This isn't a procedural question of moving to Japan. Lots of resources here for that already. Just, I'm having thoughts that I'm making a mistake, and want to hear what people who have made the jump have to say, good or bad.
I am 32, turning 33 very shortly. I have my N1 certificate. I do not have a degree. I have work experience that is valuable only to a specific industry for which there is no standard visa. (Luxury Hotel, I think there's an SSW visa for it, but as a Canadian I'm probably not the target demographic for those.)
Why Japan? I have friends and connections in Japan, experience being there as a student when I was much younger, and I speak the Language with conversational fluency already. Italics relevant. I want to go to a new environment (Not in the sense of running from something, mentally I'm more or less fine), and given these things, Japan is a top choice.
The 3-Step Plan
- ~9mo at a Language School, courses focused explicitly on Business Japanese and University/Vocational School transfer. (Student Visa)
I'm comfortable with daily life Japanese, but not with studying Technical Subjects. I don't intend to do 2 years, because I am racing the clock and because frankly I don't need it. The only reason I'd stay longer is not getting into another school in April.
This is probably happening either way. I have already been accepted for July of this year, just waiting on my CoE. Of course, if the CoE doesn't get approved, the whole thing is canceled. (Note: This is not a question about CoE processing. I know when to expect mine already.)
- Transfer to a Senmon Gakkou studying IT and/or Software Engineering. (Student Visa again)
I never finished University for family and health reasons 10+ years ago, but I studied CS. It is still something I'm familiar with and interested in.
Vocational School over Uni is because I'm older. Best case scenario I finish at 35, couple months before 36. With Uni, that would be 37 or 38.
I am aware Senmonshi locks me into what I study. I am okay with that–I want to work in software. The only other thing I've even entertained is Translation/Interpretation for… an IT company. I'm aware that even that is too far from the field of study, though, just musing.
- Try and find a job in my Mid-late 30s with senmonshi and no professional experience (Work permit via senmonshi)
This is where I'm panicking. The backup plan is to go to University in Japan and go home with my shiny degree, barring a sudden marriage or something.
I know there's rampant age discrimination in hiring after ~35. I know that I'll be making a lower wage than my peers. As long as I can afford a normal life, I'm fine.
I don't know if it's even remotely likely that a 30-something foreigner with a senmonshi can find a job at all, or if it's just a pipe dream.
That's that, I guess. Why is this a bad idea? Will finding work afterwards be impossible? Is the acceptance rate for foreign students at Vocational Schools lower than I'm planning for? My language school does help with this, at least. Is even getting the work permit after graduating less likely than it's looking, issues about acceptable work aside?
by BreakfastDue1256