Today, let me explain about working visa in Japan. It will be quite a long article but if you are looking for working visa in Japan, please read till end. I will add some warning at end.
For foreign students in Japan, you need to change your visa status to working visa otherwise you cannot keep staying in Japan any more.
For people outside Japan, if you come to Japan for working, you need to get a working visa. Japan doesn’t have general immigrant system.
At first, working visa in Japan is not for simple labor. There are several types of working visa but all of them require working experiences, academic record or Japanese language skill except trainee visa. And for any type, you need to get a job offer at first.
1. Foreign students in Japan
You need to get a job offer for suitable to your working visa.
Q. What is suitable job?
If you are 4 year college graduate in your country, you are eligible to apply working visa. ( it is applicable for those who are staying outside from Japan) But your job should be related to your major subject or language skill. Unless your major is not IT, I guess other subjects cannot be your tools for job hunting. You need to find a job using your language skill. If your Japanese language is not N2 level. You cannot work as an interpreter/hotel receptionist. Translator is only for N1 level.
Notes: JLPT N3 is equivalent to Grade 1 or 2 in elementary school in Japan. Imagine do you think if those kids could work in business field?
So consequently, your mother tongue and English can be your tools to get a job offer. If English is official language in your country, English teacher might be most possible job for you. As you know, Japanese are very behind in English speaking comparing to other Asian countries and we need lots of native instructors.
If English is not your mother/official language, unfortunately possible jobs are very limited.
I guess only trading manager job or so?
If you are not 4 year college graduate and are going to graduate from vocational school in Japan, your suitable job is strictly to related to subjects you are learning at the vocational school. What are you learning? Business, IT, tourism?
Let me say in the straight way, IT skill you are learning there wouldn’t work in the real business life. If you learn IT by your mother tongue for 2 years, you could acquire lot but with kindergarten level Japanese language, how much you could learn?
Hotel industry might be the most possible for you under normal situation. But due to corona, everything has changed. They cannot hire anyone newly now.
Consequently, I dare to say getting a suitable job is extremely difficult now. Big company? Seishain? It doesn’t mean any to working visa. The important is what you are doing there actuary.
Shacho-san I am doing arubaito wants me to hire me as Seishain. Can I apply working visa? NO! What you can do arubaito is mostly simple labor. You cannot get a working visa with it.
2. Foreigners abroad who are seeking working visa for Japan.
Getting a job offer from abroad is extremely difficult unless you have personal connection or are highly skilled professionals who might be head hunt.
And if you visit Japan as a tourist, getting a job offer is very difficult and tourist visa cannot be changed to working visa.
Thank you for reading my long explanation. The reason why I want to explain the above is:
I notice recently there are many agencies and company owners in Japan who commit fraud activity to get money from people who are seeking working visa in Japan. Those bad guys offer you an imitation job offer and apply COE at Immigration in Japan. Of course immigration disapproved such applications. You don’t get anything except loosing money.
Students in Japan, you might be targeted, too. There are many agencies/brokers to contact you and try to get money from you. I know getting a job offer by yourself is very difficult and it might be the only way for you to apply working visa.
But before paying money to them, giving your residence card to them, contact my office to ask if there is any chance for you to get a working visa.
Visa system in Japan is strict and at the same time not perfect. Please try to get the right information and knowledge at first. And do not try to solve difficulty with money.
Foreign students in Japan, ganbatte kudasai.
Chilly blue sky in Tokyo area.
Everybody please stay safe.
Happy Sunday!!!
