All The Good News That's Fit To Oppo

"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
10/27/2017 at 20:12 • Filed to: None

1) My mechanic is pretty sure he can do the door innards swap. We’re working out a time. Yay! 2) My immigration lawyers will start my final Japanese citizenship process on Halloween. Fairly assured they can wrap this up in a few weeks to a few months.

Have some City:

DISCUSSION (19)

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Kat Callahan
10/27/2017 at 20:13

Congrats on the citizenship, so obviously considering permanent residency abroad?

Kat Callahan > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru
10/27/2017 at 20:16

I’ve been here for nearly 10 years, I don’t think I’m going anywhere, and ironically one of my major roadblocks to stability has been the damn visa renewal qualifications. I’m much more employable and stable as a citizen, obviously.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Kat Callahan
10/27/2017 at 20:17

Ahhh makes sense. That’s a good chunk of time abroad. Hopefully they get it ironed out for you!

Kat Callahan > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru
10/27/2017 at 20:19

They think they need to file some waiver motions, but they’re pretty sure it’ll go well. And their fee is only $1600. Total! And they came recommended with a good win history, so I think they know what they’re doing and well worth the cash for something as major as gaining a nationality.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Kat Callahan
10/27/2017 at 20:20

Wow yeah that’s quite reasonable on the cost side of things. I’d pictured a far more expensive endeavor!

Jayvincent > Kat Callahan
10/27/2017 at 20:31

The City is so damn cute... why can’t we have nice things?

TheJWT > Kat Callahan
10/27/2017 at 20:49

Can I ask how you moved to Japan in the first place? I really want to in the next few years and I’ve done a bit of research, but I’d love to hear a firsthand account

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Kat Callahan
10/27/2017 at 21:26

Honda City with round headlights is best City.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Kat Callahan
10/27/2017 at 22:09

Woohoooooo!!!!

I’ll make initial D jokes another time...BECAUSE RIGHT NOW ITS TIME TO PARTAY!!!!!!

Kinja'd!!!

dogisbadob > Kat Callahan
10/27/2017 at 23:06

good luck

Kat Callahan > TheJWT
10/27/2017 at 23:26

Honestly, I got lucky. It was hard then and it’s even harder now. I applied to the various programmes, like the JET Programme, and I was wait listed. So I went to Korea first for six months. Then I literally got a phone call, “Hey you still want to come to Japan?” And I said, yes, of course. A previous teacher left in the middle of the year, and I was the closest one on the list (literally, I was a ferry ride away), and that was how I came to get my position and my visa. But even then it was hard. It’s not getting easier. Especially as more and more people are staying, so there isn’t as much reason to hire from abroad.

Variance > Kat Callahan
10/28/2017 at 02:56

Oh wow, I had figured you were already naturalized, with how long you’ve been over there. Glad to hear that the process looks like it should be relatively smooth sailing from here on out, however.

Kat Callahan > Variance
10/28/2017 at 03:00

I qualified to submit my final paperwork May 30th, but I had couple of issues I couldn’t resolve on my own. Which is why we have lawyers. :3

Flavien Vidal > Kat Callahan
10/28/2017 at 08:27

DSSCats may or may not have bought the best and fastest GA2 City from me :)

Kinja'd!!!

TheJWT > Kat Callahan
10/28/2017 at 11:07

Would you say that going via a teaching program is the most likely way of getting in? I was planning on doing that and then trying to get a job in my field (architecture) once I got there.

Kat Callahan > TheJWT
10/28/2017 at 12:40

It’s the most common way for the vast majority of people. I’m an actual teacher, though. I went to university to be a teacher. And I love teaching, it’s why I’ve just never been able to commit to journalism full time, even though I’ve done it consistently for years. I always tell people not to come teach unless they really want to teach or think they might really want to teach. There are enough “I came here for something else and got stuck in teaching” types already. It depresses wages, makes solidarity difficult, and brings down the quality of education. As a qualified teacher, it actually really bothers me. I’m fine with people trying out teaching, it’s as much a talent and a passion as a skill, but I’m not okay with non-teachers pretending to be teachers just to finance their vacation/life in Japan. It actually hurts the profession and the society, and the kids get a worse experience for it.

TheJWT > Kat Callahan
10/28/2017 at 13:24

I didn’t realize that aspect of it, but thanks for being upfront about it! I’m gonna have to do more research for sure though. I’m not a teacher by any means (Even teaching architecture is daunting to me), so I’ll look into other ways of getting a visa.

Kat Callahan > TheJWT
10/28/2017 at 13:31

Truthfully, between the population decline and the increase in immigration from English speaking countries (not just the West, but India and Philippines, which are legally and for some areas realistically native English speaking countries), the days of recruitment from abroad are very numbered. There are more and more permanent native speakers, like myself, many of us teach more than one subject (I also teach social studies, my graduate major), and the number of school closings are increasing. Rural Japan especially is very old and increasingly dead.

Japan is already an immigrant country, but I think most native Japanese haven’t realised it yet. This is still the world’s third largest economy. We do need educated, Japanese speaking bodies. But we also need permanent folks, not guest workers.

TheJWT > Kat Callahan
10/28/2017 at 13:45

I understand; and I also understand there are quite a few people wanting to move there for a few years because it’s cool to do so, or to drive JDM cars, or for whatever other trivial reasons.

I fully intend on spending my adult life there, as you’re doing, however. I realize I won’t be leaving the U.S. anytime in the immediate future- not until I’m out of school and have a few more years experience, but Japan is ultimately where I want to end up.

If I may ask- what brought you there in the first place?