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Urban_Kitten
Joined: 21 Jul 2004
Posts: 81
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 Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:47 am Post subject: Work Visas |
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Hi,
Can work visas be obtained for Japan once one arrives or must they be arranged in advance from one's home country?
Thanks!
-UK- |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:15 am Post subject: |
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No, you can't.
I understand that the normal procedure for converting a tourist visa to a work visa is to fly to Korea and apply from there. |
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Urban_Kitten
Joined: 21 Jul 2004
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:32 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks! - but to the best of your knowledge, you can do it from Korea, rather than from North America? |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:59 am Post subject: |
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| Yes. On your day off, hop on a plane to Seoul and head straight for the Japanese embassy. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:20 am Post subject: |
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| I believe the rules have changed. You used to have to go on a visa run to a neighbouring country. But supposedly you can now have your COE processed in country. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:42 am Post subject: |
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Oh dear. Many apologies for the misinformation.
I'm not doing well today. I just told somebody else that they will need to have National Health Insurance to renew their visa, only to learn that the Japanese government has change its mind. |
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Urban_Kitten
Joined: 21 Jul 2004
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Thank you seklarwia. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
Oh dear. Many apologies for the misinformation.
I'm not doing well today. I just told somebody else that they will need to have National Health Insurance to renew their visa, only to learn that the Japanese government has change its mind. |
I've only seen one article reporting this, unless something new has come out in the last fortnight. So I'm not too sure whether the whole NHI for visas thing has really been scrapped.
As far as Interac is concerned, I was told to assume that we will need NHI to renew until an official announcement is made. |
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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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Text deleted
Last edited by ShioriEigoKyoushi on Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:05 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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About 3-5 years ago the situation changed so that people no longer have to leave Japan to finalize visa processing. It's been widely reported on discussion forums.
As for this:
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| Someone at Shane HO sent a fax about a month ago to all teachers saying "not to change existing health insurance arrangements" until the situation is confirmed. |
What situation? That's total hogwash coming from someone who is totally not in the know.
Don't sign up for their insurance. Like I said initially, go down to the ward office on the day after you arrive (you won't be expected to work that soon), sign up for your alien registration card (required), and then sign up for national health insurance and pension at the same time. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 12:41 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| About 3-5 years ago the situation changed so that people no longer have to leave Japan to finalize visa processing. It's been widely reported on discussion forums. |
Oh! I had no idea. That's excellent news. That solves a problem I had. I wanted to arrive in Japan at least two weeks before my contract starts, but the eikaiwa told me they couldn't get a visa until 1--2 weeks before hand. If I can come to Japan on a tourist visa and apply from there, that greatly simplifies matters. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:00 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Like I said initially, go down to the ward office on the day after you arrive (you won't be expected to work that soon), sign up for your alien registration card (required), and then sign up for national health insurance and pension at the same time. |
Love how you continue to say this all the time. I've explained why many simply cant go and register for their ARC on arrival in Japan, it's often not possible to get your re-entry permits sorted in any initial down time and (I've done some asking around) it seems that it's far from just my yakusho that insists you can't sign up for NHI when you initially register for your ARC.
If you want to go NHI, it might be a good idea to arrive with a months travel insurance, so not to tempt fate. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:04 am Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
Oh! I had no idea. That's excellent news. That solves a problem I had. I wanted to arrive in Japan at least two weeks before my contract starts, but the eikaiwa told me they couldn't get a visa until 1--2 weeks before hand. If I can come to Japan on a tourist visa and apply from there, that greatly simplifies matters. |
Well it seems that despite the change taking place 3+ years ago, many employers still don't seem to know about it and will insist that you need to have your COE processed outside of Japan. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:42 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Well it seems that despite the change taking place 3+ years ago, many employers still don't seem to know about it and will insist that you need to have your COE processed outside of Japan. |
I appear to have that problem too. I'm going to post this as a new topic on the Forum. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:47 am Post subject: |
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| seklarwia wrote: |
| Love how you continue to say this all the time. |
I'm not the only one, and it can be done. Heck, I did it.
The fact that you've run into problems only shows that it is a case by case scenario with the ward offices. This is probably one reason the government wants to shift everything over to them. Perhaps with fewer (immigration) offices handling matters, there will be fewer problems.
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| it's often not possible to get your re-entry permits sorted in any initial down time |
Sorry, but this is unrealistic.
You arrive in Japan with your COE in hand. It gets taken care of at immigration upon entry. You will not be expected to work the next day, so go to immigration then. Should it be a weekend, it's a simple matter to explain to the employer you need the time. With eikaiwas, you usually don't work in the mornings, so there you go! Plenty of time. Even I live 2.5 hours from the nearest immigration office and could make the round trip for that. Getting the reentry permit itself takes about 10 minutes if you bought it in advance.
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| Well it seems that despite the change taking place 3+ years ago, many employers still don't seem to know about it and will insist that you need to have your COE processed outside of Japan. |
Yes, so insist right back what is really true. A simple phone call to immigration by the employer will clear things up in 5 minutes.[/quote] |
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