Student Visa, Work, Boyfriend & child, Money

Hello.

I'm wondering a few things about studying abroad in Japan. I'm a 26-year old female with a child and boyfriend. My Japanese is okay, but I'm looking to pass at least N2 (required) to enter a Japanese animation professional college.

Based on what I've read, I can bring depedents on a visa for professional school. Based on what I've been told, there are no dependents allowed on language study visa.

My boyfriend has a degree and could work in Japan with a work visa, correct? He's conversational in Japanese.

I'm also wondering how much childcare would cost if I had my child in daycare during the days I went to school? I know it's pretty expensive...

As for proving my income/resources for a student visa, how much is required? I want to study in the Osaka area. I've heard people say that you need at least 25k to be able to prove your ability to support yourself in Japan. Is this true?
I have a home-based/online business or sources of revenue. How does that come into play when getting a student visa?
Also, if my boyfriend applies for a job before we arrive in Japan, can he use his job contract (if he gets one) to help prove financial stability, or would we have to be married?


Thanks for your time.

-Charlie


(Sorry if this is a jumbled mess; I might have forgotten some questions too actually.)

Short answer, you need to be officially married to your bf.

Also, as for your child, for dependent visa/child you 'll have to show that your child is your child, i.e. birth certificate etc., just to be sure.

- I thought they got rid of the distinction between "student" and "pre-college" visa status, so that there are no differences between college or language study. But unless you are married, your boyfriend is not eligible for dependent visa.
- If he finds a job in Japan, yes, he'd get a work visa with the help of his employer.
- Yes, I've heard of a number 25K dollars, or 3 million yen per year. About online business, can you continue while studying full-time?
- Your boyfriend's job would not really help unless you are married. Another difficulty there is how would you ensure you can go to a school in Osaka, and that he also works in Osaka area?
- Childcare: it won't be easy. If you find a spot in an authorized child care, it might be 30,000 yen per month or so. Note that there hasn't been established "baby sitter" culture in Japan.

@ ...

1. Can you verify this for me? I'm looking at this site: us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/travel_and_visa/visa/faq_new.htm#q5

It lists College student and Pre-College... but pre-college seems like it directed more towards high school students or other specialized schools? Not sure if that includes professional colleges.
College student visa seems like anything in preparation for college... So wouldn't that be like a long-term language study school? (talking like 2 years?) I really would like some clarification on this because I'd rather study at a language school first if possible.

2. Thank you!

3. As for my online business, most of the work is pre-made digital files that require really nothing on my part as they are delivered automatically. Anything else is just shipping products I have already created. So as long as I can get to a post office occasionally, it's not an issue, but it's also not that big of an issue if I can't (can vacation-mode shop).

4. Plan would be to find work in Osaka for him, yes. If not, there's a school in Tokyo that I'm looking at (or a few). We'd rather stay away from Tokyo though.

5. Well I currently pay 500 dollars a month for childcarewhere I'm living at, so I'm hoping it wouldn't be a problem financially, but I do worry about finding an actual daycare. I did hear that Japan was trying to implement more childcare facilities by 2016, but I'm not sure on the progress of that.

Thanks for your response(s).

Just did some digging around and found that I can study at a language school as long as it's a college-prep language school approved by the Ministry of Justice.