Work Visa ~ Engineering/Humanities/International Services Language Teacher~

Foreign nationals usually need to obtain a work visa to work as a language teacher at a company in Japan.

If you are a foreigner who wants to work in Japan, you have probably heard of the term ”work visa” at least once.

Simply put, a work visa is a permit required for foreigners to work in Japan.

While Japanese people are free to work in Japan, foreigners cannot work in Japan without a work visa or the appropriate type of visa (status visas like the Spouse, etc. of a Permanent Resident or a Japanese National visa) that allows them to work.

However, there are many different types of work visas, and we will explain in detail the types of work that can be done with each visa and the conditions for obtaining one over the next few articles.

So, if you want to work as a language teacher, which work visa can you get?

In this article, we will focus on the case of working as a language teacher under the status of “Engineer/Humanities/International Services,” which is one of the representative types of work visas.

Can I work as a language teacher with an “Engineering/Humanities/International Services” visa?

In most cases, you can obtain an “Engineering/Humanities/International Services” visa if you have at least three years of work experience or a university degree or higher.

A university degree or higher does not matter whether it is from a Japanese university or a foreign university.

Language teachers often fall under the category of “International Services” and mostly teach their native language.

However, some teach a second language other than their native language.

If you wish to teach a second language, you will likely fall under the “Humanities” category.

For example, in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, etc., many speak English fluently and are close to native English speakers. If, instead of teaching your native language, you wish to become an English teacher in Japan, you would fall under the category of “knowledge of humanities,” not “international services.”

The educational background requirements differ between “international service” and “knowledge of humanities”.

If you are applying for the “International Service” category, you do not necessarily need to be majoring in the language, but you can teach your native language as long as you have a university degree or higher, whether in science, engineering, or arts.

◆If you apply for the “Humanities” category, you must have graduated from a university with a major related to the language you teach, unlike the “International Service” category.

*If you are graduating from a vocational school, etc., you must substantiate at least 10 years of work experience.

The nature of your employer is also an important point to note.

The “Engineering/Humanities/International Services” visa is only available for private language schools.　

Those who work as a language teacher at a school legal entity are not eligible for an “Engineering/Humanities/International Services” visa, but for an “Education” visa, so the requirements for obtaining the visa are different.

★Examples of Permitted Visas

• Graduated from a university in Japan or abroad with a degree in arts, science, or fine arts, etc., and become a language teacher teaching their native language.
• Do not have a university degree, but have at least 10 years of work experience as a language teacher.
• Having a university degree in English and a second language (English) proficiency at a native level, would like to teach English in a language classroom in Japan, even though it is not the native language.

Requirements for working as a language teacher with an “Engineering/Humanities/International Business” visa

☑Education Requirements

➡ (If you teach your native language) University graduate

Graduated from a Japanese or overseas university.

➡ (For teaching a second language) University graduation + relevance to specialty

Graduated from a Japanese or overseas university majoring in a subject related to the second language.

☑Work experience requirement

The applicant must have at least 3 years (in the case of international business) or 10 years (in the case of technical/humanities) of work experience and must have acquired the necessary knowledge.

*If the applicant majored in a subject related to the work at a university, college of technology, etc., that period may be included in the work experience.

It is important to note here whether the work experience is relevant to the job or not.

A certificate of employment is required to prove work experience.

Since certificates of employment are often falsified, they are carefully examined by the immigration office.

If you are concerned about the relevance of your work experience, please contact us.

☑ Remuneration

The remuneration must be equal to or greater than the remuneration that a Japanese national would receive if engaged in the work.

Summary

In this article, we have explained the requirements and key points when obtaining an “Engineering/Humanities/International Services” visa as a language teacher.

As mentioned above, regarding working as a language teacher with an “Engineering/Humanities/International Services” visa, depending on the language you teach and the nature of your employment, your major may be required to be related to your work or you may need to obtain another status of residence.

If you make the mistake of changing jobs, you may inadvertently be working illegally, even if the language you teach is the same and the job is similar.

If you are concerned about the relevance of your educational background or relevancy to work, or if you are worried about the application process, or if you are planning to change jobs, please contact us.

We are Yanagi group, which have offices in Osaka (Abeno and Tennoji), and our affiliated offices in Tokyo (Shibuya and Ebisu) are also available for an on-site consultation. We have handled many applications for permanent residence permits, naturalization permits, work visas, college student visas, management visas, etc., as well as visa renewal procedures related to the status of residence with the Immigration Bureau (Immigration Bureau) as a one-stop service. Our experienced administrative scriveners are also available to help you with any problems you may have.

We also have staff members who can speak each of the native languages and can assist you in obtaining a visa.

※If you wish to be consulted in Nepali or Bengali, please inform us in advance via our website or social media, and the translator will contact you ahead of time.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your status of residence or visa, even if they are trivial.

Toll-free number: 0120-138-552

For English speakers: 080-9346-2991

For Chinese speakers: 090-8456-6196