Sell up and move to Japan or wait?

My husband and I would like to live in Japan, for at least one year. I have 12 years teaching experience and Masters' level qualifications in education. My husband has diploma level quals in Graphic Design. Neither of us speak Japanese.

Ideally I'd like to teach in an International School, or somewhere that pays enough for us to live and for me to support my husband (who I understand will probably struggle to find any work without a degree). He will probably study full time while we are there via distance ed.

My question (one of many)...do I apply to all international schools and wait to be accepted until moving over, or do we sell up and move without any job, and apply for jobs once there? I'm willing to work as an English teacher until the right job comes up but will need to earn enough for two (and the small doggy that will accompany us).

Advice?? Please!! Selling our home and moving will be a huge deal, but if it is the best way to go we will consider it...
Thank you!!

You need a employer to sponser you for a visa. You can't just move to Japan and look for a job.

First secure a teaching contract while you are here, then, visit Japan and get the feel of their country. Cost of living in Japan will depend on where you will settle and be prepare to pay atronomical price if you are to purchase a home. It would be foolish to sell your home now or in next few years since your security & welfare is not guaranteed.

In terms of visa, I don't know where you are from, but if you are Americans, then you *could* come over and look for a job, but there would be a time limit for you to do that and continue to stay in Japan. Temporary Visitor status (the stamp you get in your passport when you simply come over as US citizens) allows you to stay in Japan as tourists up to 90 days only, during which you need to find an employer and apply to have your status changed to an employer-sponsored work-permitting visa (and upon yourself being granted the work-permitting visa for your husband for the time being to apply for Dependent visa). While on Temporary Visitor status, no paid work is allowed.

That sounds quite a lot of time pressure; so if you can, from outside Japan, try to find an English conversation school/company that is interested in hiring new people, or apply to international schools to see if they find you interesting in view of your past career.

Plainly speaking, the prospects for English conversation schools hiring new people from outside Japan aren't that great now; they have other experienced people available (maybe in Japan already with another visa), or they might not be hiring that much anyways.

I don't think it is very wise to sell your house and move over to Japan without much plans, particularly under the current economy. Also please look into the quarantine procedures for your dog, and also consider the potential difficulty in (immediately) finding accommodation that allows pets.

You have a lot of homework ahead of you, probably at least a years worth of planning.
You will need an employer to sponsor you and will have to prove you can support both you & your husband. Need to start learning Japanese as well, both speaking and reading.

Unless you need to money to make the move (and you are going to need a lot of money) or there are other financial issues, dont sell your current home, you will need it when you come back. I recommend putting your furniture in long term storage and turn your house over to a rental management company. This way it will stay occupied, someone else (the renter) will pay your mortgage while you are gone, and the management company will take care of things for you.

I also advise against selling your house when you don't know how long you will stay in Japan. Even to find a basic English teaching job in this economy can take longer than the 90 days you get on a tourist visa, and I am afraid that many English schools may consider you overqualified, making things even harder.

Stay in the US while you secure a job in an international school, and then rent your house out. As above, finding accommodation that allows pets can be tricky and very expensive (it's typical for landlords to demand 4 months' rent as a deposit for people with pets, even if it's a chihuahua), so start looking at that early on.

WAIT.

As mentioned, I wouldn't burn your bridges.

Japan is facing record levels of unemployment at the moment. It's hard for foreigners who are current living in Japan (not temporary visitors) to find jobs, not including Japanese themselves!

As mentioned it is a lot harder then simply packing everything and moving, of course Visa matters, you can't get a work visa without work first, so it's important to apply as much as you can FIRST and see if anyone is biting.

Working as an English teacher supporting two grown adults, I'm afraid is a Joke in this day and age (in Japan). The new growing English markets are in other countries.

I see you didn't mention your nationality anywhere- I thought I saw "US" somewhere. My advice is the same regardless.

Thanks all for your advice. I am actually Australian, not from US, but realise selling up and moving may not be the most responsible option.
Just wish we could move over there faster - not getting any younger, and really looking for a challenge!
Cheers all