Job Discussion Forums

[Cshannon]

I have a cheap plane ticket lined up (not paid for yet) which would go from Vancouver to Seoul via Tokyo. The flight has a 1 night forced stop in Tokyo before going on to Seoul the next day. I plan to spend around a month in Seoul visiting friends, and then go back to Tokyo to start work. I have been told that on the return portion I can just get on in Tokyo (and not have to go back to Seoul first). Sort of complicated , but I really need to make sure about a few things before I buy the ticket and the travel agent wasn't sure. So, I have a few questions:

1. Can I enter Japan one-way from Korea if I have a return ticket to Canada from Seoul via Tokyo?

2. Will my working holiday visa commence upon landing for the 1 day in Tokyo (they set me up in a hotel), or can I wait until I come back from Korea a month later? (I need the full visa length for work)

3. What is the cheapest way to go to Japan one-way from Korea (ferry, plane etc.) and where does it usually disembark (i.e. will I need to take a train after to get to Tokyo)

Any help is, as always, much appreciated. Thanks a lot!

[Brooks]

well you could take the ferry from Pusan to Fukuoka (or somewhere in Kyushu), but the shinkansen is expensive to Tokyo.
I`d just take a plane to Haneda or Narita. Flights are reasonably priced the next couple of months.

[shmooj]

[skirmish]

I just got my working holiday visa, and it seems to be 6 months from the date issued, not when you get to japan

[shmooj]

[Cshannon]

[Celeste]

Are you sure that the duration of the visa is 6 months from the date issued? I thought that the visas were good for a single entry (which had to be within 6 months of the issuing date) and the visa was then good for residence in Japan for the amount of time stamped by the immigration officer at the port of entry. If you wanted to leave Japan and enter again, you would then have to get a re-entry permit. (At least this is how my regular work visa worked as far as I can remember.)

[skirmish]

Thats just what my visa says, the issue date was 12 jan, the exp date is 12 july

[me3]

Some travel agents wont issue a one way ticket to another country, BUT if you have the cash, and sign a waiver, then they usually allow you to.

Your working holiday SHOULD BE STAMPED when you enter Japan, BUT you can ask them not to start it, as you are only transfering through Japan. BUT the immigration agent can do as they like, to stamp or not to stamp. It is their choice.

Best to check with a travel agent. There are many options, some include boat / train ticket packages.

[johanne]

When I had a working holiday visa, the second date was the one you had to use it by. So if it was issued in Jan and valid until July that meant you had to get to Japan before July and then it would be valid for six months from the date of your arrival and renewable one time only got a further six months. If you arrived after the valid date, say in August, you wouldn't get in on that visa, only a tourist visa. Also I think if you are stopping over in Tokyo just for the day and coming back a month later, you could probably ask the immigration officer to give you a tourist visa for that one day, explaining that you would be coming back in a month to activate the working holiday visa, however you would have to make sure that you came back within the validity period of your visa, i.e. before July. I'm not sure the immigration officer would do this for you and you would probably need to have it written out in Japanese if you can't explain yourself in Japanese as very few immigration officers have strong English skills and in Japan it is always a bit difficult to do something out of the ordinary. Anyway good luck. You might also want to discuss your plans with the Japanese consulate/embassy that issued your visa and they might tell you the best way to go about doing what you describe.