Job Discussion Forums

Gaijinheadpothead · Joined: 08 Sep 2009 Posts: 27

Should I encounter any problems?? I need to come back to collect my final salary and stuff.

Someone from my company told me that I will have my bags checked and maybe not left back into the country!!

This same company has being telling me not to worry about renewing my visa , that they will do it. And here I am with no new visa and only a few days left on my WHV.

So, I wll miss the last 4 days of my contract and I get the sneaking feeling there will be an issue with getting the money thats owed to me. (the month in hand I did at the start of the year.)

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Gaijinheadpothead · Joined: 08 Sep 2009 Posts: 27

Bread · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 318

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Ok, so you have already applied to change your visa status. I'm not sure if you invalidate that by leaving and then returning, but there may be a stamp or something in your passport now which says you have applied for the new visa. That will be seen by immigration.

A month is a typical time needed to process visa paperwork. Could even take 2. As long as you feel comfortable that the company isn't pulling on over on you, things should be ok. Once they get the COE, you'll get it and then convert.

seklarwia · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:45 pm Post subject:

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Definitely check on the status of that application before you just up and leave- as above, you may invalidate it by leaving it mid-process. If you do have a pending application, you can stay past the date of your WHV, although there should be an "Application" stamp in your passport if this is the case- don't stay past the expiry date without getting that stamp if you don't already have it.

If you do end up leaving and coming back, 4 days is not really enough to convince Immigration that you are not planning to continue working when you come back in. If you go this route, be prepared for some thorough questioning.

Gaijinheadpothead · Joined: 08 Sep 2009 Posts: 27

Thank you all for clearing some things up for me.

So, anyway I don't have this stamp. And I haven't been told about this by my company. When I told them about my plan they were more concerned about making up a false excuse for the school, and told me not to say a word to anyone. I think there is a serious lack of communication between everyone in this company.

Can anyone tell me the contact details for immigration?
Do they speak english? ( I've heard that they don't).

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Gaijinheadpothead · Joined: 08 Sep 2009 Posts: 27

So, I rang the Immi info centre and the guy told me that it's ok to stay in the country as long as an application has been made. I told him that I don't have a stamp or anything and he said it's ok, ''Just wait for the postcard'', he said.

It still doesn't feel right.

Meanwhile, my guest house want me to leave unless I can show them some legal evidence that I'm allowed to stay.

I have a chance to go to Immigration on Monday and look for this stamp. But I can't understand why both my company and immi told me to just wait without saying anything about this application stamp? It doesn't seem very Japanese that I'm being told to just ignore my expired visa and only have verbal assurances to let me know my visa status.

Am I freakin out about this too much?

seklarwia · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:39 am Post subject:

Go and see them since you can. You want to make absolutely certain that your company did indeed put in your app and aren't trying to pull a fast one. And what happens if you stay past your expiry date and get IDed by the police... I'm pretty sure they won't simply take your word for it that your app is being processed.

Get a stamp, seal, receipt... anything that will prove that you are permitted to overstay due to having you app processed. Not only for the police should you be stopped, but to keep the guesthouse owner from turfing you out on the street or (better still) calling the cops.

Bread · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 318

I got a stamp AFTER I gave my COE to immigration. It was to prove that I'd submitted the application for my visa. Your visa application hasn't been submitted yet, just your COE application, unless I'm misunderstanding. I'd go to immigration ASAP and find out where you stand and get some kind of proof if it's okay to stay.

And that postcard was something that I'd filled out myself and they dropped it in the mail when my visa was ready to go in my passport. If you never filled out such a postcard, it ain't coming.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Gaijinheadpothead · Joined: 08 Sep 2009 Posts: 27

What is a COE anyway? I think my company are definitely leading me on here. They won't tell me anything, just ''don't worry, don't worry''.

I've got the feeling that I when I go to immi they won't have any file on me and no application.

When I told my company I'm goin to immi to get this stamp they just said, ''oh yeah. Well call us and tell us what happens.''!!
I mean what the hell? That's like something you say to a hamster before you blast em off into space.

seklarwia · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:26 pm Post subject:

Well at least they didn't try to convince you that you REALLY didn't need to go. That's got to count for something... right?

Get down to immigration Monday and find out for certain what's going on.

I hope it works out for you. Let us know what they say.