Job Discussion Forums

Igopee · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 7

I was wondering if I go to Japan on a working holiday visa will it be easy once i'm there to change it to a regular working visa provided i find someone to sponsor me? If so how long does it usually take and what;s the procedures? I heard you have to leave the country to get a regular work visa and i've also heard that that rule has changed. I've been offered a job but they want me to come on a WHV and once i get there they'll change it. Does that sound reasonable?
Thanks to anyone who can help.
igopee

ryuro · Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 91

Howdy,

You should have no problem changing a working holiday visa to a regular work visa provided the following apply:

1. You have a Univeristy Degree (bring the original and transcripts)

2. You have a company willing to sponsor you with a contract for at least a year.

So long as you have these, the procedure's pretty quick and painless. The are a bunch of other documents the company must supply you with but any reputable school will know exactly what you'll need and give you help on how to proceed. Oh, and YOU DO NOT NEED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. That has definitely changed. I'm the recruiter/trainer for a school- been here 7 years + and in the last couple years not one of the persons I've brought here on a WHV has had to leave the country to change it (so don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise).

On another note, there have been words from some immigration offices that they've relaxed the "university degree" requirement and will possibly accept lessor degrees (i.e. TESOL/TEFL without having a University Degree)on a case by case basis. Just to let those of you out there know, I have not yet had any success getting regular working visas for candidates without a university degree.

In one case the immigration office accepted the application and said they'd "consider it" only to have it turned down later and in another case they simply refused to accept the application. So I don't see much hope for those of you with no degrees hoping to change your WHV to a regular work visa.

Further, remember if you leave the country on a WHV immigration wil cancel it and you WILL NOT be issued another one- one per customer please.

Hope this has been helpful.

Cheers,
ryuro

BenJ · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 209 Location: Nagoya

I've been told by different employers you can have a 2-year diploma or a one-year certificate with 3 years work experience in the requisite field instead of a 3-year bachelor degree.

ryuro · Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 91

Hey BenJ,

Sorry, don't mean to sound like I'm berating you or anything, but you have to understand that employers ARE NOT IMMIGRATION.

I have been doing this for a while and both I and my Japanese co-director have not only talked to Immigration in Tokyo directly, but gone and dealt DIRECTLY with the officers in our regional office.

This is the only thing you can be 100% sure of

IF YOU HAVE A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE DEGREE YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR A REGULAR WORK VISA.

Anything other than that is a crap shoot. There are NO hard and fast rules about 1 or 2 year degrees or TESOL/TEFL plus experience. Those situations are dealt with on a strict CASE BY CASE basis. And depending on the mood of whatever immigration officer you happen to get that day, the application may be accepted for consideration or flatly refused there on the spot. Immigration has a great deal of lattitude to deal with these "case-by-case" situations and often they run their offices like little feifdoms.

Any employer who tells you contrary to this has probably never actually dealt directly with immigration. Finally, calling or visiting immigration(even with a Japanese company director) to find out how a particular case will be handled is fruitless. Here's what will happen:

You "I have a two-year degree plus two years experience, can I qualify for a work visa?"

Immigration "These situations are dealt with case by case and I cannot give you any information on a possible decision until you actually submit an application."

So there you have it. Get a four year degree and you'll have no problems, try it without a four year degree and you're taking a HUGE chance.

To date, I've had NO success without the degree and have seen three great teachers have to head home after finishing their WHV in order to finish off their degrees (which I think is the best thing for them in the long run anyway).

Cheers,
ryuro

BenJ · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 209 Location: Nagoya

yep fair enough, my information certainly isnt first-hand, just what the head recruiter from INTERAC told me and what my partner's current employer has told her.

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

If you show contracts that you make around the 250,000 yen mark, and you have a piece of paper saying you went to school, you can get a working visa. You don't even have to have the company sponsor you. With the contracts, you can self sponsor yourself. It isn't guaranteed but I know a few people that have successfully done it. As stated before, if you have a degree, you're not at risk at much.

To increase your chances, go to immigration on a busy day and a busy time and be in the middle of the line. This way they want to move you through as fast as you can. Usually they will look that you've filled out the paperwork correctly, have a certificate, passport and contracts.