Job Discussion Forums

[butterflies]

Hello, long time no post.

I landed a teaching job in Japan and have been here for a couple of months and I have to decide to recontract or not soon.
I don't have any major problems with my staff or the job itself ...
but the school I am at is giving me health problems.
I haven't had asthma symptoms for over 10 years, but I've been coughing for over two months. A lot of clues make me pretty certain that it's my school's air that is making my asthma/allergy symptoms come back.

I am thinking about changing jobs (or changing eikaiwa schools) instead of just quitting and going back home. I would like to work part-time for a while if possible, to recover from this cough. Although I intend on finding a job before my contract ends...I am worried I won't find one.

1) So what happens to my visa after my contract ends? Am I "allowed" to stay in Japan to search for a job until it expires or do I need a sponsor asap?

Any other advice on how to handle the situation?

Thanks.

[G Cthulhu]

[Glenski]

Your visa remains valid until its expiration date. Technically (overly technically, actually) you have 3 months to find a new job unless you claim some serious reason why it was not possible.
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/zairyuu/qa.html
Q17 I heard that my status of residence would not be revoked even if I fail to engage in my intended activity relating to my status of residence for three months because of "justifiable reason." It is true?
A. Your status of residence will not be revoked even if you stay in Japan with one of the statuses of residence as listed in Annexed Table I of Immigration Control Act (Engineer, Skilled Labor, College Student, etc.) and have "justifiable reason" for failing to engage in your intended activity relating with your status of residence for three months. The immigration control authority listens to your opinions when evaluating if or not you have " justifiable reason" on a case-by-case basis. For example, the immigration control authority might not revoke your status of residence in the following cases because you are regarded as having " justifiable reason."

After losing your job due to bankruptcy of your employer, you go about getting a job, including actually visiting a company for an interview in order to seek for a new job;
After Japanese-language school you have been attended was closed down, you are working on necessary procedures to enter a different Japanese-language school; or
You need long-term hospitalization for medical treatment and have no choice but to take a temporary leave from university, but intend to go back to the university after coming out of the hospital.

December is not a good time to be searching for work, so best of luck.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

It may not actually be your school. This is your first year in Japan. Many people (including me) find that their asthma acts up when the temperature starts dropping in Japan, but not in their home countries (I came from Canada). I think it has to do with the how buildings are heated and made here, but it happens to varying levels for me here every single year (I've been here over 8 years now).

[butterflies]

Glenski: Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. My contract ends in July so I'm just hoping I can find a different job by next August.

GambateBingBangBOOM: Actually, this isn't my first time in Japan! I'm part Japanese and I've stayed in Japan for longer periods of time before (years) My symptoms seem to get better over the weekend when I'm not at work. Thankfully, I am slowly recovering though.

G Cthulhu: I was hoping to get advice on how other people might handle my health situation too (ex. change jobs, change schools). Thanks for the tip.

[Glenski]

Could your asthma be a reaction to living in a different area than before, perhaps affected by pollen? How about your apartment? Nearby construction?

[butterflies]

Glenski: Thanks for the concern. I am not sure of the exact cause, but it's very possible that it's a reaction to living in a different area. I live in a big city so maybe the air outside is bad for me. I don't think it's pollen though, since I've been tested and I'm not allergic to pollen. I'm allergic to house dust though! By the way, there's no construction near my apartment.
Actually, I thought that it might be my school because it's pretty ... messy. Another clue I got was from my co-worker. She had the same symptoms as me. She started working around the same time and she started coughing and it continued for about 3 mo. The doctor told her it was allergies/asthma too, but she decided to quit so she could get better. We still keep in touch and she said her coughs stopped completely after quitting.
It's hard to deal with because I have to gather clues to figure out what I'm reacting to