I tried to read that site, and the level of legalese an circular linking(see here for more information, see here for more information just sending me to two sections of the same page or something) confused me... I'll try again, but I'll probably need to ask for help from someone I know who's more familiar with this.
I presume this is a crack at me? Look, the first rule one has to learn about dealing with government bureacracies (I know, a redundant term) is that every case is different. The MOFA page lists guidelines, not hard and fast rules, for a reason. If you think you fit a certain visa type and have a question, please ask here, and we'll do our best to help. No promises on certainties, though. I've been here 10 years and have yet to see one.
I'm looking for work that's legal for me to do and doesn't involve heavy lifting(I have a bad back). Were it not for my back I'd just become and illegal construction worker. I hear it's not that bad.
Illegal work is not that bad? You are deluding yourself. Get caught and you risk fines, 23 days interrogation without a lawyer, deportation at your expense, and being blacklisted from returning for 5-10 years. Who told you it's "not that bad"?
What I'm saying is I'm not that picky.
It's not a matter of being picky. It's a matter of whether you fit any work visa requirements.
A side note:
"I wouldn't complain too much about taking on debts as a student. You won't get a lot of sympathy."
That was uncalled for, in my opinion.
Look. Sorry if you took my remarks as personal, but lately a ton of people have been asking the same questions you did (as dblbstrd confirmed in his post). No experience, no degree, no high fluency in the language, yet they insist that there must be some way to get a work visa here. Please be realistic. Would any foreigner with equivalent stats have much of a chance in your country?
I said I had no money, and would like to avoid the risk involved with large debts.
Risk? You don't want to go to university where you stand the best chance of landing a job that will last you a lifetime here, simply by virtue of the fact that most work visas here require a degree. Pay up front, study a little (yes, 3 or 4 years is short compared to the rest of your life), and prepare yourself better. No degree will put you one step below the bottom rung on the work ladder for jobs. Picky or no, those qualifications won't get you anywhere here (the second most expensive country in the world).
Second of all, I asked for no sympathy.
Not directly, no.
"Besides, having a degree will make you better off in the long run."
I can name 10 people off the top of my head who have them and have never made a dime with them. They're all in good careers, but their degree had nothing to do with it.
Did they find work in Japan? Did they have to face immigration requirements just to get their foot past a tourist status of 90-day stay? We're probably talking apples and oranges here with those 10 people. Trust me. I've been here a decade.
The only people I know who use their degrees are teachers and lawyers.
You need to see more people. Doctors, nurses, architects, engineers, etc.
I have seen job postings that require a degree, but those are often glorified secretary positions.
Geez, man! Where are you looking?! Besides, you don't even seem to have the qualifications for those glorified positions anyway. Not here anyway.
That's insane. 30k a year is ****
Think of it this way. Snub your nose at getting an education, and you have to reap the harvest. It will not be a bumper crop.
If you think I'm not being helpful, look here.
www.jobsinjapan.com If you see anything you feel suitable for or have an interest in, please write back here and explain why. Be sure you have confirmed whatever work visa requirements are needed, and report the wages. Minimum wage here is around the equivalent of US$7/hour, and national health insurance is not cheap. Want an apartment? You'll have to pay 2-5 times the rent just to move into an empty place. No furniture, no appliances, nothing. Choose to live alternatively in a guest house to avoid paying for those things, and you will still have to fork out the equivalent of $500-800 a month just for the roof over your head.
You family was not well off? Neither was mine. I worked at home, supported my siblings and mother, and still paid my own way through college.
I have experience with translating, tutoring Japanese people in English, and I'm conversationally fluent in Japanese. I'm confident I could also re-learn German in under a year.
I presume that was freelance tutoring, which won't count as real experience on a work visa application. It might fly with an employer, but they don't call the shots. Immigration does. Have 3 years of real teaching experience, and you can bypass the degree requirements for the visa, but you will still have to live with no degree and search high and low for an employer to hire you. The market is terribly flooded with teachers here nowadays, as I mentioned earlier. Translating is a highly competitive market, too, and most people have professional experience, certifications, and degrees. Not much call for German here; a few part-time positions, but those don't qualify for work visas.
That and linux-related computer skills are my skill set.
Look at
www.daijob.com/en and see what the average programmer requirements are. Language ability and experience usually.
Well, I've been told I'd make a good host, but I'm not a good judge of my own looks, though I know I'm good with courtesy industry tasks.
Hosting? In bars or restaurants? Modeling? Need an agent and some language proficiency.
Bottom line, you don't seem to realize that having a degree (ANY degree) is not so much a risk as it is a strong foothold on long-term survival. Forget the exceptions to the rule (didn't Bill Gates drop out?).
