Im aware that uk residents must go home and then apply for a change in visa- but ive also heard stories of people who have been able to find a sponsorship and apply for the change within japan and it has gone fine. Is it a situation where you just have to try that route and hope for the best? Im fine with going home and applying (by then ill have teaching experience from my whv, i have a degree, and by then conversational japanese), but my concern would be that its difficult to find sponsorships etc from your home country?
If thats what it takes ill obviously try, just wanted to hear any personal experiences from uk residents and what they did regarding the visa change.
Thanks!
2 comments
Immigration used to not care about the specifics of the working holiday agreement between Japan and an applicants country.
They decided to start caring a few years ago.
So these days if the specific agreement between your country and Japan doesn’t allow a holiday maker to change their status then immigration is not going to allow it.
I’m pretty sure the UK does not allow it, whereas I’m similarly confident that Canada does.
Make your plans around requiring to go home for a few months while your employer requests your CoE and you get the visa in order.
I changed my WHV to a working visa(I’m from the UK) back in 2015, but I’ve heard they’re more strict about enforcing the rules now unfortunately.