Job Discussion Forums

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

Hello,

I have a HUGE problem!!

I'm currently working for a small eikaiwa. It has almost been a year now.
I'm on a working holiday visa, but it expires soon. That is why my boss and me applied for a proper work visa (specialist in humanities) now.

We went to the (pretty far away) immigration office quite a few times in advance. Actually we started almost 6 months in advance in order to get ALL the documents they wanted.
I spent a lot of time in money in getting my degrees, certificates etc. translated and sent to me here.
Before we gave them the application we made sure ONCE AGAIN that we had all the documents they wanted.

The problem: I'm not a native-speaker of English. I don't come from a country where English is the first language. I'm from Germany, but my English is ALMOST as good as that of a native speaker. Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten the job in the first place.
I have a MA in education and some minor teaching experience. And now I also have 1 year experience in teaching English to kids in Japan.
Furthermore I have 2 certificates I got during my stay here. The certificates are for being able to use a specific system when teaching English to kids in Japan.
I had English 9 years in school and then used it from time to time in university, too.
I once studied to become a teacher of English, but dropped out early, so of course I don't have any certificate or degree in that.

Earlier my boss called me that the immigration office told him today that they're still missing a document.
A certificate or something that shows that I've studied English at university ............ which I haven't (and I told them 100 times before and there was no problem ....)!!!!!!!
They want such a document soon, deadline is February 12th.

I can't give them what I want .... which means I have to leave the country in a FEW days (aka end of this month).
I'm not prepared to leave. It's a huge shock!
I don't wanna go home. I still have future plans here in Japan.

I know there are quite a few non-native speakers around that teach in eikaiwas and managed to get their work visas. I hope somebody was once in a similar situation or at least knows somebody else who was!

At the MOFA site I also saw that they basically only require the following documents:

1. Copies of the company registration and a statement of profit and loss of the recipient organization.
2. Materials describing the business undertaken by the recipient organization.
3. A diploma or a certificate of graduation with a major in a subject relating to the activity of the person concerned, and documents certifying his or her professional career.
4. Documents certifying the activity, its duration, the position, and the remuneration of the person concerned.

How is a MA in education not related to what I'm currently doing - namely teaching English??!!

I'm desperate! I really hope that somebody can help me!? Any ideas?

What alternatives do I have?

My ultimate goal was to work 1 more year in that eikaiwa. Then I would have enough money to study at a Japanese language school full-time.
If I have to go home now, my dream is over.

JET programme is no option either as I'm German and the requirements are way higher than for English native speakers.

I probably don't qualify for a German teaching position as there are only a few anyway.

Do you see any other way for me to stay in Japan and earn money in order to reach my goal?
I don't wanna leave! It will be difficult to come back once I'm back in Germany.

Do you have ANY idea what I can do about the immigration office right now?
Any kind of hint will help.

I really appreciate your comments!

Thanks so much in advance!

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

JET programme has had only 2 Germans as ALTs each in the last 2 years. Requirements are the same as anyone else, I believe: bachelor's degree, nothing more. What else have you heard?

As for MOFA requirements for a humanities work visa, look at the appendix 1:

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

Oh god, Glenski I'm so happy to hear from you, seriously.

I'm going crazy here.

Okay, I see. First of all thanks so much! It's as I thought, it's not REALLY a requirement, but they still might insist on it nevertheless, right?

First of all I had English 9 years in school (which you definitely can't compare to 9 years English here in Japan). I can prove it with my high school degree (which I only have in German right now, no translation as they didn't ask for that).
I still have my "university book". That's like a small, oficial notebook from my university where they register what you've studied there.
It's also in German, but they should be able to understand the word "Englisch" which is "English", of course.
There's a note (but nothing more) that I once studied German and English to become a teacher, but that's it.

With "from time to time" I mean that I had to read almost all the studies and books in e.g. psychology in English (as most of those studies came from America anyway). I know that doesn't really count.

I guess they want some kind of proof that I'm close to a native speaker.
I could take part in a TOEFL test, no problem for me at all, but of course I can't provide the results before the deadline (in 11 days).
I don't know if it would be a good idea to ask them if they could give me more time and I'll take the test then?

Unfortunately I don't have anything useful in my hands right now I could show them.

As German and English are relatively similar languages it's really not a big deal to learn it. Most Germans that have finished high school are at a pretty high level. Employees expect and know that, so usually nobody goes for special certificates.

I intend to call the English hotline they were talking about at their website, but I want to make sure what I should ask them as you said I shouldn't mention that I basically DON'T have anything I can show them.

This will be tough.

I also read your answer in the other forum. Thanks sooo, so much, really.
About the German JET ALT thingie. Well on the German JET page they say you'd need a university degree and it's highly recommended that you have something like CELTA (which is called DAF), meaning you're capable of teaching German as a foreign language OR that you have a license in Germany to teach German. With only 1 or 2 positions each year, it's very competitive, so they always prefer applicants who have those extra qualifications, I guess Smile

... *sigh*

Again, thanks so much!

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

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

So I've called them .....

... doesn't look too good, actually.
The guy on the phone was Japanese, but was able to speak English and he tried hard to explain everything to me.

He said that even if you apply for the "specialist in humanities" visa, they still have to require ADDITIONAL documents if one is not a native-speaker of the language he likes to teach (he although told me there wouldn't be a problem if I'd teach German!).
They need to see that I have a license to teach English in my country or a certificate that I have studied English in university.

It doesn't seem that there's a way around all that.

He told me that the deadline is not so strict. I now have time until the end of February and he's willing to prolong that even more if necessary.

Still ... that doesn't change the fact that I don't HAVE the required documents.
He said I can send him what I have now, but I'm pretty sure that this won't be enough.

What about handing in a fake certificate? I would hate to do so, but if that continues they don't leave me another choice.

If it's really a requirement that a non-native speaker must have a license to teach the language that is not his native language, then even a lawyer can't do anything, right?

Also, where can I look for lawyers? My boss has no idea ....

Please help *sigh*

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

Non-native speakers have it tough. I'm sorry to hear that, but it's the way immigration thinks. My thoughts...

Get a work visa to teach German somewhere, like Berlitz. Quit, then change to work at your desired company after you get the visa. Shady, but...

Or you could be on the up and up by actually trying to give the paperwork you have. I'd say go in with your employer or at least someone fluent in Japanese. Don't beg. Don't argue. Look as if you are trying to please immigration. At the very worst, ask if another immigration officer can help (not if he knows the regs better, that makes the first one look bad or angry).

I would neve recommend a fake certificate. If you are ever caught, you could be deported and blacklisted from returning to Japan.

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

Maybe get your boss to tell immigration that you'll be teaching German instead.

fluffyhamster · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:22 am Post subject:

Would it be possible for the language school to claim that they are now switching you to teaching lots of German? (It wouldn't need to concern Immigration if those classes existed or not, as long as the school was willing to pay you is all that matters really, so sod the exact truthful job description). I guess the school is determined to keep you if at all possible, so this could fly...worth trying if all else fails eh.

Your employer: "Mr An*l Immigration Officer, we realize that it isn't possible for this teacher to teach English, but we were wondering, would it be possible for him to teach German instead? (Mr AIO runs off and gets back with a hopefully affirmative answer to this simple question). Yes? Ah, good, because actually, we're in the process of setting up German lessons for our German-hungry customers, and are therefore willing to pay this teacher the same wage for doing that job instead. (I don't know why we didn't mention this before etc! But we can easily get a replacement English teacher...German-speakers though are harder to come by, so we really need now to retain his services etc etc etc)."

All it would take is a bit of "fake" advertising on their website or whatever (meaning, it wouldn't actually be fake if the ad generated some demand and you were asked to teach a number of German lessons too), and voila, possibly you get to stay on in Japan. I mean, how else would "eikaiwa" ever offer any languages other than English (which some do sometimes do!), and get the requisite teachers if not visas (they can't all be on student or whatever non-full-time-work visas, surely!).

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

Thanks for the quick reply.

So ... okay. I'm looking for alternatives, too, right now.
I could teach German with Berlitz?
Well, I'd need a job where I ONLY teach German, I guess, otherwise I'd have the same problem again.

As I'm German I could stay here up to 6 months as tourist and try to find a job where I can only teach German, but I KNOW those kind of jobs are hard to find (do you know anything maybe?).
I wouldn't mind teaching German instead of English, I just doubt that I can find a full-time job (and that asap).

Yah, I figured that much. I wouldn't feel good with a faked certificate / degree anyway.

*sigh*
I definitely don't want to leave Japan now.
I need to find another job that is able to sponsor my visa (aka teaching German .... I can't think of any non-teaching jobs I would qualify for) .... because I'd love to attend a Japanese language school in April 2010. That's only possible if I have a full-time job and can save money until then (wouldn't be possible in Germany in such a short time .... taxes are horrible there ..)

fluffyhamster · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:24 am Post subject:

Ripslyme, great minds think alike! (Mine tends to get a bit carried away though, as you can see! Laughing

).

fluffyhamster · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:28 am Post subject:

Tsunatuna, take careful note of what ripslyme and I are suggesting: Get your CURRENT boss to tell immigration that you'll be teaching German instead. Idea

Provided your current employer were happy to keep employing and paying you in some "new" job, who would care how it might look to Immigration (and I wonder if Immigration would ultimately care either!).

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

Actually I want to know what would happen if I .. let's say find a school where I teach 70% German and 30% English classes.
I wanna know if I'd still need a certificate / license concerning English then ..... I guess that's what I have to find out.

My alternative plan looks like this: go to Tokyo (more jobs + my former Japanese host family lives there, so MAYBE they can let me stay over for a few weeks ... *crosses fingers*) and then start looking for a job on a "tourist visa" (I know Germans don't really have "tourist visa", but you know what I mean) .... and hopefully find SOMETHING where I can teach German, mostly German or something completely else (but honestly I don't think I qualify for anything with "only" a MA in education ... I'm aware of that).
So if you guys know of ANYTHING I could do / work as ... please let me know.

Thanks again.

God, I feel crappy. All that just came too suddenly over me ;___;

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan