Job Discussion Forums

[tcatsninfan]

Hello,

I'm currently teaching in South Korea and am looking at making the jump to Japan later. I can't quite get the full picture on the work visa situation, though, and wondered if you might help.

In Korea, an employer always sponsors your work visa and the moment you lose/quit that job you must have a new employer sponsor a new visa.

It seems to be different in Japan, though. I've seen multiple posts where people say it's a good idea to use AEON/GABA/Interac to get the initial work visa and then move on to a better position.

I also saw a post where, supposedly, you can renew your visa using 2-3 part time jobs with one employer agreeing to be some sort of "primary" employer. You'd take the different employment contracts to immigration or something like that.

I don't understand that, though. What's the difference between your first year in Japan and subsequent years there? During your first year, does the employer have to set up the work visa themselves but then in subsequent years you're the one going to immigration with employment contracts or something?

[rtm]

[fluffyhamster]

(Edit: Ah, rtm beat me to it! ) Japan seems to be moving in the direction of more closely scrutinizing any downtime between jobs, but at least employers don't yet control the visa itself (even though they may have originally sponsored it). That's not to say that people can jump employer with total impunity, as come renewal time Immigration AFAIK still wants to see things called 'Letters of release' (that essentially confirm the dates one worked for and left the employer (reasonably amicably I mean LOL)); then, one seems more required nowadays to keep Immigration informed of changes in circumstances (which includes changes in employer), so from the POV of just that paperwork it would become quite inconvenient to change employer too often (say more than once a year, which isn't unusual IME). I haven't heard of (m)any part-time employers offering sponsorship (I thought the whole point of only offering PT work was for employers to avoid such expectations if not responsibilities!) but from what I understand it is possible to self-sponsor if you can prove it's bringing in enough income, though obviously that's only an option for subsequent years.

FWIW the two initial visas I entered Japan on were JET, and then with an independent eikaiwa, so I only really have experience of up-front sponsorship and reasonably smooth sailing really! JET was obviously quite a lot of time and work to apply for, but that was actually easier than trying to find a subsequent employer (applying again from the UK I mean, and with an expired visa). It can take many months if not years and dozens of applications to get a foot in the door unless one's already in Japan and with a valid visa raring to go.