Job Discussion Forums

[ill lo9ic]

Anyone else still have no placement? I was told to buy my ticket for the 23rd, but I'm pretty wary. I was in this exact same situation with NOVA right before they went under. Had no placement but bought my ticket and then ended up getting totally screwed. I'm not worried about bankruptcy with Interac, but am worried about being stuck as an alternative.

Also still haven't received by Certificate of Eligibility. Anybody know if I can leave without the work visa and have it sent to Japan later?

[fhsieh]

I was getting worried too, but I got a call on Feb 18 and received my placement and school details during the week thereafter.

The application for the COE (submitted by Interac) requires your flight information, hence the delay. But the COEs are being mailed via FedEx Next Day, and I was informally told that most ALTs should receive them this week. Tracking numbers should be provided by email.

When you submit your COE (with passport, 2 pictures, and visa application form), most consulates and embassies will process it in 3 business days, which means your visa should be ready 1-2 weeks before departure.

You must submit your COE/passport before leaving for Japan. The work visa can only be attached to your passport by a consulate/embassy outside of Japan. If you don't, you will land and enter Japan on a temporary tourist visa which does not permit work, and will have to leave and return again in order to get the work visa.

If in doubt, send an email to your recruiter. They're still quite busy, and for a while I had the impression they had forgotten about me, but they should provide you with an update if you ask.

[wayne432]

[seklarwia]

Does anyone know what size the photos need to be?

I looked on the embassy website and the dimesions the gave were something like 4cmx4cm which most certainly isn't a regular passport pic. I haven't seen any photo machines which offer this size, so does that mean heading into a photo shop to have them printed specially?

[fhsieh]

[ill lo9ic]

Barring something going wrong, I shouldn't having any problems with obtaining a visa then.

I am still worried about not having a placement though. Anyone know what happens if they don't find one for you?

[seklarwia]

Then you are an alternate. They will simply place you in any of the placements they haven't filled when you arrive in Tokyo. If you still do not get placed then you will stay at the Tokyo office and you will live and be paid as though you were in a normal placement. During this time, they may send you on temp teaching assignments or you may actually temp in their office until a time when a placement turns up.

[ill lo9ic]

Thanks for the responses.

Luckily, as soon as I started getting really worried they called me and gave me my placement. Got my first choice too Surf's up in Kujukurihama.

[fhsieh]

Nice! I'll be nearby in Shibayama.

My turn to ask a question: How are people planning to bring the suggested ￥500,000 over to Japan? I was advised to bring ￥30,000 in cash and the remainder in JPY traveller's cheques, but I'm having a difficult time finding a place that exchanges JPY TCs (AmEx's online order form is broken, and all banks deal only in USD TCs). Plus, some of the more reputable currency exchange services have $1000-1500 limits for cash exchange. I've got a Citibank account -- which I've successfully used in Japan before -- but even that has a daily withdraw limit.

[seklarwia]

For the exchange companies that have limits, can you not just do seperate transactions or use more than one?
We have limits here too, but they are much higher. I think its �2500 for most so I should be able to get enough in cash to at least pay apartment down payment in one hit.

I've been reading forums and guides on this and I've found that many suggest not bringing travellers cheques as some can be hard to cash. Most said to simply withdraw at atms at post offices or citibank when you arrive. I went on the visa website and found that there are at least 100 cash machines in tokyo that are registered accepters of visa cards (it even tells you which are 24hrs) so I may go down this route for how to carry the rest of the money.
It also said that you should find out your international withdraw limit, then be prepared to make daily trips to the atms to get the apartment money if you plan to use this method to bring the money.

[fhsieh]

I might be able to manage separate exchanges at multiple exchange locations, but some companies appear to limit both the time period and amount. Of course I haven't called to confirm yet, and I'm not sure if their in-store policies are different than the ones listed online.

As for the cheques, I've also heard they are difficult to cash, but that most major hotels will handle the exchange. If done using USD TCs, the hotels will charge a comission, hence the advice on getting JPY TCs.

Frankly I'm not worried about carrying the cash on me in Japan, but I'd rather not risk it while traveling when my mind will be in a dozen other places. So it looks like I'll probably go ahead and exchange a portion of the money beforehand, to be able to pay for most of the major up-front costs -- plus extra for day-to-day costs -- and then rely on ATM withdraws for the rest.

[El_Mero_Mero]

It should go without saying, but don't exchange anything in the airport. Last time I just exchanged it in Citibank here in New York City. I wasn't even a member of the bank, and just took my cash in there. I guess you'd have to call first to see if they carry Yen.

I am late as far as the whole porocess goes, but I am still expected to be going at the end of March. I've been given no placement yet. I was told that my CoE will be arriving around March 18 (so late). I don't really have money right now. I asked for Kanto. I have a girlfriend who has her own place at the end of Tokyo (i.e. the next subway stop is Chiba). I hear Chiba is really boring, but I think that if I'm around there, at least I'll be secure.

If I get offered something outside of Kanto, then it will be pretty interesting. I may just play the role of complete FOB and see where it gets me.

[seklarwia]

I'm off to Saku-shi in Nagano. How I only wish we were arriving earlier what with having a ski resort on my door step (and an active volcano).

Tokyo is only any hour away by shinkansen and I'm one of four ALTs being assigned there... 3 of you poor things are going to be stuck with me for the next year

Have any of you been asked to change your flights to arrive in the 22nd? The guy I spoke to said they were trying to do medicals before training and were trying to get people to come a day earlier but that I could probably do it straight off the plane since I arrive at 09.55.

[Matthew H]

newbie post. But i'm going with interac aswell.

I'm flying out on the 18th for the 19th arrival date. will be living in kimitsu and working in futtsu.
from the looks of things everyone will be very spread about. well good luck to everyone and there flight.

[El_Mero_Mero]

Quick question Matthew, if you haven't arrived yet, how do you know that you'll be living in kimitsu?