Quick background.
My girlfriend was previously on a Trainee visa (food processing) for three years. She attended a private school to receive her TESOL certificate to teach English in Japan during that time. She recently left her previous job, and her Trainee visa has expired. She has an interview (a formality since she is qualified and has a degree in teaching) very soon. Her visa is being extended under a designated activities visa for special skills workers, but teaching is not covered under this visa. Only food processing is allowed under her visa, and she has a sponsor (a company where she can work part-time). However, when she went to the immigration office, they told her she could not switch from a Trainee visa to a specialist in humanities visa. For her to get this new visa, she would have to return to her home country and reenter Japan. She does not want to return because her home country is very strict about letting people go to other countries and work. What are her options? Is the only way to secure the humanities visa for her to return, or can we try another process?
Sorry for the loaded question, but we are both from different countries and are trying to navigate this process.
I appreciate any help you can provide.
1 comment
>However, when she went to the immigration office, they told her she could not switch from a Trainee visa to a specialist in humanities visa. For her to get this new visa, she would have to return to her home country and reenter Japan. She does not want to return because her home country is very strict about letting people go to other countries and work. What are her options? Is the only way to secure the humanities visa for her to return, or can we try another process?
Immigration has already told you the process you need to follow. Her options are:
1. overstay and risk imprisonment and deportation
2. return home, apply there for a CoE, get CoE, return to Japan
3. get married and try to convince them to give her a dependant visa but that will limit her to IIRC 28h a week, then change over to a work visa
They started cracking down pre-covid on people on non-immigrant/work visas trying to change over to work visas while in Japan about 2018. You now have to follow the rules, there aren’t any shortcuts.