What Documents Are Needed for a Teaching Work Visa in Japan?
Teaching English in a foreign country can be a rewarding job. It gives you the opportunity to live in a different country for a few years, and you are helping the students in that country become more successful in an increasingly globalized marketplace. U.S. teachers have been traveling to Japan for years to teach English to Japanese students. To teach in Japan, you must have a work visa, and the requirements can be strict.
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Inital Requirements
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To get a work visa to teach in Japan, you must have a bachelor's degree. It doesn't really matter what subject the degree is in, but you must have this before the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue a work visa. Most of the companies that sponsor U.S. citizens for teaching in Japan won't consider someone without a bachelor's degree.
Certificate of Eligibility
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If you have a bachelor's degree you can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility from Japanese Immigration. The CoE is a necessary first step toward getting the visa. You will be required to send an original copy of your degree to the foreign affairs ministry to get the certificate.
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Option 1: Tourist Visa
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Work visas can typically only be issued from within Japan. The first of two options is to apply for a 90-day holiday visa. You can then travel to Japan for up to 90 days and attempt to obtain employment from within the country. Several educational institutions, such as ECC and GEOS, hire English teachers year round. Once you have found employment you can apply for a work visa. The major catch is that while you found the job in Japan, you must apply for the visa from outside of Japan. Since flying back to the United States can be prohibitively expensive, many applicants will take a short vacation in South Korea and apply for the visa from there.
Option 2: Get Hired First
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A second option is to apply for a job from the United States. ECC and GEOS both hire applicants from the United States, help them obtain the work visa and sponsor them for the first year. These companies will also typically help with some moving expenses, though not plane flights. Japanese immigration rules require you to apply for the visa in person, but if you've been hired ahead of time, your sponsoring company will have everything in place when you arrive. You will just have to go to the consulate and file the necessary paperwork.
Cash Needs
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Save some money before attempting to teach in Japan. Even if you have been hired by a company beforehand, it may take a few weeks to get your visa, and you cannot legally work in Japan before obtaining it. Have at least $2,000 in the bank before moving to Japan to keep yourself afloat in case there are problems with your visa application. In certain circumstances, MOFA may even require you to show proof that you can financially support yourself in Japan for a time without working.
Keep Informed
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Finally, MOFA changes its immigration requirements fairly regularly, so be sure to keep informed. If you are applying with companies from the United States, they should have the most up-to-date information, but be sure to keep an eye on MOFA's website at www.mofa.go.jp for the latest information (see Resources).
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit okajun/ Wikimedia Commons
