Perhaps, my typos made my post unclear on that, (moth for mother, etc), but I did say the OP probably will not be able to get a visa for her mother (if memory serves correct, you need to be a permanent resident and have a sufficient income).
As far as I know, and I've gone through the visa regulations pretty thoroughly, her mother will not be able to be called a dependent. She'll have to get her own visa. Unless something has changed in the last year or two, I'm 99% sure of that. OP should give immigration a call to confirm.
But her mother could get a 90 day tourist visa (actually, I think it is actually a visa wavier.. but anyway) and that could be extended for another 90 days (which would give her mother about 6 months- 90 days + 90 days). It is generally very easy for US passport holders to get an extension so I would expect that your mother would likely be able to get an extension.
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree strongly on this last point. Americans can stay for 90 days, and beyond that is not easy at all unless there is considerable time between the two stays. You might find anecdotal posts on the Internet to the contrary, but that's all they are...anecdotal. Look at their circumstances. They will not be like her mom's.
since Mom is willing to put up her savings and be part of the the "team", if is she of working age and can get a job, should could certainly help financially if she were teaching as well (if she has a degree).
Finances, to me, are moot if mom can't or won't work. I am trying to be patient here, but I am very anxous to hear whether the OP's mom plans to do that.
I think it is good advice to look to a Japan teaching forum to get more input from a wider variety of people working in Japan.
Yes, the best one is the ESL Cafe.
ESL Discussion Center . I am no longer there, but I was for over a decade.
Also, do not be scared off by the snobbery and derision meted out by many of the non Eikaiwa teaching foreign workers and residents in Japan. For every horror story there are many more who enjoy the work, take pride in it and often go on to make very lucrative careers by teaching privately there. By 'private' I mean opening up your own school, teaching from home or in rented premises.
I have no idea what sort of "snobbery" dotanban has seen from eikaiwa instructors. Usually, they are the ones with zero work experience (often in any sort of job in their home country, not just in teaching), and therefore have little to crow about or little perch from which to look down upon others. Many eikaiwa jobs themselves are not all that great, though, so yes, you will hear a lot of negative stories. Try to keep a perspective, but Japan is not a great place for work conditions in that area.
As for private lucrative careers, those who do that tend to go one of 2 routes (and neither one is all that easy to maintain, business-wise). One is formally establishing a business, either with their own current work visa or by switching to a Business/Investor visa. In either case, if you register a business, you will have to hire 2 full-time employees, pay appropriate taxes, and not be a teacher there yourself (if I'm not mistaken). If you go another route, you could just hawk yourself to anyone willing to take private lessons from you, whether in a cafe/restaurant, community center, or your home. Whether you choose to pay taxes on this income situation is up to you, but you are legally obligated to do so. For either of the two private situations I've just described, your biggest barrier to overcome is attracting (and then later keeping) paid customers. This is
not something to be taken lightly! I know several people who have indeed made a living out of either route, but it is tough going, and many do it only after they have established themselves here for a few years. Realize, too, that if you could potentially spend a lot of time, perhaps more than as an employee elsewhere, running things. If you just take on private lessons a few times a week, you will have less time to yourself for anything else. I do not recommend this for newcomers who want to get to know the country and enjoy some sightseeing. Don't work, and you don't get the extra money. Work privately, and you lose private time. Customers for private lessons are fickle as hell, too. Don't expect them to be guaranteed long-timers.
As a newcomer to the forum, I do not have Glenski's advantage of knowing the backgrounds of all the posters in this thread, such as who may or may not be an "actual teacher", but I think the comments that everyone has made probably have been reflective of their experiences in Japan.
FWIW, mine reflect working here over 15 years as a teacher -- eikaiwa, private lessons, PT high school, FT high school (neither being an ALT), and currently FT at a university.
Also, FWIW, I have been asked by more than one forum to create FAQs about teaching in Japan, and I have published a couple of articles about job hunting here. I used to distribute freely a 4-megabyte Excel file containing massive amounts of information about teaching in Japan. I think I know whereof I speak in this matter.
Until we know more about the OP's plans, her feelings toward her child, and her mom's notions and background, this thread is probably not going to provide more than errant speculation.
