Engineer/Specialist visa, or Working Holiday Visa?

4 comments

1. This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.

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   **Engineer/Specialist visa, or Working Holiday Visa?**

   Hello, facing a bit of a dillema as to which visa I should go for. I’ve been working as a Software Engineer in the UK for nearly 6 years. I plan on moving to Japan in August 2024, before I turn 31. The way I see it, I have two options:

   A) Enter Japan via a WHV, then look for a dev job that can sponsor an Engineer visa after a few months of stay in a sharehouse and working part time jobs
   B) While overseas, try for a dev job that can sponsor my visa and an apartment

   My questions:
   1) In my mind, option A would probably be give me far more options as I’m physically in the country. Is route this advisable?
   2) For option B, if I plan to move in August 2024, when should I started looking for jobs?
   3) Do you have any advice on where and how to locate companies that have more of a western culture and less overtime work ethic?

   Thanks!

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2. Coming from the UK you’d run the risk of not being able to request a change of status from Working Holiday to Engineer. The rules are country specific (and the specific immigration officers don’t always choose to follow the rules), so it could go either way.

   My advice would be to look for the job first and have the employer help you with the relocation.

   ​

   >For option B, if I plan to move in August 2024, when should I start looking for jobs?

   Any reason you’re specifically tied to that month? I mean, if you started looking today and found something in a few months, would you not be able to move to Japan in the fall?

3. The WHV is good but you have to be under 31 to apply.

   Also it’s not that easy to get an engineer visa, especially if you have any standards for salary. Took me 6 months of job searching to get a mediocre offer and I have 6+ years experience.

4. While employed in UK, you might be able to negotiate better compensation with Japanese employers. While in Japan without a job, they have you on the barrel.

   Start applying for jobs from UK, if you get a job before turning 31 while in UK, good for you. Otherwise, a few months before turning 31, apply for WHV and come to Japan.