visa with non standard degree

Dear all,

I have two questions regarding the working visa situation in Japan. I understand that a degree is a prerequisite of getting a visa in Japan for a job, in my instance teaching English.

However, it recently came to my attention that my university is most likely not accepted by immigration in Taiwan because it is a distance learning degree. It is not an online mill, it is from the Open University in the UK and is accepted anywhere else I have been / looked into. Is Japan similar in this respect?

Additionally, my British friend holds no degree from an English speaking country. He got his BA degree in China. I have heard that he cannot get a working visa in Japan or other Asian countries such as Korea and Taiwan because of this.

Can anyone shed any light on these 2 things? A bit worrying because we were both planning on going to Japan to teach for a year.

Thanks in advance.

If your intention is to teach just for one year, then as British nationals you might be eligible for Working Holiday visa, depending on your age and where you currently live.

I do not have the answers to your questions, though.

You know you can contact immigration to ask them directly, right?

http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/info/i_main.html (scroll down for a contact e-mail address).

A Chinese university almost certainly qualifies given the number of Chinese people living and working in Japan. The Open university may be a closer call, but you'll never know until you ask them.

That's great, I will contact them now and get back with the results just in case anyone else has these problems in future.

If anyone has personal experience with this, please let me know about it.

Inquiry that you gave us needs to be confirmed at Inspection Department ( working status related ) of Immigration Bureau directly where the application goes to, since it is beyond our authorities, therefore we will not be involved in this matter.

Please contact them directly or through on a company where you are going to work for in order to confirm.
( every Inspection Department of Immigration Bureau does not open their e-mail address to the public, therefore, visit there in person or make phone calls is the only way to reach them. )