Job Discussion Forums

[psarge]

anyone know how to self-sponsor a work Visa? I am in Hiroshima on a tourist visa and here that if you can find someone willing to hire you, you can sometimes sponsor your own visa. Anyone know how to go about this? (a company offered me part time work, but would not sposnor my Visa and suggested i find aome way to sponsor my own visa)

Thanks in advance,
Peter

[PAULH]

To sponsor your own visa you need to be able to prove to Immigration that you can earn a minimum guaranteed income of at least 250,000 yen a month- it doesnt have to all come from one employer but can be made up of several part time jobs, privates etc. I have not met anyone on a self-sponsored visa, but you would need to be able to provide evidence such as receipts, bank statements, passbook records etc to show you are making the minimum amount.

It is unlikely you will be able to get a self sponsored visa from a tourist visa if you dont have a degree, and havent built up sufficient contacts or work etc.

[Glenski]

That minimum salary figure is pretty flexible and can be lower than 250,000.

I believe the main thing is that someone offer to serve as your application sponsor. Finding official information on this is really sketchy.

If you believe online posts, go to this thread for what seems like the best description of self-sponsorship.
http://www.gaijinpot.com/forums/read.php?f=17&i=1139&t=1139

Or, pick up the book A Japanese Visa Handbook, by Motoko Kuroda, ICG Muse, Inc. Been meaning to do that myself and see what it has to say, even though I don't need it.

[cabbagehead]

There's an account on this forum too which is very recent:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?p=43085#43085

[fion]

And I'd better just add that the account to which 'Cabbagehead' refers deals with renewing an exisiting full working visa. Changing from tourist visa to self-sponsored working visa may well be more complicated.

Good luck

Fion