What can I do to live/work in Japan?

My bf has been offered a great position in Japan mid next year, what are my options to move there since we're not married yet but want to make the move together? We are currently in Singapore. I want to be able to work in Japan and am a marketing executive but am open to new ideas. Am worried about visa/work visa issues. Also, we don't want a long distance relationship so I want to know what I can do to move there with him. Pls help!

You could go there on a dependent visa:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2221.html

Choices you have:

(1) Dependent visa (but for that you would need to be married I believe) - this allows you to accompany your spouse and to live in Japan, and to do part-time work (with application for permission to work).
(2) Find an employer for yourself, to sponsor you for a work-permitting visa on your own:
(2) - a: Any possibility that your current employer in Singapore, for example, has a branch office and can send you there? (inter-company transferee visa)
(2) - b: Or you will need to find an employer in *Japan* who will hire you based on your past experiences and qualifications - do you happen to have any Japanese language skills?

Hi Uji, thanks for that, but don't I have to be a 'spouse' as in married to my bf to be eligible for a dependent visa?

Hey AK, thanks for that, very clear... just that for me to work in Japan I think would need to speak Japanese for most jobs. Are there options such as teaching English possible? Or is it necessary to speak Japanese in that case also. My bf says I can just exit and re-enter every 3 months until I find something else, as his posting there may only be for maybe 2 yrs.

Dena, if it's an english language/conversation school, you don't need to know any japanese (just don't apply to NOVA as that company is in financial trouble). Not too sure about regular english teaching jobs in high schools etc though. There are also other teaching programs like JET you can look into. I went to Japan from Canada and landed a job fairly easily teaching English in a conversation school. You just need to do some research either from Singapore or in Japan (many english papers you can search the classified sections etc etc..).

Nova is not just in financial trouble, 2 weeks ago it was declared officially bankrupt, was delisted from the stock exchange and basically no longer exists. Another company has bought the name and is slowly opening new schools but it is under different management and it remains to be seen whether it will succeed.

The market for jobs teaching English is the tightest it has ever been due to Nova's collapse but it's still possible to find jobs. As you have experience as a marketing executive it might be worthwhile contacting some of the big recruitment companies when you are in Japan to see if they have anything available in that field.

You don't need a word of Japanese to teach English here- in fact most conversation schools insist their teachers use no Japanese in the classroom. There are other jobs available- IT, finance etc, even if you don't speak Japanese, but you do need appropriate expereince and qualifications.

Your boyfriend is misinformed on the tourist visa issue I'm afraid- there is no way in the world Immigration would let you come and go, spending most of your time in Japan for 2 years on tourist visas.

If you stayed the full 90 days the first time they would probably let you in the second time but if you then tried to come straight back in again you would probably be sent back.

Visiting several times a year for shorter stays wouldn't be an issue.

Hi, I think it is the best to make use of your career and find a job in Japan, but if your priority is to stay in Japan,
teaching English is the easiest; you don't have to speak Japanese in the classes and you have English speaking co-workers.
NOVA went bankrupt but there are some more schools like ECC, AEON, and GEOS. Do you have GEOS in your country?
If you do, just call them and ask how you can apply for.

However, I don't think you can choose where you work if you work for GEOS. Most of new teachers are sent to small local towns.
I don't know about AEON or ECC though. I have worked for GEOS and ECC, and I found ECC are much better than GEOS.
The working hours are not attractive - from 12 to 9, most of the case. Sometimes 1-10. And you have much preparations.

And if I sound rude, sorry in advance, but teachers with British, American, Canadian accent are popular in Japan,
Australian and New zealand are okay, and others like Southeastern Asian accent is not very popular.

If you are interested in teaching in piblic shools, you can apply for JET program
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/jet/apply.html
I have met some teachers, and teahers on JET program seemed more relaxed than ones at ECC, NOVA or GEOS.

Good luck!!

if you plan on coming for 2 years, do yourself a favour and get married before you come. It will save you tons of paper work over the course of the two years and make your stay that much more enjoyable.
And I'd go with the JET program. Good money and they really set you up to live and work.

Thanks you guys for the responses. Will check out the Jet program. I really don't want to rush the marriage tho i know its much easier that way, that's the plan down the road but it's horrible to rush tho maybe its a last resort. Next July/August is so soon! I'm a marketing exec but don't intend to stay on at my company bc it's too hard to transfer to Japan under my circumstances and i dont speak Japanese. I have an american accent, my dad is a diplomat and i've travelled all over the world and went to american schools. Then I also did college and a year of work in the states before I returned back to Asia. English and grammar and spelling is my forte, used to be an editor and it would be easy to teach for me. 12pm-9pm are the hours? quite late to end, i rather start earlier. It's not every day though right? How far in advance should I apply? Any other options, thanks to let me know. Appreciate all the help I can get!

Hmm. Regarding the marriage you should discuss it with him anyways, so that you DO have a plan. Other than that, having an "American Accent" is probably a good thing, since a lot of people in Japan wanting to learn english want to go to the USA.
=)
As for the teaching job.. i think you would want to get a full time job: Japan is expensive. Your working hourse would probably be like 8am-6pm. But it is culturally normal to stay later then normal. Where in America everyone waits anxiously for 5:00pm, it is not so in Japan

Hi again, I understand you don't want to rush to marriage. It is better to take time!!

I recommend JET program since the working hours are much better, probably from 8 to 5 or so,
and you teach kids in elementary or junior or high school.
http://www.jetprogramme.org/index.html
This web site has full info about it.

About ECC,
http://www.japanbound.com/ I think you can get more info here. It seems that they don't have any hiring oppices in Singapore,
but I guess you can contact one of them in Japan or in other countries.
About working hours, probably ECC working hours are 3p.m to 9p.m? Most of students work or go to school,
so they come to learn English after that, and that is why the working hours are not very good for teachers,
and it is everyday!!!

And for both case, you should tell that you have fiance who will live in, say, Tokyo, and you would like to live with him
or cloth to him.

I recommend working in public schools since it seems easier, but kids don't speak English well
and other teachers don't, most of the case.
You have many English speaking co-workers at schools like ECC or GEOS(I don't recommend GEOS), and students speak English
(you don't teach students of very low level) so you won't feel homesick.but hourking hours are not very good.
For both, I guess you can get enough salary to live; don't be surprised to live in a small studio apartment in a city!!

Hey guys, I would rather not rush marriage but yes, its somethign we want down the line. I would live with him and he has a high paying excellent job there so no issues on salary or accomodation. Just wanted to make some money and would have been ideal to continue in marketing/business as that's what i'm doing now, but teaching would be good for my salary and something I'm highly capable of with my background and 'american accent' :P Its not the best career move on my part though... yet there seems to be no options other than this or marriage!

1. makes your life easier in terms of being able to stay in japan
2. might make it harder for him to fall for and the many charms of the local japanese girls (and believe me, they are really hard to resist!)... well, at least it will make him think twice, because there is more commitment there

Not going to rush marriage it will happen when we're exactly ready and not worried about the japanese girls he can't communicate with (he's a man with brains, needs intellectual stimulation), and we're both world travelers and know whats out there, plus i'm hot too ;P ha ha!

Seriously, options look slim, but will wait to hear from HR on the package he gets before stressing further. In the end, we both are determined to make it work.

I found this somewhere, floating around the internet (maybe a link from this site?): http://www.interac.co.jp/recruit

It's another option for teaching, if that's what you intend (or have) to do, and it looks like the salary is good, considering.