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fadedlines
Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:01 pm Post subject: Work Visa Questions, American Instructor - did homework |
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I'm mostly looking for experiences from Americans who have received their work visas within the last year or two after having found their jobs while in Japan.
I'm writing this from the perspective of one who may want to to enter Japan on a tourist visa and look for work while in country. From what I've read, one has to get a certificate of eligibility from a guarantor (work place) in Japan. Some reports say you have to leave the country to apply for the work visa (I'm assuming this is the COE step) and some say you can apply while in country.
I've read there's sort of a two-step process. I understood that one has to submit a COE from an employer, wait for the approval of that, then go apply for the work visa. Did I understand that correctly?
Most information I've read seems conflicting, as far as the timing of things. Some sources are saying it can take 1-3 months for the COE to be processed. Other places are saying it can take 1-2 days for that and then a day for work visa to be processed once the COE has been approved. But then maybe I misunderstood, hence why I'm writing this.
So here are my questions. I prefer to get personal experiences from Americans please... or should you know of a thread where this has been discussed extensively (other than the stickies on this forum, which I've read), please let me know (I could not find any significant threads). If anyone can tell me their experience, it will help me immensely. Thank you in advance.
How long did it take for your COE to get approved, from the time your employer submitted the paperwork or sponsored you?
How long did it take for you to get your work visa from the moment your COE was approved?
What was the total time it took for you to get your work visa from the time you submitted paperwork for the COE?
Did you have to leave Japan to get the COE or work visa processed?
Did your employer pressure you to work illegally in the meantime?
How did you "survive" between the time you were "legal" and not?
Do you know of any good threads on this forum or another one (direct links) that discuss this topic recently? |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 12:19 am Post subject: Why only Americans? |
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| Just so you know, there is no reason at all to limit your questions to Americans- Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and British people who arrive in Japan without a job and without a visa have to go through the same processes and are treated in the same way as any Americans who do the same thing- there isn't any special/different treatment for your nationality. Japan Immigration more or less sees all people from native English-speaking countries as the same. |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:46 am Post subject: |
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I can think of one HUGE difference between American passport holders and most, if not all, of the other nationalities that you mentioned. It's called a WHV! Americans, who have no access to one must be duly qualified to work...especially as English teachers, in Japan. Those who hold a WHV can be duds who were lucky to graduate high school!
Sorry to the OP for not being more helpful, but when it comes to teaching in Japan, we are NOT just "one happy family"...those who come from economies that are prone to going on the skids have a helping hand.
NCTBA |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:28 am Post subject: |
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| Never Ceased To Be Amazed wrote: |
| when it comes to teaching in Japan, we are NOT just "one happy family"...those who come from economies that are prone to going on the skids have a helping hand. |
Um the reason that people from those countries are able to get WHV is because they have reciprocal agreements with Japan. Japanese get to come to those countries on WHV. If you feel aggrieved then you might want to write to your Representative. As for the little jibe about economies hitting the skids, you might want to keep in mind that the current recession/depression originated in the US. |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:45 am Post subject: |
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| markle wrote: |
| Never Ceased To Be Amazed wrote: |
| when it comes to teaching in Japan, we are NOT just "one happy family"...those who come from economies that are prone to going on the skids have a helping hand. |
Um the reason that people from those countries are able to get WHV is because they have reciprocal agreements with Japan. Japanese get to come to those countries on WHV. If you feel aggrieved then you might want to write to your Representative. As for the little jibe about economies hitting the skids, you might want to keep in mind that the current recession/depression originated in the US. |
Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy New Year!
NCTBA
P.s.- Me thinks that you haven't noticed my bent! |
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AgentMulderUK
Joined: 22 Sep 2003
Posts: 360
Location: Concrete jungle (Tokyo)
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| markle wrote: |
| Never Ceased To Be Amazed wrote: |
| when it comes to teaching in Japan, we are NOT just "one happy family"...those who come from economies that are prone to going on the skids have a helping hand. |
Um the reason that people from those countries are able to get WHV is because they have reciprocal agreements with Japan. Japanese get to come to those countries on WHV. If you feel aggrieved then you might want to write to your Representative. As for the little jibe about economies hitting the skids, you might want to keep in mind that the current recession/depression originated in the US. |
S'right. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:07 am Post subject: |
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Sure, the working holiday visa is an obvious difference.
But for people coming to Japan and looking for work on a tourist visa, there is essentially no difference between an American and an Australian, or a Brit- the entire process is identical. There is no special treatment for Americans, positive or negative, which is why I suggested not limiting the question to Americans.
No actual answers to the question yet, so it might be worth spreading the net wider... |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:06 pm Post subject: Re: Work Visa Questions, American Instructor - did homework |
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| fadedlines wrote: |
| I'm mostly looking for experiences from Americans who have received their work visas within the last year or two after having found their jobs while in Japan. |
Sorry, but I'm not in that category, but I've been here for over 10 years and would still like to give you some info based on my experiences.
| Quote: |
| I'm writing this from the perspective of one who may want to to enter Japan on a tourist visa and look for work while in country. From what I've read, one has to get a certificate of eligibility from a guarantor (work place) in Japan. Some reports say you have to leave the country to apply for the work visa (I'm assuming this is the COE step) and some say you can apply while in country. |
You do not have to leave the country. This has been covered on half a dozen forums a million times, and yes, in the recent past!
| Quote: |
| I've read there's sort of a two-step process. I understood that one has to submit a COE from an employer, wait for the approval of that, then go apply for the work visa. Did I understand that correctly? |
Exactly right.
| Quote: |
| Most information I've read seems conflicting, as far as the timing of things. Some sources are saying it can take 1-3 months for the COE to be processed. Other places are saying it can take 1-2 days for that and then a day for work visa to be processed once the COE has been approved. But then maybe I misunderstood, hence why I'm writing this. |
Without trying to sound snide or condescending, you are just going to get more conflicting reports here. Here's mine:
It takes as long as it takes. I have been telling people the COE usually takes 4-8 weeks. It depends on the time of year, the immigration office, or the embassy where you apply. It also depends on what information the potential employer submits, and yours. It's all a government bureaucracy, so deal with it. If you are lucky, it may take a few days or weeks. You can do nothing to change it. Most employers who have done this before will tell you what I have, and they will also know that so they do their recruiting that far in advance for precisely that reason.
As for leaving the country to process the COE, who told you that, and how old is their info? NOT leaving the country has been commonplace for about 3 years or more. Trust me if you can.
| Quote: |
| How long did it take for you to get your work visa from the moment your COE was approved? |
You will get the work visa the same day you have the COE in hand and go to immigration.
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| Did your employer pressure you to work illegally in the meantime? |
This will be entirely case by case, and you will know a shifty employer when you meet them. Working while you have the "pending" stamp for your visa in your passport is a gray area of legality. Employers won't report it, and immigration will not say you can work on it. You will probably not have much in the way of support from your employer if something goes wrong, so just read your contract and write here if you have suspicions.
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| How did you "survive" between the time you were "legal" and not? |
You stay in your home country safe and sound, or if you apply from within Japan, you have enough money in your pockets to support yourself, as I and others have been telling people for over a decade. |
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fadedlines
Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:22 pm Post subject: Thanks |
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Thanks to all replies, though it sure seems people can get their undies in a bunch quite easily!
Glenski, your info was very helpful. After reading pages and pages on the internet for 6-8 hours in one afternoon made things seem very confusing by the time I was done. Everything you said either confirmed what I had understood or gave me more info.
I worked in Korea for 4 years, so reqs were very different over there. I didn't realize all work visa reqs were the same for all nationalities in Japan, so thanks for clearing that up. From what I remember about Korea, that wasn't always the case, at least, based on heresay from Canadian friends and other nationalities.
Happy New Year to everyone...  |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:31 am Post subject: Re: Thanks |
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| fadedlines wrote: |
| I worked in Korea for 4 years, so reqs were very different over there. I didn't realize all work visa reqs were the same for all nationalities in Japan, so thanks for clearing that up. From what I remember about Korea, that wasn't always the case, at least, based on heresay from Canadian friends and other nationalities. |
Ahem. Visa requirements are not the same for all nationalities. Generally speaking, they are the same for people from the major English-speaking countries, though:
USA
UK
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Japan often considers people only from these countries as native English speakers (which is ridiculous, but you have to deal with a government mentality here, sometimes even an employer mentality that is less than stellar). Anyway, what you find for the above countries will be pretty much identical for Americans (with the exception of the working holiday visa, of course). |
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