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basilbrush
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
Posts: 61
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 Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:14 am Post subject: Working for a language school and as an ALT |
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| Is it possible to work part time for a language school, and part time as an ALT? I know that Eikaiwa work requires a Specialist in Humanities, whereas ALT work requires an Instructor visa. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:46 am Post subject: |
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| Lots of people do. They have instructor visas and work part-time at an eikaiwa as well as the main job as an ALT. Not sure what happens at visa renewal time, though (in the past most ALT jobs were full-time, and so come visa renewal that's all that people mentioned). |
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Cubic09
Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Posts: 66
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:13 am Post subject: Re: Working for a language school and as an ALT |
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| basilbrush wrote: |
| Is it possible to work part time for a language school, and part time as an ALT? |
| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| Lots of people do. |
Is that permitted under all ALT contracts? I know the JET contract specifically precludes such work, though I don't doubt that in many cases people still teach on the side. What would be the consequences if it is illegal, you choose to teach anyway, and you're caught...a criminal record? |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:58 am Post subject: |
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| Is that permitted under all ALT contracts? |
Obviously, no.
ALTs work for private companies, private schools, municipal governments (both under the JET program, and directly).
That's like asking if all computer scientists work under the same contract, regardless of what company they work for or how long they have been working or whether they are part-time or full-time or in management or not.
Different people get paid different amounts to do either different or similar things with different or similar restrictions. Every Situation is Different is the mantra of the JET program, and that's just under the umbrella of a single institutional program. If you extrapolate ALT into all of the various other kinds of employment that goes under that umbrella, then you start to see what the situation is.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The term "ALT" means very little other than 'foreign (usually) native (level, or advanced especially in the case of languages other than English) speaker of the target language in a language classroom and / or school'. It's a term used to get around the supposed illegality of non-Japanese people teaching, and in schools, it's used to ensure that the foreigner is never 'equal' with Japanese teachers.
Under JET, if you're caught, you aren't going to get a criminal record.  At most it's breaking a contract. The reality is that JETs are sometimes EXPECTED to work outside of their actual contract (for pay) to private companies in the local area because there aren't other foreigners to do it. The BoE isn't going to say anything about it, but they both know and are encouraging the ALT to do it (especially in small towns where everyone knows everyone else), but they aren't going to force you to do it either. The BoE will then use that to get rid of you if they don't like you. If they DO like you, and are somehow forced to acknowledge that you're doing it (like if a teacher who is trying to get rid of you finds out, and complains to the BoE), then the BoE will tell you that you have to quit the non-JET job.
A lot of rules in Japan are only there as a way to punish people that the higher ups don't like. Otherwise, they look the other way. [i.e. If someone happens to not like you, or prefers another country: country = race here and so for some people, usually those who have nothing to do with actually teaching English, but are nevertheless in school management in some form, Canadians and Americans are a different 'race', then it doesn't matter what qualifications you have, how well you speak Japanese, or if you managed to get one of the students 'who cannot learn' to fluency in six months. They will ALWAYS find something wrong (your 'atmosphere' is the final barrier, one that cannot be refuted). OTOH, the reverse is also true. If they DO like you, it would be very, VERY difficult to get out of the 'you can do no wrong' stage without actually getting caught breaking laws (and even then, it would probably depend on what law you actually got caught breaking. If you do anything that would embarrass the higher ups- like not only get arrested, but have it leaked out to the public or especially the media, before the BoE arrived to 'straighten the matter out', then you'd lose your job)]. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:12 am Post subject: |
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ALTs are supposed to work only for certain employers and have an instructors visa.
Activities to engage in language instruction and other education at elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, schools for the blind, handicapped children's schools, miscellaneous schools (kakushu gakko and senshu gakko), or other educational institutions equivalent to kakushu gakko in facilities and curriculum.
Eikaiwa teachers have a different visa called specialist in humanities/international relations (unless they are here under spouse visa, dependent visa, student visa, WHV, or cultural activities visa).
Either type can work in another field if they get special permission from immigration:
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/index.html |
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basilbrush
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:50 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the replies.
So do you have to be working a certain number of hours a week to be able to renew your visa? There are part-time jobs on Gaijin pot that say they can help with visa renewal, how would they do this? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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| To renew your visa, you need a full-time job from one employer or enough money from part-time jobs to self-sponsor that same visa. There is no exact figure on how much money that is. I don't now how employers can otherwise help PTers. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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| The part time employers saying they will help with visa renewal will almost certainly mean that they are willing to provide the documents needed to support visa renewal. If you work part time though, documents from only one employer is not enough- you need documents from two or more part time employers for "self-sponsorship". |
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move
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:46 am Post subject: |
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So is working another part time job unacceptable without special permission from immigration? I called immigration today to ask about it, and they said, "well you can try" which sounded like the Japanese version of 100% no. I'm looking at eikaiwa or online teaching work, and I am currently an ALT on an instructor visa.
If anyone has gotten this special permission, what did you tell the gentle folks down at immigration? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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If the additional PT work is within the field of scope of your visa, then yes, it is by all means legal to do it.
If it's not within the scope, or you are unsure, then just file for the special permission. Many people have gotten it.
Your employer has nothing to say about the legality, if that's what you're wondering. What you do in your off time from his job is none of this business unless it interferes with your performance on his time. |
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