Job Discussion Forums

solarmist · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Fort Collins, CO

I am going to be working in NOVA's MM center in Osaka in July, but I was hired for June originally, but I still have not received my certificate of eligibility and am wondering about it.

Has Nova received it and they're just holding it, so I don't run down to the embassy and get a visa with a 30 limit (to get to Japan) and then arrive in Japan in 45 days with it expired, or what? I know there's no reason for it to be held up, I even used only capital block letter on the form as they requested.

Any advise?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I think you're being paranoid. Besides, what are you talking about with "30 limit"?

Advice? Be patient. What timelines has NOVA given you? When did you apply? It usually takes 4-8 weeks. Everybody's case is different, and you can't "know" what immigration knows (or plans).

Be patient.

solarmist · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Fort Collins, CO

I know I'm being paranoid. I applied in March, late March I think. The only reason I'm wondering is because I'm like two weeks from my original depart date, so I thought I'd have it by now.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

You need another category: "It was so long ago I can't remember" Laughing

Seriously though if you applied in March you should probably have it by now. Have you called the Embassy/ Consulate?

solarmist · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Nova did the paper work. I don't know where they used. Maybe San Francisco since that's the office that hired me.

Betty Lou Jones · Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 14

I am new to Japan and just went through the process of getting my visa and stuff. First the tourist visa is 90 days. And you don't need to leave the country to get a working visa. This is what I did. The company had applied for the visa, however, the process was in progress when I came to Japan. So immigration stamped my passport with a 90 day tourist visa. Two weeks later, I went to immigration in Tokyo and they stamped my passport with a working humanity visa.
I hope this helps you!

YouHadMeAtASL · Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 60

You can always just call Nova and ask them. They always have helped me a lot with my questions.

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

Err, Nova are kind of busy just now. They are probably unsure just how many teachers they are going to need come July:

Nova handed suspension order over tuition fee practices
6:05pm Wednesday, June 13

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Wednesday ordered major English-language school operator Nova Corp. to suspend part of its business operations for holding back money from students who cancelled their contracts, ministry officials said.

The ministry issued an order prohibiting Nova from soliciting customers or accepting applications for contracts exceeding one year or new contracts exceeding 70 hours. The suspension will be in place for six months.

It is the first time for the ministry to issue a business suspension order to an English language school under Japan's special transaction law. People who are currently taking lessons at the language school will not be affected by the order.

Ministry officials explained Nova operates a system in which students buy points enabling them to take lessons. When they buy a large number of points in advance, they can take lessons at a cheaper price.

However, when people cancelled their contracts before finishing their courses, the company lowered the amount of lesson fees it returned to them. In addition the company didn't inform people about the procedures for canceling contracts.

In April this year, the Supreme Court ruled that Nova's policy of demanding penalties when students cancelled their contracts violated a law regulating commercial practices. It said the policy restricted students' right to initiate the cancellation of their contracts, and ruled the practice invalid.

It has also emerged that the company prevented students from canceling their contracts under Japan's "cooling off" law which states that people can cancel contracts without any obligation if they do so within eight days of forming the contract, by listing students' contract day as the day they took tours of classes or received explanations about lessons.

Furthermore, when inviting students to take lessons, the company advertised that they could book lessons any time they wanted, but because of the difficulty in securing teachers, it remained difficult to make bookings. Because of this, the ministry reportedly decided to issue a business improvement order to the firm.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government conducted an inspection of Nova in February in connection with the law regulating commercial practices. It found that several practices that violated the law had been ordered by the company's general headquarters. The ministry said it judged the company's practices to be "organized and malicious."

Nova operates over 900 schools across Japan, and has about 480,000 students. Since 1996, the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan has received over 7,000 complaints and inquiries about the company. (Mainichi)

http://www.gaijinpot.com/read_news.php?id=11485&time=

Also: http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200706130423.html

solarmist · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Well, I called Nova today and they didn't act like anything was different, but I found out they had my COE and were going to send it out in the next week or two, so I asked them to send it early, so they sent it out today.

I don't know if the hiring offices have heard about it yet.

Well, I have my COE, so I should be able to work something out if Nova falls through.

Nismo · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 520

J. · Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 327

Quote by Betty Lou Jones:

"Two weeks later, I went to immigration in Tokyo and they stamped my passport with a working humanity visa. "

Oh, the humanity! Much of it, working. Smile

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

solarmist · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Shimmeringstar · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 34 Location: Kagoshima, Japan

solarmist, you probably want to start looking for another job. I doubt NOVA will be able to survive for long with the recent developments... They may still let you come, thinking they'll try to work something out to stay in business. However, I bet you'd be out of a job within months. If I were you, I wouldn't come here expecting to work for NOVA. Maybe you can look into a different langauge school. Surely, if NOVA goes under, other schools will have an increase in students within the following months.

solarmist · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Oh, I have no problem finding another job, but I'd like to get some training and experience with nova before I try and set out on my over to get over any stumbling around I might do my first month or so, but I do have a backup plan in place if I need to change jobs quickly.

Anyway they only shutdown part of Nova's operations, they'll just shift focus to shorter term contracts and possibly give discounts for those to keep customers coming in. I really don't see any chance of a corp as large as Nova going under before they get out of this "probation".