Job Discussion Forums

[tonetrippen]

Hi

I realize that a teacher needs a degree to teach in Japan. This is the same for a lot of other countries. Also true is the fact that you can go to these other countries and get jobs. The school may call you a lab assistant rather than a teacher but the benefits are the same.

I wonder if this might be the same for Japan. If they need someone and you are there then they will take you. Any comments on this???

[Glenski]

First of all, have you read the FAQ sections?

Secondly, you don't need a degree to teach. It depends on your nationality and the type of employer. People from Canada, Australia, NZ, Korea, France, Germany, and the UK can get working holiday visas without a bachelor's degree. (Again, this is covered in the FAQ.) Spousal visas also allow you to work without the degree. It all depends on the employer and your nationality.

Thirdly, if you think a lab assistant and a full-blown teacher have the same benefits, I would suggest you get a hold of my contract at the high school and compare. Big difference.

Lastly,

[tonetrippen]

Hey Glenski

Had a look at the "holiday visa" and "not holiday visa" thing. It seems that age plays an important part in that, something that maybe I, instead of you, would have to worry about. I am not trying to be rude here but just trying to get a simple question answered. Viewed the spousal thing as well and decided I would not make that mistake again.

LASTLY....

If someone was to ask me about the countries I have worked in, I would respond that the schools would be more than willing to "GRAB" 'someone' if they wanted a "NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER with experience if 'that someone' was banging on their door.

SO...

The question again in 'simpler(enshalla) terms ' would be. A person not eligable for any special holiday woop-di-doos, thankful of being free of the leech, having some acedemic qualifications , BUT NOT A DEGREE, a tefl certificate, and considerable experience in the field. Would that person be able to score a job in Japan if that person happened to be there all dressed up with no place to go....???? I have no desire to compare the standards of other countries with those of Japan. I only wish to know, that if I have the obove qualifications, will I be able to find a job somewhere and experience the culture there, without having to do the 'falling on the soared thing'.

sincerely,

tony balony...(not just another piece of meat)

[Glenski]

[tonetrippen]

Indeed those countries would not be Japan hence my inquiry, that is obvious. I do appreciate your plain and simple answer and will indeed accept it especially if no others disagree. Guess I won't be going to Japan any time soon.....

Thanks for your help.

[PAULH]

[Glenski]

Tony,

Hey, you don't know me from Adam, so I won't take that last remark personally.

[ryuro]

Hey,

Don't mean to beat a dead horse here, but thought I'd throw in what I've experienced being a recruiter/trainer for several different outfits during my 7 years in Japan.

Although immigration recently relaxed it's rules about the requirements necessary to obtain a working visa, it's still almost impossible to get one without the university 3 or 4 year degree.

I and the Japanese director for my current employer have talked to and visited immigration DIRECTLY and have gotten it straight from the horse's mouth that the degree requirement IS NO LONGER SET IN STONE and will be reviewed on a "case-by-case" basis. While you won't find this on their website (yet, they claim it will appear "in the near future") and often the local immigration offices say they know nothing about it, if you speak to central immmigration in Omotesando, Tokyo and get high enough up the chain of command they will reluctantly admit that this is the case.

HOWEVER (and this is a big however) a candidate without a degree and no other options available for other types of visas (spouse, dependent, working holiday, etc.), better be a pretty SPECTACULAR individual with heaps of relevant experience if they want immigration to even accept their application. In these cases it requires more effort on the part of the sponsoring company (can't do a self-sponsorship on this) to demonstrate to immigration that this is indeed the best qualified person for the particular job they have. A very difficult task in the TEFL industry considering the current state of the economy and the sheer number of applicants to choose from for whom obtaining a work visa is a matter of course not requiring extra effort by the company. Most company's simply don't want to bother with the extra effort.

My personal experience with these cases are no 0 for 3. We gave it a try under these new "case-by-case" guidelines. All cases invloved individuals who were here on working holiday visas and we then applied to immigration to change their visas to standard working visas (Specialist in Humanities/Int'l Srvs). The first application was initially accepted only later to be denied (no specifics given). The next two applications were summarily refused by the attending immigration officer. My Japanese director went in person to try and convince them to at least accept the applications for review, but that basically said- "no dice". Calls to central immigration in Tokyo did nothing- "every regional office has the right to accept or refuse an application without explanation".

So is it possible to get a working visa without a degree?- legally and theoretically yes, BUT the chance of this happening can be ranked right up their with that old scientific standard by which all such theories are potentially possible- the proverbial "snowball's chance in hell".

Cheers,
ryuro

[Glenski]

ryuro,

Thanks for that bit of enlightenment. I, too, have heard that a person with 10 years of experience in his field can (theoretically) bypass the degree requirement for a work visa.

In fact, on another discussion forum, someone had this to say (I've done some snipping to tidy up the language and make sense out of several postings that make up the following):

[Glenski]

And, on yet another discussion forum, someone wrote this about getting their work visa without proving they had a degree. (Note the careful wording, "without proving" it. They obviously had a degree to start with.)

[tonetrippen]

Oki Doki Folks

Guess I beat that horse enough. I got the message. Exeriences in my past namely Turkey and Vietnam, the governments insisted on degrees but if they need you and you are there...well then they may have the option of calling you a lab assistant and such. I guess they can call me a lab rat, I have been called worse. No lab rats in Japan. Too bad I was looking forward to the sushi.

Thanks
T