Hello,
TL;DR is at the end. I have always wanted to move to Japan. Unfortunately I have a permanent disability that impacts my ability to do full-time labor sustainably.
I'm slowly being killed by the rat race in America. I live alone in a 200k house with a 1700/mo mortgage. I work for the local govt remotely full time and make good money, but I know I can't keep this up forever and I'm tired all the time. The cost of living in the US is draining my savings and I'm afraid of what my future holds if I stay here. I believe I'd qualify for social security disability if I applied, but it wouldn't cover my current mortgage or any rental in the US. Also, you have to go 1 year without any work income to even qualify for that.
I have around 25-30k in savings and I've been dreaming of buying an affordable fixer upper abroad and moving to less grueling part-time work to cover minor expenses and repairs, maybe even while I await an SSD determination.
Japan looks best right now though I have been considering Ecuador as well. I have some questions about the purchase process and residency visas:
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Would Japan accept full time residency from a single disabled person? What sort of assurances would they need to let me stay there permanently?
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Which needs to be first — the visa, or the home purchase? Do I need the residency visa to buy a home, or a home to qualify for a visa?
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What could I do to improve my chances here? Currently my job requires that I stay in the US. Should I try to get a remote-from-any-country job to improve my chances of getting the visa? I have been hesitant to move since I have FMLA at my current job so it's very secure.
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Can any disabled US Expats tell me if I would still qualify for SSD if living abroad? Has anyone had issues with this?
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How easy is it to find good help with home repairs? My current house needs work and I've become quite handy, but my capacity is limited so I usually have friends or handymen help me.
I believe that if I could get residency in Japan and an affordable home, then it would actually be very easy to live off of social security given the lower cost of living there. But convincing them to let me in and sell me a house feels like it could be a hassle and that retirement check doesn't feel guaranteed. I'm looking for advice on how to make this happen, ideally without having to get married as I am a fairly reclusive individual and I like my space.
TL;DR — I have a permanent disability but still work full time in the US. I have 25-30k and want to buy a house in Japan and reduce my workload, maybe even retire to work on the house and garden full time. I dont have a spouse. Is it possible for me to get a full time residency visa and house there in this position? Would I need a better job, more money, another person to help? See detailed questions above.
Many thanks in advance to all of you.
by LittleSpoonie1312