I'm in a committed relationship with a Japanese national who is of the same-sex as me, and he currently lives in the Tokyo area. We've discussed for awhile the feasibility of either him moving to me (I'm in the USA) or the opposite. Frankly, it seems more feasible that I move to Japan, as his English ability is somewhat limited and I don't see what kinds of job opportunities he could receive in the US if I sponsored him for a spousal visa (now possible in the US for same-sex couples). Also, I've wanted to live in Japan for a while, long before I met him (I've visited Japan six times), and I don't really like living in the United States. At minimum, I could work as an English teacher if I came to Japan.
A little bit about me:
So basically I'm looking for other ways that I can get to Japan. I applied to some English conversation schools/ALTs job, but none of the ones that accept overseas applications were offering positions in the Tokyo area (a MUST given that I'm moving primarily to be with my partner). I'm considering two options:
Does anyone hear have any additional advice for me given my situation and what I've explained above about the options I'm considering? Your help is much appreciated. Thanks!
A little bit about me:
- I graduated with a BA in 2015 (social sciences/meaningless field)
- I've been working at an IT company in America for about one year now (I'm not a software engineer/coder, I do functional tasks like quality assurance/testing/release documentation).
- Current salary is around 60k USD
- I have basic Japanese ability (one year of university studies)
- I do not have teaching experience
So basically I'm looking for other ways that I can get to Japan. I applied to some English conversation schools/ALTs job, but none of the ones that accept overseas applications were offering positions in the Tokyo area (a MUST given that I'm moving primarily to be with my partner). I'm considering two options:
- Move to Tokyo on a tourist visa, rent a room in a sharehouse and attempt to land a teaching job in the Tokyo area and switch to a work visa. Downside of this option is that I'm rushed and if I don't find anything, I'll have quit my job in the US for nothing.
- *more likely option*, I'm going to apply to a Japanese language school in Tokyo which will sponsor me for a student visa (12-16 months), and use my savings to live and study the language intensively. I hope that this would allow me to pass the JLPT at the N2 level (so I can attempt to get a similar IT job), or AT MINIMUM give me the sufficient time I need to secure an English teaching position in the Tokyo area that will change me to a work visa. The downside of this option is that it will likely burn through all the savings I have. I just feel like it's better option for eventually pulling myself out of English teaching in the long term.
Does anyone hear have any additional advice for me given my situation and what I've explained above about the options I'm considering? Your help is much appreciated. Thanks!