Job Discussion Forums

[midnightpariah]

I've just been offered a job with Foster's Language School. It seems like a really great job! It is better than the Nova offer I have received. The only problem is that one of the contract stipulations is that I obtain my own work visa. I have no idea how to do this. They also want me to be in Japan for a two week training starting July 16th. What should I do? Should I tell them no and just wait for Nova? Should I try and obtain my work visa (I have no idea how...)? Please offer some advice!

Thanks
~M.P.

[Glenski]

Unless they are willing to give you the documentation that they need to provide for your work visa, I would say they are fairly ignorant of the whole process. A foreigner who is currently outside of Japan and has only 3 weeks before the training date is likely not going to get that work visa.

Explain it to them if you really want the job. Getting the visa takes 4-8 weeks. It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault. It's just the way it is.

[midnightpariah]

[Ai]

Are you Canadian? Perhaps they meant a working holiday visa.

[midnightpariah]

[fluffyhamster]

Midnightpariah, it's usually better (more reassuring) if you are sent a 'Certificate of Eligibility' to take to your local embassy or consulate in the US (for the issuance of the actual work visa in your passport). You can of course come to Japan without having done all this already, but you will not be able to start working legally until Immigration has processed things (nowadays you apparently don't need to leave Japan to apply for the visa if you've found an employer willing to sponsor you - see below), and employers who might well be expecting you to work illegally can always fire you and/or not pay you, and you won't have a legal leg to stand on.

Yes, sponsorship - as outlined above, usually the sponsor sends the COE to the potential employee's home country, and the employee does not therefore see any of the documents required the first time around by Immigration beyond the original copy of the degree certificate that one's required to send (make sure the school is bona fide!). When renewing your work visa (or rather, what is actually called your 'Period of Stay' stamp, which your work visa is cancelled and replaced with when you first land in Japan) in your second and subsequent years here, however, the sponsor will either supply you with company papers (usually sealed/confidential) certifying the company's financial worth (i.e. its ability to employ, pay and generally take care of you) and their willingness to employ you etc, to give to Immigration yourself, or they will make the application on your behalf (generally this is more convenient for all concerned).

Anyway, my point is, unless you can clearly prove that you are making a decent, regular salary (which will be difficult until such a time as you've paid enough income tax in Japan), you won't be able to sponsor yourself, and thus will be unlikely to succeed in obtaining the initial work visa yourself (but like I've implied above, it may be possible to get any subsequent 'Period of Stay' extended by "self-sponsoring").

[Glenski]