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Where can we find work for less than a year? 2017/12/16 22:31
My husband lived in Japan (Gifu) for a couple years about a decade ago teaching English. I am finishing my PhD this winter and our oldest daughter is about to start middle school next year. We have always wanted to take them to live in Japan for a short term and think that the next year will be an ideal point to do so (before I start long-term work and before our daughter starts high school).
But because of my husband's work commitments we can't go for a full year. Six months or less would probably be our maximum.
We're having trouble finding a place to work in Japan for that length of time, and not being in our 20s. We found one English teaching opportunity but it had very bad reviews online and it's in Tokyo. We want to be in a medium to small city, more "out of the way" or rural than Tokyo.
Thanks in advance for any help!
by ChillyCanuck (guest)  

Re: Where can we find work for less than a year? 2017/12/17 10:00
What kind of visa do you plan to get? On a working-holiday, you can't bring your daughter.
by Firas rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we find work for less than a year? 2017/12/17 10:53
It's quite a lot of work to sponsor a visa. I don't think any companies would be willing to do it for someone who can't commit to 1 year minimum. Why would they hire you rather than someone who wishes to stay for several years?
by Dainichi Heater rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we find work for less than a year? 2017/12/17 11:52
Firas: to be honest, I don't know. When my husband went the people he worked for arranged it, but he didn't have kids at the time. We're Canadian and a Japanese diplomat told me there are certain helpful arrangements between the two countries, but he didn't know the specifics. Friends went for two months with their daughter, so I suppose I should find out what visa they went on. Thanks for highlighting this -- definitely something I'll need to figure out.

Dainichi Heater: I've heard that before, but there are plenty of short work opportunities for people under 30, and faculty fellowships in academia (which are almost always 3-6 months), and it's just as much work to arrange visas for those demographics. I don't have a tenured position yet from which to do such a posting, and I'm (just!) over 30. So we're trying to find something for people that fit "in between."
by ChillyCanuck (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we find work for less than a year? 2017/12/17 12:27
If you are under 30, Working Holiday Visa might have been available to you - you apply for those yourselves in your country, then you can come, travel & pick up casual work, or find work online beforehand for a short duration.

And for universities doing short-term exchange arrangements or internships, there are "mutual benefits" with the sponsoring universities in Japan, so they would do that.

But for straight work-permitting visa (other than WHV), it is the employer in Japan who needs to do the visa application for you so that you can work for them; if it is only for a short duration, they might not be interested.

If someone you knew came for a couple of months, then saving beforehand and simply coming as tourists (on Temporary Visitor Status, no paid work allowed) might be what they did.
by ...... (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we find work for less than a year? 2017/12/17 12:59
If you are under 30, Working Holiday Visa might have been available to you - you apply for those yourselves in your country, then you can come, travel & pick up casual work, or find work online beforehand for a short duration.

As I said above, a WHV is not appropriate for OP anyway since it does not allow bringing children.
by Firas rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we find work for less than a year? 2017/12/17 14:10
I know, but I just wanted to highlight the differences in visa application process among WHV, academic exchanges, and straight work visas of different types.
by ...... (guest) rate this post as useful

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