Only a two-year degree is now required to teach English in Japan?

[Buntaro]

Hi everyone,

I saw an ad for English teachers that only requires a two-year degree. Has the Japanese government reduced the requirement from a four-year degree to a two-year degree? Below is a link to the job posting. (It is on the jobsite linkedin.com, so it might only be visible to people who are members of linkedin.com.)

Go! Go! World hiring English As A Second Language Teacher - Visa sponsorship available in Japan | LinkedIn

Posted 15 hours ago. Go! Go! Nihon are working with the Yaruki Switch group to help them find energetic candidates to…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.

www.linkedin.com

It is an ad by Go! Go! Nihon for the Yaruki Switch group.

 

[Glenski]

As far as I know, things have not changed. Note that for whatever reason, that ad states that you not only must fulfill immigration requirements but must have at least an associate:s degree. Well, to my knowledge, an associate's alone is not enough. When immigration states a "university degree" is needed, they have always meant a bachelor's degree. Be wary of this employer.

 

[musicisgood]

Recently (about 4 years now) many Japanese public school music teachers have been told to also become English teachers. So I guess the Japanese govt. realizes there are a shortage of qualified foreign English teachers in this country. I know some English teachers like to teach in Vietnam and China, but that's the new trend?

 

[Buntaro]

So it seems this ad may be a scam, and a four-year degree is still required. Thanks for the info.

 

[Glenski]

Recently (about 4 years now) many Japanese public school music teachers have been told to also become English teachers. So I guess the Japanese govt. realizes there are a shortage of qualified foreign English teachers in this country.

Or it may be that the school is trying to save money by hiring only one person instead of two.

 

[Glenski]

So it seems this ad may be a scam, and a four-year degree is still required.

Who can say? I take it you don't have more than an associate's degree?

You might want to contact them and ask indirectly what the immigration policy is. Perhaps even hint that you thought a work visa required a bachelor's. Their response would be good to know.

 

[musicisgood]

Or it may be that the school is trying to save money by hiring only one person instead of two.

That too and maybe because students are getting fewer and fewer here out in the countryside.

 

[Vincent3]

It would be an odd way to state it, but they might be trying to say they require at least a two-year degree (for example, a Canadian wife of a Japanese man). But if the applicant needs a work visa, then immigration would of course require a four-year degree.

 

[Buntaro]

It would be an odd way to state it, but they might be trying to say they require at least a two-year degree (for example, a Canadian wife of a Japanese man). But if the applicant needs a work visa, then immigration would of course require a four-year degree.

That sounds very plausible. I know foreigners in Japan on a spousal visa that do not have a college degree.

 

[Deibiddo]

I know someone who gets a visa with an associate's degree, they changed that law ages ago apparently. You can only get specialist in humanities jobs though. I couldn't find anything quickly on the ministry of justice site but I think it's worth digging around

 

[Vincent3]

I know someone who gets a visa with an associate's degree, they changed that law ages ago apparently. You can only get specialist in humanities jobs though. I couldn't find anything quickly on the ministry of justice site but I think it's worth digging around

Does the person have equivalent experience? When I worked at an eikaiwa (this is going back quite a few years), I knew somebody without a degree who got his humanities specialist visa based on equivalent experience. I was working in the school's head office at the time, and they put considerable effort into packaging that for immigration. It was clearly more of an effort than getting a visa for somebody with a degree, but it's possible if the experience is sufficient.

 

[Deibiddo]

I assume so? I don't know the details other than he was pretty happy about it!

 

[Glenski]

Buntaro wrote:

I know foreigners in Japan on a spousal visa that do not have a college degree.

That's because a degree, any degree, is not a requirement for such a visa. You only have to be married to a Japanese.

Deibiddo wrote:

I know someone who gets a visa with an associate's degree, they changed that law ages ago apparently. You can only get specialist in humanities jobs though.

I looked, too, and couldn't find any such change.
Did that person you know get a work visa, or was it something else? Working holiday visa, spousal visa, dependent visas do not require college degrees, yet they permit work to some degree.

 

[Deibiddo]

Oh definitely a work visa, the company we work for is actually very strict on that kind of thing. The only other possible explanation is that he lied about having an associate's degree!

If you really want to find out immigration-related stuff it's best to call the immigration office you want to apply at, I swear they all have different rules anyway. That way though they do all the searching for you...

 

[Buntaro]

If you really want to find out immigration-related stuff it's best to call the immigration office you want to apply at,

I wonder if this would include going to the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate in a foreign country. I wonder if they would have the same information.

I know some English teachers like to teach in Vietnam and China, but that's the new trend?

I have taught in both Japan and China, so I know what you are saying. One thing is that in Japan many of the jobs seem to being teaching only toddlers, kindergartners, or school children, whereas it is fairly easy to walk right into a job at a university in China. Regarding teaching in Vietnam, some teachers in China see teaching jobs in Vietnam as 'nicer' or 'easier', so there is definitely a small trend that is developing in that direction. But the word on the street is that you will make more money in China than in Vietnam, which is probably true.

 

[Deibiddo]

Yep, might as well ask. They might just point you to a website but it'll still save you time.

As for teaching jobs, apparently it's getting hard for companies in Japan to find new teachers and one I work for just can't get staff. The pay is nowhere near like it used to be and Japan is just another country in Asia at the end of the day. Wages and the standard of living are much higher in China, Korea, and probably Vietnam too. Yes, Japan is more 'developed' than all of them except Korea (which overtook their per capita ppp) but everything costs more and the economy is screwed so it's only going to get worse. Vietnam and China are growing phenomenally which will mean more and better opportunities. The people I've talked to say it's like the wild west, you can do anything practically once you're in (and fake qualifications help too apparently).

The online lesson market is growing in Japan too and let's be honest Japanese people don't care about the quality or eikaiwa wouldn't exist, they just want the convenience - especially when it's a ludicrous price like ¥500 for twenty minutes! I know one guy who went to Kenya to start a school because it was better than what most jobs in Japan are offering