Support Systems For Working Partners
For Working Partners PDF Print E-mail

Jobs at RIKEN

RIKEN doesn't specifically hire the partners of employees, but if your partner is also a researcher, they may be able to find a position at RIKEN. See the Join RIKEN page for information about jobs at RIKEN. (If you are a researcher and you yourself are looking for side work, please see the RIKEN Internal Website for more information on side work permission and criteria.)

Jobs outside RIKEN

Finding a job in Japan can be very difficult. It is much easier if you have a reasonable degree of fluency in Japanese or if you are looking for work in an industry that is very open to hiring foreigners (e.g. English language teaching or investment banking), but even so, it's not always simple.

It is much harder to get a work visa if you don't have a university degree—you are usually required to have at least ten years' experience in the field you will be working in.

For research-related jobs, see the Japan Research Career Information Network website. Also, see the following JSPS and JST pages that list available grants:

For other types of jobs, some of the better-known websites in Japan are:

Note that RIKEN's Wako, Yokohama and Tsukuba campuses are all within commuting distance of central Tokyo.

Studying Japanese

If your partner would like to spend their time in Japan studying the language, there are many options. See the Learning Japanese section for more information.

Visas

If you are married, your husband or wife will be able to apply for a dependent visa. Although the dependent visa is not a work visa, your spouse may apply for a permit to engage in activity other than that permitted by the status of residence previously granted, which will enable them to work for up to 28 hours/week. See the Immigration + Alien Registration section.

If your spouse is able to find a full-time job in Japan, he/she may apply to change the dependent visa to a work visa. You don't actually need a company to "sponsor" you in Japan—you simply need a contract that indicates you are earning the minimum salary required by the immigration authorities (said to be 250,000 yen/month, but it's not actually specified anywhere), and you can then submit all the necessary forms and documents yourself. Having said that, you will need to enter specific information about the company (number of personnel, capital, earnings etc.) on the application form and you will also need to supply a company brochure or the like. (Note that if your partner changes their visa status to a working visa, then they will be obliged to pay taxes and will no longer be eligible for spousal benefits.)

If you and your partner are not married, your partner is not eligible for a dependent visa. They will have to quality for a visa in their own right. There are a number of different visa + status of residence categories.