Job Discussion Forums

[artimidorus]

I would like to apologize if this is already in the faq section, but i would like to post this here for 2 reasons
1. i cant find the faq section anymore, and,
2. i heard that the rule about this has changed.

So, I am thinking about going to japan on a tourist visa and try to find a job while i am there (i know, i know, i will have plenty of money). but i had a few questions

-will i have to fly out of the country and back in to get a work visa (and if so, how much would it be to fly to china or korea and back)
-if i am in japan on a tourist visa, is it still a potentially long (2 month) process?
- many jobs say that you must currently reside in Japan. would they consider me, do you think, if i was in japan, but needed them to sponsor my work visa?
- I will be mainly looking for a job in a private eikaiwa. is feb the peak hiring time, even for someone like me who needs a work visa? when would be the best time to show up?

any advice is much appreciated!

[Glenski]

The FAQs have been gone for a month or so. Nobody seems to know where they are. So, your question is valid.

[Appletreesrtall]

Glenski, do you know about the reverse of this? If you have a working visa, and you don't renew, if/how it will go back to a tourist visa? Do you have to leave the country? Need to visit any particular offices?

[Apsara]

You have to apply for a change of status to go from a work visa to a tourist permit. This does not happen automatically- if you are still in Japan when your work visa expires, you are then an overstayer, which is a not a good thing at all. Overstayers face detention, fines and banning from Japan.

For any visa changes, you visit the Immigration office, as you might expect.

[artimidorus]

hey thanks for the info. you said that that hiring times are feb and march for an april start date, but if I get there in Feb or March, and it could take 2 months to get a work visa, that would mean I couldn't work until May or even June. So would it even be a worthwhile endevor to get to Japan in March to try to get hired?

[Glenski]

If you let your work visa expire, you could be in serious trouble. You might get off with a day or two in detention, or you could be asked to sign a Japanese apology letter saying you'll never do it again, or worse.

If you voluntarily go in and apologize, you might get off with deportation and just a year of blacklisting from returning here. If you don't go in, and are caught at the airport, you could face far more serious issues, like up to 3 million yen fine, longer detention (up to 20+ days without a lawyer, and being subjected to repeated daily third-degree grilling), and a 5-year blacklisting. Ignorance is no excuse here either!

Friend of mine on a spouse visa forgot. He went in to renew a month late and was held in detention for hours. They finally called his J wife to come down after their kid got out of daycare, and she had to vouch for him. Not something you want to do! He then had to sign that apology letter.

[Appletreesrtall]

Dang! I had no idea it was that bad!

An employee here accidentally let their work visa expire (didn't renew it on the right month). Once they realized this they wrote an apology letter, went down to the office with the boss, and get everything cleared up in like.... an hour? No yelling/grilling/angry feelings or anything!

Maybe my co-worker was just lucky, who knows? But I do know it was a month and a half late for renewing.

[Appletreesrtall]

And I guess to continue this then with more questions.... ^_^()

After I am done with work, I wanted to travel for about 2 weeks. So I would be going from a one-year "Specialist in Humanities/ International Services" to a temporary visitor? I'm a little confused if I am either
A.- Changing my visa
or
B- extending my duration of stay

or is this just the same thing? Looks like you need to give them 2 months notice too...
"You can apply at your local immigration office, from 2 months prior to the expiry date. If your application is approved you will receive an extension permit as a stamp or sticker in your passport"

As for the documentation:
� Application form

� Documentation determined by Ministry of Justice for each activity
(For further information please contact your Regional Immigration Office or branch office)

� Passport, Alien Registration Card

� Documents of proof of identity (when a proxy or agent is applying on your behalf)

Hope that helps out anyone else, if they wanna put this in the FAQs or something ^_^

[Glenski]

I would say your coworker was fortunate. There are other immigration offices and officers that might have lowered the boom. Having the boss come in helped immensely, too.

[Appletreesrtall]

Ahh, that clarification helped, thanks!

I will be leaving work right when my work visa ends, so to travel I -have- to fill out a change of status.

Everyone is coming together slowly, huzzah! Thanks!

[wayne432]

Hey, quick question here if anyone knows... I checked around but couldn't find any information on it.

If changing from a tourist to a work visa in Japan, is a COE required? Or can that part be skipped?

[Glenski]

I think that technically a COE is never actually required, but it almost always highly recommended.

[wayne432]

My friend was worried about the tourist visa running out before everything was processed. I was thinking that as long as the processing stamp was put inside my friend's passport, things would be okay... which is why I was wondering of skipping the COE step.

[Glenski]