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wayne432
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 255
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 Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Ahh, thanks, Glenski.
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| by showing the certificate to the immigration officer, obtain landing permission more easily. |
I must have missed that part when I originally looked through it. Well, good to know I can use the COE to pass through immigration easily. |
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Ichigo
Joined: 18 Jan 2008
Posts: 29
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:39 am Post subject: |
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I have a work visa related question, too, so I'm just going to ask here:
I'm currently here on a working holiday visa (the German one with no restrictions), once it's expired (after exactly 12 months), I need to get a normal work visa.
Do I have to leave the country for that? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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If you have not filed for the work visa before your WHV expires, then yes, probably you do have to leave, as you are not longer here legally. Ask immigration about this. Perhaps you can just change to a tourist status before the WHV expires, and THEN you can look for work and not have to leave the country.
DON'T tell immigration that is why you want to do this. Technically, looking for work on tourist status is frowned upon by immigration. |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| DON'T tell immigration that is why you want to do this. Technically, looking for work on tourist status is frowned upon by immigration. |
If Immigration were that opposed to the very idea of tourists looking for work, wouldn't they insist that work visas can only be obtained from overseas embassies or consulates? |
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englishtutor1378
Joined: 18 May 2007
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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Glenski Wrote:
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| Some employers are less than legitimate and will say the process has been delayed for various reasons, and the ultimate goal is to get a body in place to work for less than standard wages, work illegally while being told of these "delays" until they have overstayed their tourist status, and then boot the teacher without a final paycheck. The guy has been working illegally all the time and has no legal recourse but to apologize to immigration and go home. |
I have heard and seen too much of this type of illegal employment practice. Poorly managed schools, lets just say tends to do this type of stuff. Mostly because they can not get the right instructors to cover their class and don't want to bother with sponsoring. From my years as an ESL teacher here in Japan I noticed that even University students who did not have a working visa was covering classes for other instructors. I think they were under a overseas student visa or something (I'm not too sure) but I know they did not have a valid working visa.
Now what I am curious about is, what if he/she got caught by immigration for covering or substituting for another teacher a few times? What are the consequences of this? An apology to immigration? Deportation? Banned from entering Japan for 1 year?
Glenski Wrote:
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Working on a tourist status is illegal and can hold serious repercussions to you, not him. |
Yes, I am so aware of this. But like I said, I've seen it happen too often. Most of the instructors were just there to substitute for teachers that failed to show up. I think it really does depend on "case by case" but it seems to me with this changing of tourist visa's to working visa's here in Japan (I am still amazed about that) it has somehow made immigration a little more lenient? or not? Because lets face it, the most these teachers I've seen stick around working on a tourist visa was 3 months no more.
After that, out they had to go! Bye Bye..
Many may be curious to hear and know, what are these repercussions to the teacher if he does this?  even though he is on a tourist visa? Lets again keep in mind, the employer encouraged it and asked for this extra help. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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fluffyhamster,
That's one way to think of things, but there are other legitimate reasons why people living outside Japan should be able to apply for work visas.
englishtutor wrote:
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| Now what I am curious about is, what if he/she got caught by immigration for covering or substituting for another teacher a few times? What are the consequences of this? An apology to immigration? Deportation? Banned from entering Japan for 1 year? |
I don't know. I'm not an immigration officer. If you are caught doing work without the proper visa, any of those things are possible, yes. Also, fines up to 3 million yen and simply being detained for up to 23 days (without the benefit of a lawyer present). What immigration chooses to do is up to them at that moment.
I suspect that the person would be asked to leave the country and have his name put on a blacklist at the minimum, but Japan is a land of case by case.
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| it seems to me with this changing of tourist visa's to working visa's here in Japan (I am still amazed about that) it has somehow made immigration a little more lenient? or not? Because lets face it, the most these teachers I've seen stick around working on a tourist visa was 3 months no more. |
What amazes you? The legal paperwork and bureaucracy is there to convert to a work visa.
I can't answer for the guys you have seen working illegally here. Sure, there are probably many cases of such things happening. Police and immigration have bigger fish to fry than catch these people, IMO, but I wish they would.
Immigration more lenient? How do you figure that?
1) Some offices have become more strict with applications for spouse visa these days.
2) The snitch site on the Internet was created not long ago to allow citizens to report "suspicious behavior", including anything related to visas.
3) Recently, June has been set aside as a public awareness month to watch out for illegal foreigners. |
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Ichigo
Joined: 18 Jan 2008
Posts: 29
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:34 am Post subject: |
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First of all thanks a lot for your quick reply 
| Glenski wrote: |
| If you have not filed for the work visa before your WHV expires, then yes, probably you do have to leave, as you are not longer here legally. |
So if I understand you right it's not a problem to just change from a working holiday visa to a normal work visa as long as I do it before my working holiday visa expires? In that case I also wouldn't have to leave the country, right?
Is it a problem if my boss would try to sponsor me a visa let's say in December for 1 year although my current contract with him is only until March or don't they care at the immigration office?
I also have to hand in my diploma this time. As it is in German I need a translated version of it. I wanna get that ready asap, but it's too expensive to translate everything. Do you have any idea what the immigration office is looking for when it comes to diplomas?
As I'm from Germany I don't have a bachelor or master. It's something that's way more than a bachelor and that can be compared to a masters degree. Should I ask the translator to make a note about that?
Maybe it's a good idea to ask my boss about that. He can ask the immigration office.
And one more thing: I'm thinking about attending a Japanese language school full-time for about one year in the future (maybe in 2 years). For this I'd need a student visa, right?
Do you know if I could study there with a work visa, too, if I still have one at that time?
I'm sure I have to work part-time then otherwise I can't make a living.
Thanks again so much. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:41 am Post subject: |
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| So if I understand you right it's not a problem to just change from a working holiday visa to a normal work visa as long as I do it before my working holiday visa expires? In that case I also wouldn't have to leave the country, right? |
This is my understanding. Confirm with a very knowledgeable guy named "bland" on www.gaijinpot.com (visa section), or better still, ask immigration.
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Is it a problem if my boss would try to sponsor me a visa let's say in December for 1 year although my current contract with him is only until March or don't they care at the immigration office? |
They may care or not. Case by case. Realize that your visa is YOURS, so after you finish with one employer, you keep the visa until it expires, and you can take on other work within its guidelines.
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I also have to hand in my diploma this time. As it is in German I need a translated version of it. I wanna get that ready asap, but it's too expensive to translate everything. Do you have any idea what the immigration office is looking for when it comes to diplomas?
As I'm from Germany I don't have a bachelor or master. It's something that's way more than a bachelor and that can be compared to a masters degree. |
Just try to make it read "degree" and not "diploma". Sounds like you'll be ok, especially if it says you studied for 3 years or more to get it.
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| And one more thing: I'm thinking about attending a Japanese language school full-time for about one year in the future (maybe in 2 years). For this I'd need a student visa, right? |
If that's all you want to do, yes. If you want full-time work, too, then get a work visa. With a student visa, you can only work part-time (with the special permission you need to request).
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/index.html
Yes, you can study on a work visa. |
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englishtutor1378
Joined: 18 May 2007
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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I'm amazed by this changing of tourist visa's into working visa's because its just not possible in many countries. In any other country like Canada, USA, Australia and some countries I backpacked lately including Taiwan, China, Laos, and Thailand it is impossible to change a tourist visa into a working visa. I guess for older expats of Japan it is of no surprise but I think for some new expats it still somewhat comes as a surprise. That is the only thing I meant by immigration "getting more lenient".
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So if I understand you right it's not a problem to just change from a working holiday visa to a normal work visa as long as I do it before my working holiday visa expires? In that case I also wouldn't have to leave the country, right? |
You seem surprised too Ichigo but just remember it does take some time and as you know Japan is an expensive ass place and its getting more expensive too.
Glenski you pointed out the following:
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1) Some offices have become more strict with applications for spouse visa these days.
2) The snitch site on the Internet was created not long ago to allow citizens to report "suspicious behavior", including anything related to visas.
3) Recently, June has been set aside as a public awareness month to watch out for illegal foreigners
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Yah, I heard about some of the above do you have any links on the above?
I've brought this up a few months ago and I guess I'll bring it up again because this is somewhat on topic.
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There was an inssue on japan times, that the immigration office will make a new system through which every person has a one file. So even when you leave japan and try to come again under a new tourist visa, they still can check your back history and therefore, will check with your last sponsor. They can do that through your name and date of birth with your nationality. That process as the issue claims will be in effect when the new fingerprinting and scanning system applies. In this way, your finger prints will be the main criteria to get your file and digital information. |
So here we go with this discriminatory fingerprinting issue again. Some of my former co-workers had their ARC taken away from them when they came back into the country without a re-entry permit or if their working visa expired. Immigration will ask for it or used to and this was before the finger thing and pciture came into affect (Nov 20, 2007).
Last week, a friend of mine came back in the country and his working visa was expired and the strange thing about this was immigration never asked for his ARC. All they wanted was his picture and fingerprint. I mean, WTF? Does anyone have any info on this "1-File"? I heard from a few articles a few months ago that I posted on ESL cafe that immigration was planning to do this. Whats going on? |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| englishtutor1378 wrote: |
| I'm amazed by this changing of tourist visa's into working visa's because its just not possible in many countries. In any other country like Canada, USA, Australia and some countries I backpacked lately including Taiwan, China, Laos, and Thailand it is impossible to change a tourist visa into a working visa. I guess for older expats of Japan it is of no surprise but I think for some new expats it still somewhat comes as a surprise. That is the only thing I meant by immigration "getting more lenient". |
If the books I browsed back in the mid to late nineties were accurate, it was apparently also impossible to do that in Japan back then - I assume that it's only been in at most the last decade that things have gotten easier (but I can't be sure, because when I first came to Japan in '99, and returned in 2003, I fortunately had a work visa each time, didn't have to worry about hunting for work and changing from tourist status, and thus didn't ever really learn about whatever visa changes from actual experience). It's a shame (and a bit contradictory) however that the ARC has gone from fingerprints (in '99) to IIRC no fingerprints (in 2003) and now back to fingerprints again, and that the J government seems to want to generally keep more of an eye on and check on foreigners nowadays. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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campbed219a
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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I've got a couple of quick questions. I've gone through the whole CoE thing and now have the visa within my passport. The embassy in Edinburgh have stapled the CoE to the passport page containing the visa.
Presumably the CoE has to stay there until I get into immigration in Japan? You need it along with the visa?
Its a 1 year work visa, so does that commence from the day I arrive in Japan? I'm guessing that they'll stamp the opposite page with the expiry date of the visa?
Thanks! |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, might as well leave the COE in the passport, somebody might like to see it.
The visa is stamped (IIRC as 'Used') and a 'Period of Stay' granted and stamped. It will be for at least a year i.e. will expire a year later to the day that you enter. |
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campbed219a
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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| fluffyhamster wrote: |
Yeah, might as well leave the COE in the passport, somebody might like to see it.
The visa is stamped (IIRC as 'Used') and a 'Period of Stay' granted and stamped. It will be for at least a year i.e. will expire a year later to the day that you enter. |
Lovely. Thanks for clarifying! |
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budgie
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 40
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| Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:00 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
You haven't had to leave Japan to process your work visa in a few years. Your employer is not informed. Come if you will, but you won't have to leave to process the visa. If the employer talks about delays, go to immigration yourself and find out the status. Working on a tourist status is illegal and can hold serious repercussions to you, not him.
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Just to clear this one up Glenski, I'm going in two weeks myself. Once you have an employment visa pending you no longer have to take that little Seoul trip? You can hang out till it's ready? |
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