Hello. I'm a 25 year old American living in Japan now. My girlfriend is moving to Vancouver in the summer, and if possible she wants me to leave my job here and go with her. Since it's supposed to be a great place to live, I decided to try and see if I can do that.

The problem is I have somewhat limited skills, and I know the economy isn't great right now. I am fluent in Japanese and have four years experience teaching English as a foreign language. My undergraduate degree was a double major in Asian Studies and Philosophy. I came to Japan as an English teacher right out of college.

Do I have any chance of getting a job in Vancouver, and getting a temporary work visa for myself? It doesn't have to be a great job, just one to pay our shared rent and get by.

It's hard to say what your prospects of finding work are; there is no generally applicable outlook for anyone, Canadian or not. To determine your prospects, you must research openings relevant to your skills. Using popular employment portals like Monster.ca, Workopolis.com, Careerbuilder.com, etc. is a good start. Depending on the results of such a search, you will then engage in the standard process of communication with prospective employers. Two tactics that are worthwhile are pursuing positions where teaching English as a second language is the requirement, or where foreign language fluency is the requirement. Finally, bear in mind that a prospective employer may be obliged to seek a Labour Market Opinion in order for you to be able to obtain a work permit.