

dhenderson0815 · Joined: 23 Feb 2011 Posts: 1

I am interested in teaching English in rural Okinawa, Japan. I am a native English speaker and will be certified in TESL, I have an assciate degree and have substitute teaching experience. I've heard that I can only teach there if I have a bachelor degree. Does anyone know if this is true, or does someone have experience with just an associate. Help!

CarolinaBen · Joined: 22 Nov 2010 Posts: 78

The only way to get a work visa is to have a Bachlor's Degree. I don't believe that there is any exception to that rule.

seklarwia · Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:47 pm Post subject:

A degree or three years relevant work experience.

But I doubt many employers will know about or want the trouble of dealing with someone trying to go the experience route... some employers don't even want experienced teachers.

And I don't know one person who is here working on a visa that they got by having the right work experience instead of a degree.

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

Well, I do know of a couple who got jobs here based on experience, so it's definitely possible. The $64,000 question is whether dhenderson0815 has enough experience. Substituting does not usually mean FT work, so unless you have 3 years of FT work experience, your associate degree won't help.

Rural Okinawa is not exactly teeming with job openings, either. I know of a guy who has lived there for about 15 years and lost his job, but even with a spouse visa and all that experience (and a higher degree), he had a hard time finding anything the last I heard.

Widen your search and get a degree.