Job Discussion Forums

[Appletreesrtall]

I'm a little confused as to what to do about my situation. I've signed for a contract starting April 1st, but I don't know when my work visa will be finished. Sent my paperwork to my employer, it SHOULD be to them Friday the 13th, and they're gonna travel to the prefecture's capital to take care of the paperwork that day. I know to process a new visa can take up to 2 months (dyarr).

My real problem lies in me coming to Japan. My -ideal- way of doing things is to come to Japan on a tourist visa so I can also purchase a JR pass and do some traveling ( Narita --> Wakayama --> Yokohama --> where I'll be working, Morioka). Is this going to be a problem with having a working visa processing? During my interview process, an employer explained how I would obtain a work visa with them, while NOT having to leave the country.

"After you arrive in Japan, we will switch your visa status from a tourist visa to a work visa. For this, you will need a valid US passport and your actual university diploma (not a copy). This process takes anywhere from 3 weeks to a month and a half, depending on how slowly the immigration office decides to process the application. At the same time you get your work visa, you get your gaijin card (basically your ID card). And at that point, you will be able to open a bank account, get a cell phone, etc."

1- Is the statement they made true?
2- Would that work in my situation?
3- Does anyone have any other suggestions for me?
4- If I can't do my traveling with a JR pass, then can I purchase a 1-way ticket since I have a work visa processing, or must that be shown during entrance to Japan??

I tried reading the posts, but I guess I want to make sure of things. Thanks for the help everyone

[Glenski]

Yes, what your potential employer said is true.

Whether you can buy a JR Rail Pass voucher with a COE stamped in your passport is dubious at best. I would say no. Get the JR pass before you apply, and if you enter Japan before you get the COE in it, you should be ok. They check your passport when you activate the pass.

[Inflames]

What you`re saying doesn`t exactly make sense. You`ve already done everything to get your CoE (basically a certificate that says immigration has checked everything from your employer and most from you, so getting a visa is quite easy), and your employer is (presumably) in the process of getting it now. Once you get that, getting your visa is quite simple and done in a matter of days (it took me 1 day outside of Japan, I assume it takes the same inside Japan). Basically (IIRC) you`re going to take it to immigration with a form and get everything stamped in your passport. If you have a CoE (which you should have already), you won`t need your diploma. As your employer has said something different (I assume they`re talking about people who come to Japan without a CoE), I should add the standard warning about working without a visa//work permit (I believe a processing stamp is OK) in your passport.

The JR pass shouldn`t be a problem with the work visa processing. But (depending on how long you want to be on the tourist visa), why buy one? Why not just fly into Kansai airport and then go to Yokohama, then Iwate? Or fly into Narita, go to Yokohama, then Kansai, then fly to Iwate? Heck, there`s even a JR East pass you could use in Kanto then to go up to Iwate.

[G Cthulhu]

[Appletreesrtall]

Okay I'm little confused...

"COE" = ??
" IIRC" = ??
I guess I need help on the lingo, lol.

The reason why I wanted the JR pass was to make everything as affordable as possible for me to see friends(in Wakayama and Yokohama) before I settle down in Morioka. If there is something more affordable than trying to get a JR pass before my work visa starts, I am all game. I remember last time I was in Japan I was able to travel from Tochigi --> Tokyo --> Nagoya --> Tokyo all on my pass, so that saved me a lot of money.

Question for Glenski: