Changing visa

[Tony]

Hi,

I have foreign student visa now, and I will graduate in March. My visa is
until April by the way. I already found a job in Japan. How long does it
take to change my visa status from foreign student visa to working visa?
My friend says it takes around 3-6 months. Anyone has any experience?

[Declan Murphy]

From my experience (having sponsored 11 work visas so far), it will be
anything from 5-14 weeks depending on the following 3 variables:

1) Is your student visa "shugakusei" or "ryugakusei"?
2) Which category of working visa are you going to apply for?
3) Which bureau will you be applying at?

--
"Kick it to the shithouse" - Bob Dwyer, Saturday 2nd November, 1991.

[Louise Bremner]

Declan Murphy <declan...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> > I have foreign student visa now, and I will graduate in March. My visa is
> > until April by the way. I already found a job in Japan. How long does it
> > take to change my visa status from foreign student visa to working visa?
> > My friend says it takes around 3-6 months. Anyone has any experience?
>
> From my experience (having sponsored 11 work visas so far), it will be
> anything from 5-14 weeks depending on the following 3 variables:
>
> 1) Is your student visa "shugakusei" or "ryugakusei"?
> 2) Which category of working visa are you going to apply for?
> 3) Which bureau will you be applying at?

Do the Immigration allow the same sort of leeway as they do for
switching from Specialist in International Whatever to Long-Term
Resident--i.e., once you've applied and got a stamp stating that in your
passport, the old visa can be allowed to expire without penalty before
the new one is authorized?

________________________________________________________________________
Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!

[Declan Murphy]

Louise Bremner wrote:
> Declan Murphy <declan...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>>I have foreign student visa now, and I will graduate in March. My visa is
>>>until April by the way. I already found a job in Japan. How long does it
>>>take to change my visa status from foreign student visa to working visa?
>>>My friend says it takes around 3-6 months. Anyone has any experience?
>>
>> From my experience (having sponsored 11 work visas so far), it will be
>>anything from 5-14 weeks depending on the following 3 variables:
>>
>>1) Is your student visa "shugakusei" or "ryugakusei"?
>>2) Which category of working visa are you going to apply for?
>>3) Which bureau will you be applying at?
>
> Do the Immigration allow the same sort of leeway as they do for
> switching from Specialist in International Whatever to Long-Term
> Resident--i.e., once you've applied and got a stamp stating that in your
> passport, the old visa can be allowed to expire without penalty before
> the new one is authorized?

Yes - they treat pretty much every status of residence that initially
required a certificate of eligibility the same way. Only hassle I can
think of being that if the old visa expires before the new one is
authorised, there is no possibility of entering/leaving as re-entry
permits are out of the question in the interim. Not that it is a wise
idea to leave the application for change of status to the last minute.