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Sponsorship renewal, new school

 
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macandcheese



Joined: 06 Oct 2011
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 5:53 am    Post subject: Sponsorship renewal, new school Reply with quote

Hi all,
Thanks for the info everyone's provided on the site. Thanks to what I've read via searches and asking questions here, I've made it through the final interviews/cuts with both ECC and AEON, with final decisions pending. I'll find out this Saturday whether I'll get an offer from ECC. Yikes!!

I have noticed, though, that while the vast majority of schools request that the applicant already reside in Japan, few comment on their willingness to sponsor a work visa. Visas are only applicable for up to 3 years though, unless I'm mistaken? So if someone from the USA (where work holiday visas aren't an option) is sponsored through ECC/AEON, for example, but wants to find a new employer (for whatever reason) after 1 or 2 years.... are other schools willing to sponsor/renew the visa once the 3 years are up, as long as the teacher is already there?
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:24 am    Post subject: Re: Sponsorship renewal, new school Reply with quote

dherres wrote:
I have noticed, though, that while the vast majority of schools request that the applicant already reside in Japan,
Uh, I don't think so. Look what I compiled from OhayoSensei last month.
Quote:

There were:
25 New FT positions
42 Old FT positions still available
(including �semi-full-time")



From this grand total of 67 full-time positions:

2 PREFER that applicants live in Japan
Both will sponsor/renew visas

22/67 say applicants MUST live in Japan
16 say they will sponsor/renew visas

20/67 say applicants DO NOT HAVE TO live in Japan
18 say they will renew/sponsor

23/67 say nothing about living here
9 say they will renew/sponsor


Stating whether one renews or sponsors a visa is an optional item that OS has on its application form, so employers don't have to state anything.

FYI,
If memory serves, these are pretty close to figures I calculated not long ago. MAYBE the no. of employers who required applicants live here is rising, but in the past year or so, I'd say not so many. This may also be a seasonal requirement. Who knows?

Bottom line, don't say or imply that every ad or even that most ads have this living requirement, when clearly 2/3 don't.


Quote:
Visas are only applicable for up to 3 years though, unless I'm mistaken?
You are. As of July last year, the max possible is 5 years.
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/en/index.html
What's your point here, though? Renewals are possible.

Quote:
So if someone from the USA (where work holiday visas aren't an option) is sponsored through ECC/AEON, for example, but wants to find a new employer (for whatever reason) after 1 or 2 years.... are other schools willing to sponsor/renew the visa once the 3 years are up, as long as the teacher is already there?
Yes, many are. Some don't, but what leads you to believe nobody does? (That's how I read into your statement, anyway)
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sabina



Joined: 11 Nov 2010
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:40 am    Post subject: Re: Sponsorship renewal, new school Reply with quote

dherres wrote:
Hi all,
Thanks for the info everyone's provided on the site. Thanks to what I've read via searches and asking questions here, I've made it through the final interviews/cuts with both ECC and AEON, with final decisions pending. I'll find out this Saturday whether I'll get an offer from ECC. Yikes!!

I have noticed, though, that while the vast majority of schools request that the applicant already reside in Japan, few comment on their willingness to sponsor a work visa. Visas are only applicable for up to 3 years though, unless I'm mistaken? So if someone from the USA (where work holiday visas aren't an option) is sponsored through ECC/AEON, for example, but wants to find a new employer (for whatever reason) after 1 or 2 years.... are other schools willing to sponsor/renew the visa once the 3 years are up, as long as the teacher is already there?


Your first visa will only be valid for one year. If you want to change schools, you will have to find a school willing to sponsor your visa renewal. In my experience, schools are much more willing to sponsor a renewal (as opposed to initially sponsoring a visa); I think because this is because the applicant is already in Japan, there is less paperwork involved, it's easier and takes less time. When you interview for new schools, you can always ask if they are willing to sponsor a renewal. I would wager that the vast majority of schools will sponsor a renewal for a full time employee.
Good luck!
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Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know plenty of people who have got 3 year working visas right off the bat. As always, it's at the discretion of Immigration, and no-one is really sure of their criteria. It is probably better not to assume that the first visa could be a 3-year one though.
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Rob1209



Joined: 15 Jan 2012
Posts: 36

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Apsara wrote:
I know plenty of people who have got 3 year working visas right off the bat. As always, it's at the discretion of Immigration, and no-one is really sure of their criteria. It is probably better not to assume that the first visa could be a 3-year one though.


Yeah, I got a 3-year visa right off the bat, as did the other Brits who started at my company at the same time. Curiously, most of the Canadians, Australians and Americans only got 1-year visas initially. Now I'm only talking about a total of about 15 people, so I can't assert from that that it's based on nationality (I'd be amazed if it was - especially with Japan's preference for American English).

So probably just a minor coincidence in a very small corner of the market, but a surprise to me all the same.

I think Apsara nailed it - don't make any assumptions about initial visa length because you just don't know. From what I've heard renewing the visa with your current company or with a new one is relatively painless as long as you've kept your nose clean.
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macandcheese



Joined: 06 Oct 2011
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:59 pm    Post subject: Re: Sponsorship renewal, new school Reply with quote

Glenski wrote:
dherres wrote:
I have noticed, though, that while the vast majority of schools request that the applicant already reside in Japan,
Uh, I don't think so. Look what I compiled from OhayoSensei last month.


I don't know how I missed that, thank you. I was judging based off of (non-empirical) observations of Ohayo and Gaijinpot, and the occasional school website. I seems like more when one isn't keeping a written record, apparently.

I realized shortly after the initial posting that this was a rather obvious (dumb) question. Schools wanting native speakers = taking on outsiders (no?).
(I may or may not have had a couple of cocktails by the time I posted.... Embarassed Sorry...)
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