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chrissytooth
Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 43
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 Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:19 am Post subject: How do I get a visa renewal after my teaching job ends? |
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| I am currently working for a major Eikaiwa. My contract ends in November 2013, and my three-year work visa expires April 2014. If I want to renew it, do I have to secure a new job first and have them as a sponsor? Or do I need to have the visa renewed before getting a new job? I am looking into work as an ALT or, if I have to, another Eikaiwa. What is the best route to go with renewing my work visa? Thanks in advance for your help! |
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thomthom
Joined: 20 May 2011
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 3:10 am Post subject: |
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If you finish with your present company 4-5 months before your visa expires you have plenty of time to find a new employer to sponsor your visa renewal, and you can worry about it closer to the time your visa expires. You won't have to do much immediately except inform immigration of your new employer/residence. There might be slightly more paperwork if you need to change from a humanities to an instructor visa to work as an ALT, which sounds likely.
I'm not sure myself to what extent a release letter is necessary. Perhaps someone else knows. |
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surendra
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 3:33 am Post subject: |
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Sorry I can't provide exact info but maybe it's the same here: In Korea, there is a "in between" visa you can obtain if your normal one runs out or if you are released from your job (not quit).
Also, I've found that the Japanese Embassy in America's website is pretty top notch at info, along with wikipedia. Maybe check out your home country's. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| surendra wrote: |
| Sorry I can't provide exact info but maybe it's the same here: In Korea, there is a "in between" visa you can obtain if your normal one runs out or if you are released from your job (not quit). |
It's different in Japan. In Korea, your employer owns your visa, and when you are released from your job, you lose your visa. In Japan, the employee owns the visa, and so nothing happens whether they are "released" from their job or quit.
To address the OP's questions:
| chrissytooth wrote: |
I am currently working for a major Eikaiwa. My contract ends in November 2013, and my three-year work visa expires April 2014. If I want to renew it, do I have to secure a new job first and have them as a sponsor? |
You have a couple options for renewing your visa (in April, 2014):
1) Find another employer to sponsor your new visa.
2) Self-sponsor your new visa. You can do this if you don't have a full-time job where the employer will sponsor your visa (i.e., you can do this if you have multiple part-time jobs at eikaiwa and/or part-time tutoring). For this visa, you DO need to show that you have these jobs (by submitting contracts). I believe you also have to prove that these contracts pay you at least 3 million yen/year. However, these jobs will need to fall within your current visa category (i.e., "specialist in humanities", if you worked at an eikaiwa).
| Quote: |
| Or do I need to have the visa renewed before getting a new job? |
Your visa is not yet expired, so you don't need to renew it until April, 2014. So, you don't need to have the visa renewed before getting a new job, as long as you get that job while your visa is still valid.
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| I am looking into work as an ALT or, if I have to, another Eikaiwa. |
Be aware that these are 2 different visa categories. ALTs generally work under an instructor visa whereas eikaiwa teachers work under a specialist in humanities visa. You aren't supposed to work a job that is outside of your visa category without getting special permission (which isn't too hard to get, from what I understand).
| Quote: |
| What is the best route to go with renewing my work visa? |
Unless you are independently wealthy and don't need to work, I'd suggest getting a new job ASAP after your current job ends.
If you can get a full-time job right away that will sponsor your new visa in the spring, then great. If you definitely can't get a full-time job, then get some part-time work and/or private tutoring to tide you over while you look for someone to sponsor your new visa. If you get a job as an ALT before your current visa expires, get permission to work outside of your current visa category before you start the new job. I'd save self-sponsorship as a last-resort, personally. |
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hagiwaramai
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 119
Location: Marines Stadium
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:53 am Post subject: |
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| And if you're looking for a job as an ALT start looking at major job sites now and try and find something starting in September. Don't look for something co-inciding with when your current contract expires as I doubt there'll be much around at that time, but quite a lot of ALT jobs start in September as people decide to quit after a term when they realise their job's not suitable for whatever reason, or go back and start courses in Western countries which usually start in Sept. |
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judoka
Joined: 28 Jan 2009
Posts: 53
Location: North Pole
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| Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| I know you are supposed to notify immigration about employment changes within 14 days. What happens if you don't? How would they find out and what is the penalty, if there is one? |
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thomthom
Joined: 20 May 2011
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:46 am Post subject: |
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| I know you are supposed to notify immigration about employment changes within 14 days. What happens if you don't? How would they find out and what is the penalty, if there is one? |
I'm going to bump this question because I'd also like to know.
My friend at work, who also hasn't informed immigration that she's working for a different company than is stated on her visa, is adamant that there is no communication between immigration and the other authorities (eg health insurance), so there is no way there could be any complications when renewing the visa (albeit legitimately and with a new company). Correct? |
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hagiwaramai
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 119
Location: Marines Stadium
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| Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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| thomthom wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I know you are supposed to notify immigration about employment changes within 14 days. What happens if you don't? How would they find out and what is the penalty, if there is one? |
I'm going to bump this question because I'd also like to know.
My friend at work, who also hasn't informed immigration that she's working for a different company than is stated on her visa, is adamant that there is no communication between immigration and the other authorities (eg health insurance), so there is no way there could be any complications when renewing the visa (albeit legitimately and with a new company). Correct? |
I'd agree with her regarding the lack of communication between the city office and immigration, but isn't it going to be obvious to immigration when she renews her visa? I don't know how much they actually care, but she'll need to show them a copy of her contract as part of the renewal process and they'll see she's working for a different company to what's on her visa, and date she started. |
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thomthom
Joined: 20 May 2011
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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| but she'll need to show them a copy of her contract as part of the renewal process and they'll see she's working for a different company to what's on her visa, |
We both intend to renew the visa with the company that we are now currently working for. ie. not the companies we were previously working for. To that extent, they wouldn't need to see that old contract, but only the new employer's details, surely?
If there is any possibility of a problem I might leave Japan for a couple of months and get an entirely fresh visa rather than a renewal... |
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hagiwaramai
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 119
Location: Marines Stadium
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| Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:22 am Post subject: |
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| thomthom wrote: |
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| but she'll need to show them a copy of her contract as part of the renewal process and they'll see she's working for a different company to what's on her visa, |
We both intend to renew the visa with the company that we are now currently working for. ie. not the companies we were previously working for. To that extent, they wouldn't need to see that old contract, but only the new employer's details, surely?
If there is any possibility of a problem I might leave Japan for a couple of months and get an entirely fresh visa rather than a renewal... |
I doubt you'll have any problems but if you get a new type of visa when you renew they could just check the start date on your contract if they wanted to and see if you informed them of that fact at the time.
We'd need to hear from someone who has changed jobs and changed visas afterwards to hear first-hand evidence. I changed from eikaiwa to ALT and didn't tell immigration anything but then I changed to a spouse visa and I didn't need any work related information that I recall. I've never heard of any problems with anyone I know who moved from a language school to ALT though. When I did, the ALT company said nothing at all and were happy with me using my Specialist in Humanities visa. |
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