Job Discussion Forums

indigirl

Is it normal, in processing a work visa, to be contacted by the 'Ministry of Foreign Affairs' in Japan?

I have been asked to send $310 US, a scanned sample of my thumbprint and an anti terrorism certificate.

I have already sent all my scanned docs to the school who is meant to be hiring me. I thought next step was getting CoE. But according to the email from 'MOFA' they are asking for these things because i am required to be there (at MOFA in Japan) for a face to face finger printing and signing ("Due to my inability to be there", they say, they need me to do these things.) Since I'm not there, and waiting for my visa, i find myself wondering how they would expect me to get there w/out a visa in the first place..

The part that sounds dodgy (apart from asking for money for the anti-terrorism certificate) is that i scan my *own* fingerprints.

Really? Does this sound legit? How would one know they are dealing with the real Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Please advise!

Thanks

fluffyhamster · Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 11:51 am Post subject:

Sounds very dodgy. If they need your fingerprints, they'll take them once you're in the country (e.g. when passing through Immigration and getting your Alien Registration Card issued - apparently they do the two things at once nowadays), and at no cost to you. And this is the first I've heard of any criminal record/background checks being necessary for the issuing of Japanese visas.

The best thing to do whenever you're in any doubt about the exact procedures required is to contact your nearest J embassy or consulate.

indigirl · Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 12:40 pm Post subject:

Right? Thanks Hamster.... I am trying to get hold of the embassy at present.

*Another dodgy thing, it was signed off with the salutation "God bless"

OneJoelFifty · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 463

God bless! Sounds like a straight up scam to me, never heard of anything like it.

HeatherG · Joined: 25 Mar 2013 Posts: 15

What is an anti-terror certificate? Is that a common requirement for ESL jobs Does such a thing even exist?

kah5217 · Joined: 29 Sep 2012 Posts: 270 Location: Ibaraki

For starters, Japanese don't say "God bless". That alone would make me suspicious. Japanese are very spiritual people, just not in the same vein as most Westerners. Second, they're going to fingerprint you at the airport, for free, and you don't need it beforehand to get the COE. Thousands of JETs and dispatch ALTs get their paperwork done without going to the immigration offices.

Sublime · Joined: 23 Apr 2011 Posts: 90

Anti-terrorism certificate? Shocked

Are you sure this is a real ESL job? It all sounds a bit James Bond.

marley'sghost · Joined: 04 Oct 2010 Posts: 255

It's beyond dodgy, it shrieks "scam". Google "anti-terrorism certificate" and you'll get pages of scam letters. How did they contact you?

move · Joined: 30 May 2009 Posts: 132

That is a scam. $310 is way too much for an anti-terrorism certificate. Just transfer $250 to my account and I'll get you that paper by next week.

Pitarou · Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan

"God bless"!?!?

Sets me in mind of those e-mails I sometimes get from Nigeria.

If it had really been sent by a Japanese person, it would be in one of two forms:

Form 1:

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Are you in fact a terrorist?

"We respectfully ask that terrorists refrain from traveling to Japan. Thank you for your cooperation."