こんにちは！
My apologies if this sort of post is not allowed on this sub, but I just feel so incredibly stuck at the moment.
Firstly, a bit of background. 7 months ago, I met a Japanese girl studying at a university in Sydney. We quickly hit it off and started dating. About a month and a half later, her student visa ran out and she returned to Japan. We've been long distance since then, and while I've visited her once, and am visiting her again next month, the distance is not what I want.
I know the easiest route that you might think, is to marry her (which I want to do), but only when the time is right. She wants to wait until we've both met our whole families, and until she graduates university, which is March 2026. After that, she is hoping to find a job and work for a couple of years, then come back with me to Australia and work for a couple of years, and see which one she prefers.
Here is where my predicament lies. I don't want to be apart from her for another 3 years, so I'm looking for a route to go to Japan instead. I'm not qualified in any field that would make me eligible for a work visa, and spouse visa is off the table for a little while. Obviously, I'm aware of the working holiday visa, but if I remember correctly, you can't stay more than 3 months in a single area on that visa, which for me basically makes it no better than a simple 3 month tourist visa.
I currently work part-time as a chef, with no qualification, and I'm enrolled in a online travel agency course, and I'm looking at enrolling in a business course in January. I've also been learning basic Japanese for around a year, and my girlfriend tries to help me as well when she has time. Should I cancel these courses and go for something more likely to lead to a job in Japan? They both have free cancellations so that's fine. If you recommend me another course, it does need to be online, as I live remote from universities or colleges.
So, basically, I'm asking for advice for what to do next. What do you personally believe my way forward is?
by Cautious_Concept_727