Hi there! I’m a French video game dev, I lived in Japan with a 3-year Engineer/Specialist visa, but left the country before the end of my visa to pursue some professional opportunities.
Turned out Japan is really the place where I want to live, and I’m trying to come back in 2024. I have my own company (only employee at the moment, but I want to grow in Japan) and have been talking to an immigration lawyer about how I could sponsor my own visa in Japan. One of his suggestions was to start with a Representative Office and an intra-company transferee visa, and once I’m ready to settle, open a branch office.
I have another option: a Japanese friend is ready to hire me and sponsor my visa, which would be an Engineer/Specialist visa, probably for 3 years. But I don’t want to be a burden for him and would prefer if I could do it on my own and expand my company.
I’d like to hear from people who opened a Representative Office or got hired as Representative agents: how long was your visa, how hard was it to open a bank account, to find a place with an intra-company transferee visa? How expensive was it to open the RO? How hard was it to open a KK afterwards, etc… any experience really.
I also have control over how much I pay myself. What do you think would be the most appropriate salary to make sure I don’t scare the landlords? Would 3 times the rent be enough? Do they only ask for payslips or would an annual tax report (which includes dividends and my wife’s income) also help?
I have a non-Japanese wife and a 20 pounds dog which is considered big in Japan. It already felt like a miracle when we found our place the first time, I don’t want to add even more obstacles.
Thanks!
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This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**Any Representative Office experience?**
Hi there! I’m a French video game dev, I lived in Japan with a 3-year Engineer/Specialist visa, but left the country before the end of my visa to pursue some professional opportunities.
Turned out Japan is really the place where I want to live, and I’m trying to come back in 2024. I have my own company (only employee at the moment, but I want to grow in Japan) and have been talking to an immigration lawyer about how I could sponsor my own visa in Japan. One of his suggestions was to start with a Representative Office and an intra-company transferee visa, and once I’m ready to settle, open a branch office.
I have another option: a Japanese friend is ready to hire me and sponsor my visa, which would be an Engineer/Specialist visa, probably for 3 years. But I don’t want to be a burden for him and would prefer if I could do it on my own and expand my company.
I’d like to hear from people who opened a Representative Office or got hired as Representative agents: how long was your visa, how hard was it to open a bank account, to find a place with an intra-company transferee visa? How expensive was it to open the RO? How hard was it to open a KK afterwards, etc… any experience really.
I also have control over how much I pay myself. What do you think would be the most appropriate salary to make sure I don’t scare the landlords? Would 3 times the rent be enough? Do they only ask for payslips or would an annual tax report (which includes dividends and my wife’s income) also help?
I have a non-Japanese wife and a 20 pounds dog which is considered big in Japan. It already felt like a miracle when we found our place the first time, I don’t want to add even more obstacles.
Thanks!
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