I’m an Alien | 外人カード

Well, if you thought I was strange, here’s proof.
According to Japan, I am, Officially, an Alien.

Unfortunately you have to give this card back when leaving Japan.
I particularly like the wording on the little bit of paper that comes with it.

Japanese Visas

Not that I’m bitter.. But The ‘Working Visa’ system in Japan sucks.
The easiest way to work in Japan is a “Working Holiday Visa“. A bit of paperwork to get it but its free and lets you work in Japan for 1 year (with the intention of travel). But for longterm stay, you need a full Working Visa.

First off, and mainly, to get a Visa in Japan you have to apply for a “Certificate of Eligibility“, in which you apply with information about your proposed position and company. Essentially if you succeed in getting this, you get your Visa - Problem is, the biggest Issue Japanese Companies have in hiring a foreigner is getting a Visa. You need a Job to get a Visa, but no company wants to hire you without already having a Visa. Catch-22.

Finally you find a company willing to hire you, and will go through the Visa process for you. You file for the Certificate with information about you, the company, your position etc.

Wait 2months.

Result: If you want a job other than teaching English, and you’re under 28, don’t even bother.

All through the application, forms and process, it was only suggested I needed 3years experience to obtain a working visa. After 2 months waiting, I was denied with the simple reason I didn’t have 10 years experience.. 10 years! I’m 24, should I have started full time work at 14? Even with university included, you need to fill 9years between them. In a meeting we were told “no exception”, and they wouldn’t even discuss it or listen to any points we had to say, clear requirement of 10years. So the basic conclusion is if you are under 28, you can’t get a visa for a real job. I told her this and she agreed. A friend was recently denied for the same reason.

REALITY: There are basically 3 ways you can obtain a Japanese Working Visa:

1. Become an English Teacher
2. Transfer from a company within your own country
3. Marry a Japanese, and then wait…process…wait…process etc..

However I see no problem in getting a job as an English teacher, getting the visa, quiting the teaching job and swapping into the industry of my choice. So why can’t they just skip that retarded process?
If the company decides my experience/skill/talent is enough and worth of employment, why should the government argue with it?!!

Basically they don’t want young foreigners in Japan doing anything besides teaching English. And many are happy to do it!

But if you want a career in Japan, wait till your 28.

Oh, and Learn Japanese.