Spousal visa

[jason4kstate]

I was recently granted permission to receive a spousal visa from the Japanese consulate. However, I need to give 3 months notice. My wife will stay in America for 2-3 more years while she is in graduate school for her MBA in International Human Resources. I will complete my MBA in the next year in management. I also have a B.S. in marketing and economics. My Japanese is at best at a basic level (JLPT 4). I've thought about teaching in Japan but it bothers me because I would make twice as much her in America. I've thought about becoming a recruiter. It sounds fun and fits with my educational background and my work goals.However, it sounds as if I need to be in Japan to attain that sort of job. If you were me what would be the best course of action? Thanks! If this is too vague I can provide more details.

[Jessi]

jason4kstateさん＞

I'm a little confused about what you are asking. Are you trying to decide whether or not to go to Japan? If you went, you'd be going by yourself because your wife will be staying in the United States?

[jason4kstate]

I may or may not move there in the next several years. I really love Japan and would like to work and live there. I was just wondering which option would be best. I can either move there without at job and find one (hopefully) or I can teach English. I also was curious if my spousal visa will or will not make me more employable. My wife will be going because she is a Japanese national. She obviously will be more employable because she is bilingual and will have an MBA.

There just is not a lot of information out there about being more or less employable with a spousal visa and having only limited knowledge of Japanese.

[Jessi]

Oh okay, I see now. Even if you try to find a job after you've arrive, with limited Japanese skills, I think your options may be limited to teaching unless you have any special skills (for example, there are IT jobs and such where you don't really need to know Japanese). But I'm pretty sure that having a visa already will work in your favor!

[untmdsprt]

I was recently granted permission to receive a spousal visa from the Japanese consulate. However, I need to give 3 months notice. My wife will stay in America for 2-3 more years while she is in graduate school for her MBA in International Human Resources. I will complete my MBA in the next year in management. I also have a B.S. in marketing and economics. My Japanese is at best at a basic level (JLPT 4). I've thought about teaching in Japan but it bothers me because I would make twice as much her in America. I've thought about becoming a recruiter. It sounds fun and fits with my educational background and my work goals.However, it sounds as if I need to be in Japan to attain that sort of job. If you were me what would be the best course of action? Thanks! If this is too vague I can provide more details.

What does your wife think of all this? Is she speaking Japanese to you to make you more proficient? What are her intentions after graduation? Does she want to stay in the states or is she willing to move back to Japan? Is she willing to translate everything for you until you reach a higher Japanese level? How important is money? You already said it bothers you because you'll make more than her in the states. Can you live with her salary being more than yours when living here?

It's great that you have a spouse visa, but where will you be working? If it's in Tokyo then you don't need to know Japanese. If it's in a smaller city, then you'll be better off knowing more Japanese. You may need to contact the different schools and see how they hire for management positions.

[Jessi]

I might be mistaken but I interpreted his sentence to mean that he would be making twice as much money working in America compared to teaching in Japan (and that he had just made a typo).

[untmdsprt]

That's how I read it also. If the OP doesn't have a problem about his wife making more money in Japan, then by all means he should come here and teach.

Maybe he should look at it as their money and not his and her's money.

[jason4kstate]

oh sorry about the confusion. For the first few years in our relationship I was more focused on her English skill level. She literally went from not understanding any English to native level in less than two years. Right now its kind of frustrating trying to learn Japanese because I'm not exposed to it 24/7. She helps me out a lot but Im certainly not going to pester her all the time. I guess Im more interested in what kind of job prospects I would have in Tokyo with limited Japanese skills. Of course the move may not happen for awhile (3-4 years). Since we are educationally 2-3 years apart I was concerned about living on a teachers salary while she is just starting her career in Japan.

Im pretty sure she will be earning quite a bit in Japan with her skills and education. The difference in money is not an issue at all. untmdsprt did you mean that I could work in Tokyo without knowing that much Japanese? Thank you so much! I really appreciate this.

Jason

[mslozada]

3 - 4 years is enough to pass lvl 2 or even lvl 1.

Next year will be my 5th year in learning Japanese and because I have/ had nobody to talk to for practice, my lvl is now (unfortunately) 中級 (after 4 years of Japanese study). I will try lvl 2 in 2010 (next year). I feel very ashamed for my Japanese, because normaly you should already have the JLPT lvl 1 after 5 years of Japanese study. Im such a looser

Makes me want to quit learning Japanese for this failure.

[jason4kstate]

If learning a language was easy everybody would be doing it. I know a guy who studied Japanese for 7 years before he reached JLPT 1. Keep at it!

[untmdsprt]

untmdsprt did you mean that I could work in Tokyo without knowing that much Japanese? Thank you so much! I really appreciate this.

Jason

I've actually had to ask people if they could speak Japanese. They were shocked by the question. I also continue to speak in Japanese even they've switched over to English. I can only assume they're so used to tourists speaking English to them, that us non-tourists have trouble getting anybody to speak Japanese. Us white people all look alike you know.

I'm sorry if I come across as a bitch, but I'm here to ACTUALLY learn Japanese.

[jason4kstate]

are you studying there? do you think there are any job hopes for me with limited japanese? Thanks! I know the frustration. Of course I when I was there everyone thought I was French.

[untmdsprt]

3 - 4 years is enough to pass lvl 2 or even lvl 1.

Next year will be my 5th year in learning Japanese and because I have/ had nobody to talk to for practice, my lvl is now (unfortunately) 中級 (after 4 years of Japanese study). I will try lvl 2 in 2010 (next year). I feel very ashamed for my Japanese, because normaly you should already have the JLPT lvl 1 after 5 years of Japanese study. Im such a looser

Makes me want to quit learning Japanese for this failure.

Why do you think you're a loser? I'm in Japan, and my conversation skills are still not very good because nobody speaks Japanese to me. I'm currently working on my listening skills by going to places where people are forced to speak Japanese to everyone. Right now I believe people are running for office, so I'll actually stand near them just to listen. Makes them nervous sometimes because a foreigner is actually listening to them! It's great because I don't have someone in my face translating for me, and I can either use my brain, or my dictionary.

[JonB]

having a spouse visa is virtually the same as a permanent resident visa - it will allow you much the same freedom. Even with a permanent resident visa you still have to go to immigration every 3 years to get a new re-entry permit but there is talk of extending that to 5 years.

I could get a PR visa but I do not see the point - if it gave me a vote even at a local level then I would be interested

[untmdsprt]

untmdsprt did you mean that I could work in Tokyo without knowing that much Japanese? Thank you so much! I really appreciate this.

Jason

Depends on the job you're looking for first of all. Second, it also depends on advancement within the company. If they encourage you to take more Japanese language classes, then by all means take them.

I'm pretty much ignored where I work at school, because I was hired as an ALT. Only one person actually encourages me to learn more Japanese. As far as being out, I'll continue speaking to people in Japanese, and let them switch to English. I'll still continue speaking in Japanese. Speaking in English is only reserved for family and a few select friends. All others have to deal with my Japanese.