Hi everyone,
I got an offer from Heart today and I would like to accept it and start the COE process but I have heard that some ALT companies (Heart being mentioned a lot) will over hire for positions that they have not yet secured from schools and then retract the offer on short notice. Is there anything I can do to hedge against that possibility? Would they know how many positions they have secured at this time of year?
It’s really important to me that the offer I accept actually goes through with it as I’m moving with my partner, who has a non-teaching job that is much more reliable. If the company cancels on me then we might have to spend months apart while I apply for a new COE.
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Also, to preempt people telling me to avoid Heart: My partner makes enough that I don’t need to worry about the low pay, my main criteria is being located near Minato. That being said, I would be very grateful if anyone could recommend a ‘better’ company in the area.
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8 comments
There really is no way to guarantee. All those companies are black as can be.
Is there some way you could just move to Japan on a dependency type visa?
I’ve heard of it happening from other users on this sub… and it wasn’t even from Heart.
As you’ve guessed, dispatch companies do hire more people than actual positions. Two reasons: first, they’re doing an estimate of how many positions they THINK they’ll have- after all, more positions= more money for the company. The second reason is that there’s almost always guaranteed to be some hires who never show up for one reason or another. So again, the company will tell you you’re ‘hired’, only for it to be a back-up position.
Nothing is ever confirmed with these companies until about March, in terms of both contracts with the BoEs AND what employees they’re actually hiring.
Interac and Altia are considered among the “better” dispatch companies.
It’s true they tend to overhire, but there’s no real certainties. If there’s no position for you, they may simply ghost you, although more likely (and with better companies) they will offer you a position elsewhere in Japan, or keep you as a substitute for the inevitable summer vanishers.
The companies find out their contracts in March, but they hire out of country earlier so they can have ALTs in country at the end of March. If applied in March, you won’t get in till around May the earliest, but in reality as others have said, you’d be looking at start if the second semester in September.
Unless laws have changed, you can only apply for/have one CoE at a time.
I would just get the offer in writing and get the COE. If they change the terms of the contract just keep the visa.
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I also have an interview in the coming days and I am in the same boat as you. I am trying to find jobs where I can live with my partner but Interac and Altia both rejected me too. I am scared about not making enough to support us, I feel you, truly
yeah, it’s a tough spot. unfortunately, there’s no surefire way to guarantee it won’t happen. it’s a bit of a gamble with these companies.