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fox1
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 268
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 Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 5:14 am Post subject: Looking around for work on a tourist visa |
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Hey!
I guess looking for work on a tourist visa is possible and common, yeah?
What are your chances of finding a full-time long-term job (w/degree) while you have a tourist visa?
and then: obviously, the need to change to a work visa.....? Any thoughts on that, such as how easy it is, and again how common?
Thank you VERY much!
(as to yesterday's question, today's development: Looks like I HAVE to provide a bank statement of last 3 months in order to get a WHV. difficult for me right now: got zero in the bank!) |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 5:32 am Post subject: |
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If you have zilch in the bank, how do you expect to come on a tourist visa and look for work? I'm just curious as this might be what I'll be trying to do (alibiet with some money backing me) in the near future.
If you have a chance to start out with a WHV and don't do that you're a fool. I don't have that option due to my nationality. |
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Big John Stud
Joined: 07 Oct 2004
Posts: 513
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 5:46 am Post subject: |
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I came to Japan on a tourist visa and got work. Once you have a sponsor, a company that will sponsor to get a working visa for you changing over is easy. The first time I came to Japan, Japan was like Korea, if you came in on a tourist visa you had to leave Japan go to a Japanese consulate and get a stamp then return to Japan. But now days it is easy. You just have to go to immigration to turn in the paper work and a few weeks later you get a post card. You then go back to immigration and they stamp your passport.
The above post is correct. If you don't have money, Japan is an expensive country. It will take time to get a job here and time means you are spending a lot of money. I did it because I was returning to Japan, I had already lived here for four years. I had all kinds of connections even a place to stay for free. Hotel alone is going to cost you a lot and then there is eating and traveling around. You will also need to get a keitai, cell phone, so that prospective employers can contact you. All of this will ad up quickly!
In any case, good luck! |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:21 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I guess looking for work on a tourist visa is possible and common, yeah? |
yes
| Quote: |
| What are your chances of finding a full-time long-term job (w/degree) while you have a tourist visa? |
Sigh, read what I wrote in this thread.http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=20707
You have to provide more info if you want more specific information than what has already been provided. For instance,
when are you coming?
where will you accept work?
what type of teaching do you want?
what sort of degree do you have? (associate's? bachelor's? master's?)
With what you have provided, mainly the fact that you have zero in the bank, how are you going to buy a plane ticket to come here, let alone support yourself while you look for work and wait for that first paycheck? It could take a couple of months just to get hired, and another 4-6 weeks to see your first paycheck, so we are talking about coming with US$4000 just for 2 months. And, even though Big John Stud sounds confident about staying in Japan when your work visa gets processed, it is NOT a certainty, so you should plan for an additional cost of flying to Seoul to finalize the visa application process.
How common is it to change to a work visa? Not sure what you mean. If you come as a tourist, you will HAVE TO change to a work visa in order to work legally. That, or marry a Japanese, marry a fellow foreigner with a FT job, or enroll in a school to get a student visa.
Not all employers sponsor work visas, either. So, you might find a job that looks perfect to you, but if they don't sponsor work visas, you will not be able to work for them. The vast majority of employers do not recruit abroad for their teachers, so if you cannot afford to come here and job hunt, you are limited to about a dozen places that look outside of Japan, and you are restricted to their interviewing schedules and locations. But at least they sponsor visas.
NOVA
AEON
GEOS
ECC
Altia
James English House
Peppy Kids Club
JET Programme
Earlham College
Westgate Corporation
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:10 am Post subject: Re: Looking around for work on a tourist visa |
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| fox1 wrote: |
Hey!
What are your chances of finding a full-time long-term job (w/degree) while you have a tourist visa?
and then: obviously, the need to change to a work visa.....? Any thoughts on that, such as how easy it is, and again how common?
(as to yesterday's question, today's development: Looks like I HAVE to provide a bank statement of last 3 months in order to get a WHV. difficult for me right now: got zero in the bank!) |
Not sure if you have read the Ministry of Justice website on working holidays, but one of the conditions for getting a WH visa is showing proof that you have enough to support yourself for at least six weeks until you get a paycheck. Thats about $AUS 2000. YOu need cash in the babk,m savings or travelers checks. The absolute minimum people bring is $1000 and many such people borrow off their employer and live hand to mouth for two months as they expect repayment out of your first paycheck. Living in Japan is expensive and you will need quite a bit of money when you come here.
I dont know what you expect to live on if you have no money, or what you plan to do if you should run out of money here.
How easy is it to get a work visa?
If you have all the paper work that immigration asks for, its pretty straightforward, but may involve a trip to Korea to change it over from a tourist visa. |
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fox1
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 268
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 2:56 am Post subject: Re: Looking around for work on a tourist visa |
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I have been very grateful for the info for the last couple weeks and continue to be.
| PAULH wrote: |
Not sure if you have read the Ministry of Justice website on working holidays, but one of the conditions for getting a WH visa is showing proof that you have enough to support yourself for at least six weeks until you get a paycheck. Thats about $AUS 2000. YOu need cash in the babk,m savings or travelers checks. The absolute minimum people bring is $1000 and many such people borrow off their employer and live hand to mouth for two months as they expect repayment out of your first paycheck. Living in Japan is expensive and you will need quite a bit of money when you come here.
I dont know what you expect to live on if you have no money, or what you plan to do if you should run out of money here. |
yo!!!
OK....
I do have ZERO in the bank right now.
not so mindless to come to Japan on nothing.
I have several thousand in travellers' checks, and more on me to buy the plane ticket.
The questions on the WHV I had posed were always in regards to the "HAVING to show bank statements of the PAST 3 months" issue. the money itself...: no worries 
| Quote: |
How easy is it to get a work visa?
If you have all the paper work that immigration asks for, its pretty straightforward, but may involve a trip to Korea to change it over from a tourist visa. |
Thanks man!
OK. Thank you!
| Quote: |
Sigh, read what I wrote in this thread.http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=20707
You have to provide more info if you want more specific information than what has already been provided. For instance,
when are you coming?
where will you accept work?
what type of teaching do you want?
what sort of degree do you have? (associate's? bachelor's? master's?)
With what you have provided, mainly the fact that you have zero in the bank, how are you going to buy a plane ticket to come here, let alone support yourself while you look for work and wait for that first paycheck? It could take a couple of months just to get hired, and another 4-6 weeks to see your first paycheck, so we are talking about coming with US$4000 just for 2 months. And, even though Big John Stud sounds confident about staying in Japan when your work visa gets processed, it is NOT a certainty, so you should plan for an additional cost of flying to Seoul to finalize the visa application process. |
OK man. all this: no problem. thanks!
I have a BA
| Quote: |
| How common is it to change to a work visa? Not sure what you mean. If you come as a tourist, you will HAVE TO change to a work visa in order to work legally. That, or marry a Japanese, marry a fellow foreigner with a FT job, or enroll in a school to get a student visa. |
Thanks mate! I intend to seek a full-time teaching job, naturally changing to a work visa. If that means going to Seoul, I'll do that. In many ways, I am in the same boat as the Americans who can't get a WHV as you know. So, I was basically just wondering about: How easy it is to change to a work visa from a tourist.
| Quote: |
Not all employers sponsor work visas, either. So, you might find a job that looks perfect to you, but if they don't sponsor work visas, you will not be able to work for them. The vast majority of employers do not recruit abroad for their teachers, so if you cannot afford to come here and job hunt, you are limited to about a dozen places that look outside of Japan, and you are restricted to their interviewing schedules and locations. But at least they sponsor visas.
NOVA
AEON
GEOS
ECC
Altia
James English House
Peppy Kids Club
JET Programme
Earlham College
Westgate Corporation
Language House |
Thanks very much. again, I guess I'm thinking of giong to Japan and looking for work on the tourist visa (it's one option I have). and then to change to a work visa once I find a long-term full-time teaching job I want, perhaps in an eikawa or elsewhere. I am hopeful that I can do this. But I don't know how common it is for people to look for work on tourist v's, and then change. and also, just how easy and efficient it is to have that visa changed........> Big John Stud's info was good to know, as is all the posts. still just slightly unsure though, if I will have to go to Seoul... and the on-the-ground experience of people going from tourist>>>> work v.  |
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fox1
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 268
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:12 am Post subject: |
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hey! alright, well if you don't mind me replying to myself, in the interests of clarity/brevity...Lord knows I feel the need for clear easy posts! I would like to write simply what my basic questions are Thanks
Right now, the main issues/questions I have are concerning:
Tourist visa: (indeed I should say first up my countrymen and women don't apparently need a tourist 'visa' as such). Is it now very common and easy for people to change from tourist to work visa? (I naturally have no intention of working on a tourist visa). Big John's info sounds great... I hope it is as simple as that?! Any idea what proportion of employers do sponsor work visas, for someone who is a 'tourist'.... most? Also, I'm just thinking, what is your opinion of the job prospects (eikawa or any teaching) for a person who is a tourist-visa-holder...? if it's April, May, June... what;s your opinion of the market then?
Thank you |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| fox1 wrote: |
if it's April, May, June... what;s your opinion of the market then?
Thank you |
Good job prospects: slim to none.
Questionable prospects: pretty good
My explanation: The school year starts in April. the two prime hiring seasons coincide with the beginning of the school year and then again before summer break (in August). The prime time of hiring for April is now, and in fact, mostly finished. By now, most schools know who they are expecting.
I suppose given that timeline, June may not be bad either.
Then, IMO the weeks/month immediately following the start of the school commencement dates are good for 'questionable' prospects.... Whenever a company gets stuck with their pants down -- e.g. new staff doesn't show up at the airport, changes their minds at the last minutes, works for a week or month then bails, etc.... they will want to replace someone very quickly... The question you gotta ask however, is, WHY did said teacher bail and do you really want to be filling those shoes?
Just some thoughts to consider. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 10:01 am Post subject: |
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| fox1 wrote: |
| Is it now very common and easy for people to change from tourist to work visa? |
No one can answer this as no one keeps tabs on the thousands of foreigners that pour in to japan ever year. No one asks them if they have a job lined up or if they will look for one when they get here.
It must be common as one has no other choice. As to how many people do it every year is anyones guess.
| Quote: |
| (I naturally have no intention of working on a tourist visa).Thank you |
Technically speaking, if you go to immigration when you arrive and say you are looking for a job, you can be deported, so saying you will look for work on a tourist visa is the same as working, as the intent is there.
Most people come here, look for a job and then once they get visa application stamp (immigration will put a stamp in your passport saying your visa is being processed) You can legally work on that when your visa application is underway, but not before). No need to rub immigrations nose in it though.
| fox1 wrote: |
| Any idea what proportion of employers do sponsor work visas, for someone who is a 'tourist'.... most? |
Again, who knows? There are thousands of mom and pop stores, the big chains, jukus, high schools, cram schools, dispatch schools, kindergartens that employ foreigners.
Some schools will sponsor people, others want teachers already with a working visa, and dont want to sponsor them, ands others who if they are really keen to hire you will wait till your visa comes through, which may include a trip to Korea. My guess is the latter is in the minority, as the majority want a teacher with a current visa and can work ASAP. Dont ask me how many will take someone with a tourist visa, and even if I know it would make very little difference to your own application. Every case is different and each application is judged on its merits, by each individual immigration officer.
To get an idea, go through the job ads on http://www.ohayosensei.com and see how many employers are willing to provide sponsorship, which ones require a teacher to have a valid visa and how many hire teachers with a working holiday visa. Remember there are hundreds of jobs out there and these postings are the tip of the iceberg.
We are not here to do everything for you, as no one knows with any accuracy the answers to your questions. Most people here only care about their own visa status, and nothing else. |
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fox1
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 268
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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cool. thanks heaps   |
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ERINJK
Joined: 26 Feb 2005
Posts: 25
Location: In Gifu-ken, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 4:10 am Post subject: |
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As a friend mentioned to me, the Visa process changed and you no longer have to leave Japan to change a Tourist VISA to a Working VISA.
DO NOT tell the immigration officer you are looking for a job while you are on a tourist Visa. big mistake!
If you come on a Tourist Visa and you find a job, get your paperwork started asap. It takes awhile to get done.
There are jobs available any time but best chance is April/May. August is not bad as well as Oct/Nov.
GOOD LUCK. |
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