Working in Japan (visa status)

[Tonya Bamberger]

Hello Yakkers,

I have been working as an in-house translator in the U.S., but am
thinking of moving back to Japan to do similar work. I have found
several job ads that require that the candidate "currently reside in
Japan." To me, this means one of three things: a) The company does not
want to pay relocation expenses, b) The company does not want to
sponsor a visa for whatever reason, or c) Both.

I have even found a couple of ads that want a native English speaker
who can speak, read, and write Japanese AND has resident status in
Japan, which I think is extremely rare. What is your experience with
this? I don't think it is a good idea to quit my job and go to Japan
to look for work with a only a tourist visa. I have considered first
going back as an English teacher, because those companies would at
least sponsor a working visa, but that would be my last resort.

Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Tonya Bamberger

[Michael Hendry]

From: "Tonya Bamberger" <tonya.b...@gmail.com>

Just some thoughts to get the ball rolling.

> I have been working as an in-house translator in the U.S., but am
> thinking of moving back to Japan to do similar work.

From your description, I can only guess that your company has deep ties with
Japan. Can you talk to one of your bosses about the possibility of a
transfer (retire/rehire) to the parent company? That's where I would start.
Get someone onside and talk openly about wanting to work in Japan to further
improve your Japanese ability and be more useful or your company. I have
found Japanese companies to have a real parenting instinct when it comes to
the education of their staff, and if they perceive that staff member as
wanting to be nurtured.

> I have even found a couple of ads that want a native English speaker
> who can speak, read, and write Japanese AND has resident status in
> Japan, which I think is extremely rare. What is your experience with
> this?

Honyaku is a list for professional Japanese<>English translators. What you
are describing as extremely rare is in fact commonplace on this list.

> I don't think it is a good idea to quit my job and go to Japan
> to look for work with a only a tourist visa.

Agreed. Bad idea, but I'm sure others have done it successfully before.

> going back as an English teacher, because those companies would at
> least sponsor a working visa, but that would be my last resort.

A one year contract as an English teacher might be a good place to start. It
will get you in-country, fed, clothed and watered. During that time, you can
either find an in-house position here or grow to love the teaching job.
Anything could happen. Since Nova went south though, I think jobs might be
more scarce (but I'm only guessing).

Good luck,

Michael Hendry, currently in Nagano Japan

[roy.b...@gmail.com]

Hi Tonya,

> I have been working as an in-house translator in the U.S., but am
> thinking of moving back to Japan to do similar work. I have found
> several job ads that require that the candidate "currently reside in
> Japan." To me, this means one of three things: a) The company does not
> want to pay relocation expenses, b) The company does not want to
> sponsor a visa for whatever reason, or c) Both.

My hunch is that the requirement of "currently resides in Japan" does
not so much reflect unwillingness to sponsor a visa so much as them
wanting someone who can start work almost immediately, as opposed to
in a couple of months when all the paperwork is done.

> I have even found a couple of ads that want a native English speaker
> who can speak, read, and write Japanese AND has resident status in
> Japan, which I think is extremely rare. What is your experience with
> this?

I haven't seen many jobs that require residence in Japan other than
working for foreign embassy/consulates, in which case they are often
prohibited by their own laws or regulations from sponsoring visas for
those positions. Native English speaking residents are on the rare
side, but there are probably a few thousand westerners resident in
Japan on spouse or permanent residence visas, and easily thousands of 帰
国子女 with native or near-native levels of English.

When you say the listings require residency, do you mean that they
explicitly require you to have a visa other than a work visa, or does
it seem like the kind of situation where, if you have a pre-existing
work visa from another company, you would be able to change jobs and
go work for them? The paperwork to extend an existing work visa is
trivial compared to getting a fresh one.

>I don't think it is a good idea to quit my job and go to Japan
> to look for work with a only a tourist visa. I have considered first
> going back as an English teacher, because those companies would at
> least sponsor a working visa, but that would be my last resort.

That is not a bad plan, but it may be hard to find a job in the right
part of Japan, and with a schedule that allows for lots of job
interviews. On the other hand, once you get hired by the English
school and set up in the country, you can always quit your job. While
I think it is technically possible for your former employer to call
immigration and cancel your visa, I have never heard of this actually
happening. and you can easily change jobs and keep/extend that first
visa- as long as it falls within the same visa category. I havent
worked as an English teacher, so I forget - do they get 国際なんとか visas
or do they go in a separate category for teachers?

[Jonathan]

I'm so happy to finally find a question, however small, that I can
answer (as a former JET PA). You're thinking of 人文知識・国際業務 (Specialist
in Humanities/International Services), which is probably the most
likely of the work-related statuses of residence (活動に基づく在留資格) to apply
to translators. English teachers generally get 教育 (Instructor), so if
you were to go to Japan under the sponsorship of an English school,
quit, and then work as a translator, I would guess you would have to
change your type (在留資格変更), which is easier than getting a brand-new
visa but nontrivial.

Jonathan Michaels
Monterey, CA

On Dec 13, 5:36 am, "roy.ber...@gmail.com" <roy.ber...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Tonya Bamberger]

Thank you all for your sage advice. I will try to answer your
questions/comments in this post.

I have discussed the possibility of transferring to the mother company
in Japan, but have been told that there is no need for a translator
there. Granted, I only asked one supervisor, so I will broach the
subject with someone else.

I have found many English-teaching jobs online. New companies have
sprung up in NOVA's place. I have also heard of people who have gone
to work at an English school and then quit within months, for whatever
reason. I would rather not breach a contract on purpose, however,
especially if there is even the slightest chance that the school could
cancel my visa.

A couple of job ads I found explicitly stated they wanted someone who
was married to a Japanese person, or with some other resident status.
I thought that the job ads that said "must currently reside in Japan"
were a little vague in that they did not specifically require a visa,
but one job I tried to apply for on GaijinPot would not allow me to
finish the application process because of the visa status I set when I
registered on the site.

Would it be easier to switch from a student visa to the Specialist in
Humanities/International Services rather than from the Education one?
I have also been looking on the MEXT website for options.

Thank you again for your help.

Tonya Bamberger

[Keith Wilkinson]

> Would it be easier to switch from a student visa to the Specialist in

> Humanities/International Services rather than from (an English teacher)
> one?

It's not recommended to try to enter on a student visa then
immediately
switch to a work visa. A student visa is supposed to require
permission
to work, and supposed to limit the number of working hours. On the
other
hand, an English teacher visa is a work visa, and it's much easier to
switch
from one type of work visa to another. One possible option (depends
on
age, I think) might be to apply to be a CIR under the JET scheme. I
gather
that CIRs work in city governments doing translating, interpreting,
and
「国際化」 related activities. Another option might be to try for a
Mombusho scholarship.

> I have discussed the possibility of transferring to the mother company
> in Japan, but have been told that there is no need for a translator there.

You could see if you could get someone to arrange an "introduction"
to
visit the Japanese parent company ("while you are on holiday in
Japan"),
then ask people at the Japanese parent if they think there's any
possibility
of you working there. However, if you find that there are no non-
Japanese
(or extremely few non-Japanese) regular employees working at the
parent
company, then they may be rather racist, and want to keep foreigners
at
arms length. You might not enjoy working there, even if they agreed
to let
you transfer.

[roy.b...@gmail.com]

Yes that's right. I used to have that visa but since I'm on a 留学生 visa
now I couldn't check, and it just escaped me.

[Tonya Bamberger]

Hi Keith,

Yes, I was thinking of obtaining a student visa for the MEXT
scholarship. I wasn't sure I would be eligible as a post-graduate, but
it turns out I can apply.

 One possible option (depends
> on
> age, I think) might be to apply to be a CIR under the JET scheme.  

Hi Keith,

Yes, I was thinking of obtaining a student visa for the MEXT
scholarship. I wasn't sure I would be eligible as a post-graduate, but
it turns out I can apply.

One possible option (depends
> on
> age, I think) might be to apply to be a CIR under the JET scheme.

The thought did cross my mind, but I have already participated in JET
as an ALT (I'm sorry I failed to mention this earlier). The website
says I would have to wait a total of 8 years (another 3) before being
eligible again.

>You could see if you could get someone to arrange an "introduction"
>to
>visit the Japanese parent company ("while you are on holiday in
>Japan"),
>then ask people at the Japanese parent if they think there's any
>possibility
>of you working there.

This is a very good idea and worth investigating. I will have to
figure out the proper channels to go through to make that happen.

However, if you find that there are no non-
> Japanese
> (or extremely few non-Japanese) regular employees working at the
> parent
> company, then they may be rather racist, and want to keep foreigners
> at
> arms length.

It is hard to gauge how people will treat me, as workplace
environments can differ drastically. In my experience, my being a
foreigner was a topic of conversation and drew many co-workers to me,
while a few co-workers were aloof because they were unsure of my
Japanese ability. The racist people I did encounter were not looked
upon favorably in general, either. At any rate, it is definitely
something to keep in mind. I will have to see how the company in
general responds to me if I do get to visit.

Thank you very much for your input.

Tonya Bamberger

[Doug Durgee]

Ok, a few things on this point that I think the original poster would
find interesting.

First, it's true that an ALT would generally get a 教育 visa, but if you
work at 英会話 then I believe it's classified under 人文知識 instead, so it's
easier to transfer (no change of visa necessary, just change place of
business at your local 市役所・区役所・役場). I'm going by word of mouth as I've
never actually been a teacher though, so you might want to get a
second source on that one.

Second, once you get a visa, it's yours for whatever period you're
approved for regardless of where you work, or even if you work. AFAIK,
your former company can't do anything to have your visa revoked once
it's issued (or if they are then I haven't heard of one case of it, as
Jonathan before me), so you could *in theory* just come here on the
visa of whatever 英会話 place is willing to hire you and get you close to
where you want to be geographically, and then quit the first month to
job hunt full-time once you're settled. Not that it's the nicest thing
to do, but just so you know you wouldn't be the first one to do it as
I've heard stories.

Oh, and I recently had to renew my visa, working freelance. My main
source of income flat up refused to sponsor me, saying that they only
sponsor about maybe 4-5 people total with the rest of the foreign
residents finding their own visas (spousal, PR, etc., and this company
is on the smaller side). I wound up figuring things out eventually
through another company I do work for, but since we're on the topic
I'd be interested in hearing anyone else's experiences with self-
sponsorship and what's required/involved.

HTH,

Doug Durgee
Tokyo

[pls]

--- Doug Durgee <ddu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'd be interested in hearing anyone else's experiences with self-
> sponsorship and what's required/involved.

There appears to be no official provision for self-sponsorship in the
regulations, but anecdotal evidence of visa renewals on part of
self-employed persons in Japan suggests that tax returns documenting
sufficient income (whereby "sufficient" is a matter of negotiation) _can_
lead to a visa renewal, if the circumstances are right.

I'd like to suggest that you talk with staff at the immigration office
about your situation and, if they recommend any course of action, follow
that...

Regards: Hendrik



.
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[mich...@yaskawa.co.jp]

Tonya Bamberger wrote:
********************I have found several job ads that require that the candidate "currently reside in

Japan." To me, this means one of three things: a) The company does not
want to pay relocation expenses, b) The company does not want to sponsor a visa for whatever reason, or c) Both.

**********************


Or, they want somebody to start right away. Or, they want to be able to interview someone at their convenience rather than just go by faith. Or, they want someone that they know has already adapted to Japan and does not have to be babied. My guess is that the condition is included just for convenience. If somebody is already here, the company has fewer hassles and matters can be expedited more quickly.

Or, they already have somebody in mind but have to place an ad according to their corporate policies.

****************I have even found a couple of ads that want a native English speaker

who can speak, read, and write Japanese AND has resident status in
Japan, which I think is extremely rare. What is your experience with

this? I don't think it is a good idea to quit my job and go to Japan

to look for work with a only a tourist visa. I have considered first
going back as an English teacher, because those companies would at

least sponsor a working visa, but that would be my last resort.**********************

A foot in the door is what you need. Some jobs are available only by word of mouth or by personal introductions.

If you do the language teacher route, I would recommend trying to get a job in the school system rather than at a language school. Why? Your evenings will more likely be free so you can do freelance work or study. Split shifts at language schools would limit your free time.

If you try to do to the CIR route with the Jet programme, you must check when the application deadline is. It will have either passed or be very soon for 2010. Age restrictions apply. A CIR job will involve translation at work and perhaps provide networking opportunities.

Other options include going back to school pt and signing up as an intern. Scholarships and cultural visas are other options. Once you get your foot in the door...

Other options also include job fairs in the US. Some companies may have not decided to participate this year, but some of the larger companies sometimes participate in job fairs. Yes, they are usually looking for engineers or Japanese students who have been studying in North America but they are also more likely to be open to the possibility of other types of potential employees who speak Japanese. You are more likely to stand out and be remembered by the people in Human Resources if you meet up with them at a job fair instead of cold calling in Tokyo. You would be surprised at how many native ENglish speakers can speak, read, and write Japanese in Japan. You, however, might be the only one at a job fair.

HTH

Michelle Zacharias

[rsmwor...@gmail.com]

Hi, Tonya,

While
> I think it is technically possible for your former employer to call
> immigration and cancel your visa, I have never heard of this actually
> happening. and you can easily change jobs and keep/extend that first
> visa- as long as it falls within the same visa category.

Mercifully, it did not happen to me, but I do know of a foreigner boss
here who first forced an employee to resign and then called
Immigration to cancel the visa sponsorship. That was motivated, not
surprisingly, by a great deal of personal animosity. I've never heard
of it happening under normal circumstances. (In the case in question,
the employee had to leave Japan within x weeks of the cancellation but
soon returned under a different sponsor.)

So it's remotely possible, but, assuming the boss is not a whack job,
quite unlikely. People do change jobs, after all.

Ruth McCreery
Yokohama

[Doreen Simmons]

Further to what Ruth mentioned below, I also have heard of a small group thinking they could walk out into another job
and discovering that their boss had pulled the rug from under them -- though it was a long time ago and I didn't know them personally.

I myself left my first employer on good terms, giving proper notice and offering to stay on part-time after the notice expired if needed to train my successor;
I also made sure to get a letter of release from that employer, thanking me for my past work and wishing me well.

I was also careful, when applying for an extension of my working visa, to add that my work had broadened into a related field (eg recording narratives as opposed to
recording hearing tests); in this way I have a paper record that authorises everything I now do. The one thing I wasn't able to do, on my first three-month visit,
was to change from a tourist to a working visa without leaving the country.

I now realise that, after 36 years, I have had only two sponsors!


Best of luck -- but think carefully before comitting yourself.

Doreen

>So it's remotely possible, but, assuming the boss is not a whack job,
>quite unlikely. People do change jobs, after all.
>
>Ruth McCreery
>Yokohama

Doreen Simmons
jz8d...@asahi-net.or.jp

[Tonya Bamberger]

Thank you all for sharing your ideas and experiences with me. It is
greatly appreciated.

I had been contemplating just going to Japan with a tourist visa in
search of work, but I am glad to have made this post, as my fears were
confirmed. Seeking job fairs in the U.S. is a great idea. I have one
question about that, however. I assume that if I submitted my resume
to a company that took interest in me, I might first speak with their
U.S. branch but then might have to interview in Japan. Have any of you
heard of a company in Japan willing to use Skype or other such means
to conduct interviews with overseas applicants? If possible, I would
rather avoid a mini-vacation taken for the sole purpose of
interviewing with companies.

I would have to agree that a school system would have more flexible
hours than an 英会話 school. That fact didn't cross my mind. I'm also
used to working at the same time every day, which would be difficult
to give up.

So if I broke a contract with an 英会話 school and my visa status was
cancelled and I was deported for it, I would still be able to come
back into the country soon after? I am surprised that there are no
other ramifications. That said, I would still feel quite guilty for
breaking a contract that I agreed to. That is one reason it would be a
last resort.


Tonya Bamberger

[Jean-Christophe Helary]

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�语�殒��怛镫��泔铘蜥泗�鏖翳�犷�英会話 school and my visa status was

> cancelled and I was deported for it, I would still be able to come
> back into the country soon after?

Your visa could be cancelled but the immigration won't deport you the day after it is cancelled. They usually transfer a working visa into a short term (3 months) visa so that the person can get ready to leave.

> I am surprised that there are no other ramifications.

You are not Chinese or South American are you ? You are more likely to get a relatively lenient treatment, especially if you deal with a provincial immigration bureau.

> That said, I would still feel quite guilty for breaking a contract that I agreed to.

That's the problem with contracts. You agree to them before you actually start to do what's really required. There are labor laws in Japan and they apply to foreigners too. Which means that you have the right to break a contract and your employer has the right to break the contract too. Generally speaking, employers don't feel shy about breaking contracts (or not respecting them altogether).


Jean-Christophe Helary
---------------------------------
fun: mac4translators.blogspot.com
work: www.doublet.jp (ja/en > fr)
tweets: @brandelune

[Tonya Bamberger]

> That's the problem with contracts. You agree to them before you actually start to do what's really required. There are labor laws in Japan and they apply to foreigners too. Which means that you have the right to break a contract and your employer has the right to break the contract too. Generally speaking, employers don't feel shy about breaking contracts (or not respecting them altogether).

Touche. That certainly makes sense. I will keep that in mind.


Tonya Bamberger