Work visa process

The following are some readers' comments. You can also read the full article: Work visa process.

Updated 8 July 2005

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431 comments on “Work visa process”

Comment pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 22 »

  2. 1
    Anonymous said (22 June 2004 at 5:13 pm)

    Hi, I have been here for a few months and i am working for a small but professional english school more or less fulltime. I am on a work holiday visa from Aus. I am pretty sure that to apply for a work visa i will have to leave the country. Do you know for sure? Also, how difficult is it to sponsor yourself?

  3. 2
    Bennett said (23 June 2004 at 1:57 am)

    In 2002, I was in Japan on a normal tourist visa exemption, and I did not have to leave Japan to get my work visa. Since you already have a visa, you might have to leave Japan to change to a different type. Of course, since you live in Japan, it should be farly easy to find out!

    I haven’t investigated self-sponsorship in Japan, but I have in Hong Kong, and it seems quite an involved process. Essentially, you have to set up a business and submit eveidence of funding, business plan, etc. to the government, who then decide whether to allow your application. The procedure may be easier, or at least different, in Japan.

  4. 3
    cleo said (17 January 2005 at 5:54 am)

    can i go to japan for 3 months period without any stamp from the japanese embassy? Meaning using only international passport

  5. 4
    Bennett said (17 January 2005 at 7:56 pm)

    Cleo: It depends on what passport you hold. Why not call the Japanese embassy in your country? Their information will be more definitive than mine. See the Working in Japan resources section for embassy details.

  6. 5
    kaye said (8 February 2005 at 3:59 pm)

    what are the qualifications to get a long-term resident visa?tnx!

  7. 6
    Sherryl said (9 February 2005 at 4:56 am)

    I am a filipino caregiver and I found an employer in japan.What are the documents I need to submitt to get a working visa?

  9. 7
    Cornelyn said (9 February 2005 at 5:07 am)

    I went in Japan last December as a tourist.And I am came home in the philippines last January.I am planing to come back again in Japan,my visa will expire on March 23,can I go back there by using my visa again?or should I apply another visa?

  10. 8
    Bennett said (13 February 2005 at 5:11 am)

    Every case is different, so it should go without saying that when you want the official position on visas, documentation and so on, you should contact an official body (e.g. your local Japanese embassy). See the Embassies section for more details.

  11. 9
    Bennett said (13 February 2005 at 5:13 am)

    Kaye: Ask your local Japanese embassy. I don’t even know exactly what a long-term resident visa is. Do you?

  12. 10
    Andrew said (20 February 2005 at 12:45 pm)

    If I applied for a working visa in Japan, about how long would it take assuming I not only had paperwork from the office but also a Japanese resident sponsoring me? My case is strange in that I’m too young to have a 4-year degree but I have the necessary qualifications for the job. I just don’t want to be stuck in Tokyo for months waiting with no source of income, and I don’t want to have to leave and then return. Also, where can I find a place in Tokyo that issues visas with an English-speaking staff? Thanks for your help :)

  13. 11
    Bennett said (21 February 2005 at 2:41 am)

    Andrew: When I applied for my visa, they said it would take about six weeks, and so it did. I don’t know if your circumstances will shorten or lengthen this time. As for English… the immigration office didn’t seem to have much in the way of English speakers, and they are the only people who issue visas as far as I know. Try getting a Japanese speaker (say, from your work) to go with you.

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