Job Discussion Forums

[thermal]

I am currently working in Japan on the WHV (I'm Australian).

I am approaching my first 6 months and am about to review my visa. I am doing basically exactly what the WHV says I am not supposed to do. Working in the one place for a long time. I lied on my application itinerary and about having a job.

Further more, my alien registration card states my address, which I told them when I initially registered. I don't really worry that they will check my WHV application, just that they will see my address had not changed for 5 months and realise that I am doing a lot more working than travel as part of my holiday.

I have a contract for a year so plan to use that up and then move somewhere else. I am not working 20 hours a week so that is a plus on my side.

So, should I be worried?

I am considering changing my address on my alien registration to nothing as if I am going to travel for a while and then renewing. Would this be prudent?

I have used the search functionality.

[G Cthulhu]

[Big John Stud]

Maybe you should be worried! Eventually they will notice you haven't moved! Then you will be deported. Or when you are leaving Japan, they will notice and ban you so you can never returne which is what happened to a friend of mine. He told me it was really embarrassing. Customs officers took him in cuffs to a room to question him.

[JimDunlop2]

Oh for the love of Mike! Don't listen to Big John Stud.

All the intense paperwork involved in getting a WHV is to GET the visa, but once you have it, no one will be asking any questions as to whether or not you have been following the guidelines/regulations governing it. You'll just fill out an application form that makes no mention of anything but the basics and you'll get your extension soon thereafter.

No, you shouldn't be scared.

[ironopolis]

Don't worry at all about the address. I've known several WHVers in Japan and all of them had the same address as before when applying for the first extension. None of them ever had a problem.

G Cthulhu's advice is spot on IMO. They won't be remotely bothered about the address being the same, but they would be very bothered if it there was no address there or if it was clear it had been altered in a suspicious way.

Anyway, it's perfectly feasible to be continually based at the same address, but still do lots of travelling around. "Japan is a small country", as you must have heard a few times already

I think the 45 mins before lunch is a good idea....in SOME immigration offices, but having had to have dealings with a few different ones in my time here, I'd say it really varies from place to place what the best tactic is. At one office I used to have to go to in Kanagawa, going in around that time before their lunch break would invariably see you wait 40 minutes to be seen, then told a few minutes before their official lunchtime that they were very sorry but you'd just have to come back after lunch, sometimes without even taking any paperwork off you. At the place I use now in Kyushu however, I think the 45 mins before approach would work well.
But whatever, just relax a bit - you should be fine.

[Apsara]

I did the same thing- worked at the same eikaiwa for most of my WHV. Immigration didn't mention it, just gave me my extension. It's natural to worry about visas, but you'll be fine.

[Eva Pilot]

I've twice extended my WHV without any problems at all. You'll be fine.

[thermal]

Great, thanks for all the advice.

Note to self, don't worry