Experiences with getting an exception from the Immigration Bureau for work on a Cultural Activities visa ?

4 comments

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

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   **Experiences with getting an exception from the Immigration Bureau for work on a Cultural Activities visa ?**

   Normally you can’t work with a cultural activities visa however i’ve read that you can apply for an exemption to this rule for work that doesn’t interfere with your main activity. This [website](https://www.tokyoimmigration.jp/?p=187) says:
   “but if the work does not interfere with the primary purpose of your stay stipulated by the visa, then it is possible to work part time by applying for a *Permit for Other Activities* at the Immigration Bureau of Japan and be approved for it.”

   Does anyone have any experience doing this and/or know what sorts of jobs people could apply for ? I would like to know this process.

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   Thanks

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2. Without a ***lot*** more information it’s impossible to answer this question.

   The cultural activities visa is explicitly a non-working visa. And it has been prone to abuse in the past, so you would need to make a *very* good case to even be considered for an exemption, much less actually created one.

   It’s going to depend on the purpose of your visa, how long your intended stay is, where you’re from, and a bunch of different factors. Basically it’s a stereotypical example of “Every situation is different”

3. Have a look at the official documentation:
   https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/guide/nyuukokukanri07_00045.html

   You’re not eligible for blanket permissions, so you’d need a specific job with specific working conditions (wages, hours, job description, etc) as part of the application. I’d imagine for most part time employers the hassle wouldn’t be worth it.

4. Typically immigration will only give this permission for this type of visa if the job is somehow related to the cultural activity being studied, such as an ikebana student working in a flower shop, or a shamisen student working at a luthier.