ALT qualifications/requirements

Do ALTs need a bachelor's degree NO MATTER WHAT?
Or is it just to meet the visa requirements?
Can someone without a bachelor's degree, but with permanent residency become an ALT?

A company that works in both eikaiwa and public schools hired a foreigner without a bachelor's degree to teach eikaiwa, but then moved him to being an ALT. He got married and now has permanent residency. Is this legal/acceptable or not?

An ALT is a human tape recorder. Not a teacher. Not anything else. There is no legal requirement for them to have a bachelor's degree as far as I know, and no disrespect intended to ALTs, but given that you can work in 7-11 without a degree - a job which is about as challenging as the one most ALTs perform - I don't see why this should be unacceptable.

LIZ, your tone is very pointed, lmao. I'm not saying ALTs should or shouldn't have a degree. I'm asking the legal requirements (if any) since some applicants have been denied for no degree while others have been allowed.

You need to be “qualified” for a visa, otherwise you cannot get hired in Japan.

You’d need either 3 or more years of relevant work experience (meaning English language teaching) or a bachelor’s degree. So that person might have had that, then gotten married (probably changed to “spouse (of Japanese national?)” status, with no restriction on employment), then eventually got to Permanent Resident status, with which I see no problem.

I’ve heard that public schools and eikaiwa require different types of resident status/visa, so it sounds like there might have been a bit of shuffling staff around by the company.

about "legal requirement", probably not strict.
but, all teachers in public schools have the licenses. parents expect all persons who touch to their children may have similar qualifications.
so, if I were parents and I realize that someone does not have the degree, I may inform this fact to the school head and the city school board. this implies that, when something happens in future about that person, they will take full responsibility to the results. of course, since they don't want to do that, they may stop employment after the termination of contract, without telling the reason.
that is how the system works in Japan.

https://blog.gaijinpot.com/visa-basics-instructor-versus-specialist-in...
For immigration purpose, ALT(Instructor visa-degree) and eikaiwa language instructor (International Services visa-degree or experience) require different visa/resident status.

Employer need to hire person with suitable resident status to fit the job requirement.

HOWEVER, if you are permanent resident or spouse status, having a degree is not really require for ALT.
BUT then again , this depends on dispatch company contract wit BOE or BOE (in case of direct hire), a degree maybe one of the requirements.

So, degree for ALT is must for immigration purpose but depends on employer/BOE if you are on spouse or PR.

Can someone without a bachelor's degree, but with permanent residency become an ALT?
Possible. Especially if you have the "appearance" of caucasian non-asian looking, from western country.

Given the English education level in Japan, ALT with a degree is the last thing of the problem. It's more of the implementation by MEXT and level of JTE, where most can't or qualified to be English teacher, just regurgitate whatever that is written in textbook, can't even piece a simple sentence.
And the textbook that have more Japanese than English...? Nande..Nande ..なんでだろう〜♪

@@..
You don't seem to have taken a look at English textbooks.

For ALT positions, yes you need to have completed a bachelor’s degree (this is according to JET’s application requirements for new applicants at least). The work visa category is “instructor.”
For eikaiwa instructor, the visa category is “Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services,” for which the 3 or more years of relevant work experience OR a bachelor’s degree requirement applies.

For that person, KT, they might have hired that person based on experience, then based on good reputation they might have had no problem switching them to ALT, then in the meantime they might have changed to spouse resident status so that it didn’t become an issue…