foreign exchange problem

Hi, I'm 16 and I want to go to Japan in my Senior year of high school through foreign exchange. The only problem is my dad won't sign the application, is there any other way i can go?

Yes, there are other ways to go.

1. Have your mom sign it.

2. Wait until you get to college.

3. Convince your dad.

What is the problem with your dad anyway? Maybe someone can help you on that part.

YOu can go to Japan if your under 18?

Is it by your self or do you have to be with your parents?

Thanks,
13 yr old Err0r

if you are able to show excellent academic skills, you may visit japan for a duration of 3 months to a year to go to school in japan. Some schools offer have curfew, though, so it may not be something you would like. Also, if you are 13, and your going to high school already, you have to check with your school if they offer student exchage programs. Of coures, im not completely sure, but i am aware of high school students going to japan. good luck!

The application needs both parents to sign it and attend a interview, my dad wont cooperate. I want to go during high school because i would like to experience the high school there and it's easier and cheaper. This bites T_T

Are you in the U.S.?
If so, I don't understand how it can be "easier" and "cheaper".

Also to answer another poster, yes you need parental permission if you're underaged, you can't just go up and say I'm going to japan without anyone signing off.

why is your dad against it, Himeko? Does he have concerns about crime or climate? Can he not trust you? Or is it the organization he does not trust? What is it? Have you had a good talk about it with your dad?

And why must you insist on going during your high school years? Have you talked about that with your dad as well?

I'm sure daddys want to keep their sweet daughters as close as possible while the time allows it to. You have to have good reasons to have him let go of you.

to an -
Yes i am in the US, and it is cheaper to go foreign exchange during high school. My Japanese teacher and the program said so. Because in college you need to pay tuition fees, renting a place, ect. I know I need parental consent, but only if it was okay that one parent signs it.

To Uco -
My father is against it.. well because i seriously think theres something wrong with his head. He doesn't understand any of the things i try to explain to him, he just cuts me off and startes talking about how he needs to talk it over with my Mother. My mother and him have been on very bad terms for a few years now and she refuses to speak with him. So, i'm pretty much doomed. I want to go in high school because in high school you can make more friends than in college and the atmosphere is nicer. I wouldn't mind going in college, but I really want to go in High school.
Thanks for your concern! ^o^

Frankly, I've never been on an exchange program myself, and I'm not an American. But I have lived/traveled overseas in various ages since I was seven, and I can say that whatever age you go, there is something to gain specifically for that age.

Think of it this way. Nothing is free. High school exchange is cheap (according to you) on one condition that you have parent's approval.

Personally, I sense that it might be way cheaper if you wait until you're independant, find a pen pal in Japan that will let you stay over, and come as a backpacker. You might not be able to attend classes, but there's not much Japanese academics you can learn in a short high school exchange program either.

But what I want to say most is that, CONVINCING YOUR FATHER WILL BE YOUR FIRST STEP TO ADULTNESS. Believe me, I'm 42 now, and while 16 may seem like a birdcage, you are really protected. Soon you will leave home and you will have to cope with all those people in the world who don't try to understand you any more than your father.

So take it easy, be calm and sweet, and ask your father what is bugging him and try to talk it out. Also, I think you're free to consult to your school counselor about this. Good luck!

Foreign exchange is indeed cheaper and I can understand where you're coming from Himeko.

I wouldn't have been able to afford Japan if not for an exchange program. I didn't have to pay for accomodation and food (host family), no tuition, free uniforms (organization), free trips (coutesy of host families and organizations), also allowance from my organization and occasionally from my host families.

About your dad, that can be hard . I think it's because he thinks that you're still 16 and Japan must seem like a pretty faraway place. First the problem is because he doesn't want you to go simply because? Your safety? Or maybe money is a little tight? Or?

If you have to, beg ,cry whatever!:P Honestly, my dad didn't let me go either and I was in a limbo for 3-4 weeks while he decided.

What I did was:

talk about exchange programs CONSTANTLY to get him used to the idea.

If you can, take home an exchange student you know so that he can meet an exchangee

Put information,leaflets etc around so he can read them etc.

I guess I was lucky because my mum also talked to my dad and I think she was the one who really convinced him BUT all hope is not lost.

YOU can talk to your dad too, even if he won't listen.. Maybe get a teacher to talk to him?

Well, update us, ok? All the best!

Hey guys,
Thank you for the advice! But sadly, I have tried all of those things and they haven't worked. My only hope now is to go during college when i'm eighteen and i don't need my fathers consent to go [ or do i?]. It is a good idea to do the whole pen pal thing x]. I'm going to Japan for this Holiday break. ^^; better than nothing!
Once again, thank you guys so much!

you want to spend your senior year, probably the last time you will get to see your friends in another country where you know no one?

Yeah, because my mom didn't actually agree to let me go until my coming senior year. I don't mind going to Japan in my senior year though, i've experienced new environments many times. It makes me stronger x]. Ok shukudai shukudai..

Put yourself in your dad's shoes. You're Senior year in High School, after that you're in college and gone from home for good. I'd rather stay a senior year at home and go in College. Just my opinion.

There are some programs that actually don't need two parent signatures, you just have to find them. But either way you do need your dad's consent. There really is no answer to this problem except for convincing your dad or going in college. And college really isn't that expensive if you go to a college int he US that A) has a sister school in Japan or B) has a foreign exchange program that includes Japan. I too am a 16 yr old american whose thinking about foreign exchanging to japan during senior year. My dad was a hard ass too and almost didn't sign the papers. But since I'm only going for fall semester and I'm returning for spring semester and graduation he wasn't so against me going. I think you probably have to prove to your dad that your serious about going, I did and that's how I convinced him. I got a part-time job, enrolled in online classes for japanese (because my school doesn't offer them), brought up my grades, and proved to him I was serious about going. Sorry to say, btu that's all you can really do.

Megumi, this thread is from 4 years ago, the person is 19 years old now.

As for exchange programs that don't require signatures, you are incorrect. Especially for an international exchange YOU DO need the signatures.

Both parents must sign for you to go anywhere. We hadn't seen my daughters father in years and did not know how to contact him but still we searched and searched for several months once we found out what city he was in we just had to search from house to house and business to business untill we located him. We were told he had to sign even if we had to hire a private detective to find him. Also it is not cheaper or easier. We are paying much more for tuition in Japan than we would be in the US and the flights are several thousand just for a one way. You are also not allowed to work while you are there on student visa. If my daughter were going to be here she would be working. Instead I will be sending her hundreds of dollars every month on top of tuition. Things are more expensive in Japan. The school will certainly not be easier, in fact it will be much harder. My daughter is excited to be going to do the work in Japanese. It will make it more interesting and fun for her, but that is because she loves the language and the challenge. She has been studying Japanese for six years in preparation. I think that if you want to go to Japan because it is "easy and cheap" you need not bother.

just wanted to put a bit of info out there

#1 you are able to work on a student visa. you have to apply for permission but it can be done. depending on the age of the student it may or may not be worthwhile to apply for one, but i believe anyone 17 years old or older can get a job in Japan, though it might be tough initially. people have done it before, search the net.

#2 i don't agree that things are more expensive in Japan than in most US or Canadian cities. I lived in Vancouver and prices in Tokyo are cheaper for almost everything including food, apartments, public transit and even gasoline. Of course if a person wants to make things expensive they can, but if the are ready to live a Japanese lifestyle it is not that expensive. Restaurants can be very cheap here, much cheaper than the US. I rarely spend more than $10 a day on food and I eat out every other night. i'm sure if you wanted to rent a U.S. sized apartment it would get expensive quickly.

#3 You are right it is not easy and cheap to get over here. But there are a few things that should be clarified. Tickets should always be thoroughly researched. I bought a 1 year open ticket, return, from Vancouver to Tokyo for under $1000 (It was $960 to be exact). If I had flown from the US it would have been cheaper by hundreds of dollars. Shopping around for tickets saves money. I have never seen anybody pay several thousand dollars for a one way ticket. That is a blatant rip off. I have found one way tickets for under $500 including all fees and taxes from New York before.

Visa issues are never easy but they just have to be dealt with if you want to stay over here.

Lastly you may want to talk to a lawyer as the father's signature may not actually be required if it can be proven he is no longer a legal guardian of the child. I know this because my parents were separated but not divorced and this kind of issue came up every once in a while during my childhood.