Hi everyone, I would like to share my experience and see if someone can maybe relate and/or help me.
To explain my situation: I have already two degrees, I already lived in Japan by the past, and my besties and I are currently opening a company in Japan. We are now dealing with all the local researches and capital stuff. We successfully have been approved by the Tokyo Metropolitan Governement and we have a lawyer with us, he is going to follow the project for a while.
In June 2022 I started a japanese language school for one year, with the hope that in one year I can manage to have the working visa from our own company. Unfortunately it tooks more than 8 months to have a positive answer from TMG, so now I run out of time on my current student visa (available until September but my school’s term ends in June).
Since 2021, japanese language school students are allowed to apply for the job hunting visa (特定活動) if they already graduated overseas. So I decided to start my application with the help of my lawyer. I have proofs of job hunting and some interviews appointments per mail. I also have enough money on my bank account. The problem is my school… I asked them for a recommendation letter, but they just don’t want to give it to me. Not because of my attendance or not even my grades. Just because they don’t want. Or should I say “they can’t”.
The main reason would be that I did one year from june to june and not from april to april (so until japanese usual graduation) so for them I am not graduating from their school. I would just have a “certificate of completion” (more like a 修了書 ?).
But I saw people leaving school for job hunting, not even graduating and they succeeded to have this recommendation letter from japanese language school. My school is listed in the immigration approved list and provides 就職 support and more. So I don’t understand why they refuse to do so. My lawyer is planning to call them.
Just in case, did some people already applied for job hunting without a recommendation letter ? Is that doable ?
Or do someone has an idea why my school don’t want to give me this letter ?
Thank you very much for reading !
Update: The school lied to my lawyer and told him that I didn’t finish my course but that I am dropping school on purpose, that’s why they won’t do it. But I enrolled only for one year…
5 comments
Because the expansion of the job hunting visa to language schools as well as universities is still new and it’s a hell of a lot of paperwork on their end that they don’t feel capable of doing. The 特定活動９ (‘job hunting visa’) has a list of continuous requirements that reminds me of one of the more sadistic post-long-term-rightist-government benefit application processes from my birth country.
I dunno why they’re getting you for that seeing as you appear up to deal with a lot of the paperwork yourself though. Maybe just a “it’s a kimari that we don’t deal with that shit” situation. I’ll be interested to hear what the effect of a lawyer getting involved is.
As mentioned already, you can only work 28 hours per week. There is a tiny loophole as a student, in the event you have finished your credits, but still have a semester to go, you can apply through your uni for 40 hours work limit permission. My friend is currently using this loophole.
I also was hoping to get the job hunting visa from my language school, but everyone told me it wasn’t possible to obtain from them, only from universities. I even went to ask information to immigrant help centers/job hunting services but they told me the same thing.
Weird you found a different rule. Somehow I wonder then if they’re just out of the loop or if it’s just too mendokusai for them to do so.
Yeah. It’s a relatively new rule, so most schools don’t know about it or are unwilling to do the work to file for the application.
I did job hunting while I was still on my student visa and didn’t need (nor was asked) for a letter of recommendation.
idk if this helps. We’re kind of in a different situation. Well I got the 特定活動 visa for a month. I transitioned from 専門学校 from
it. Not the regular Japanese Language School one.
Basically what I passed to
the immigration was certificate of graduation(maybe this is applicable in language schools too and the one you need), Pamphlets of the facility im working in, work contract, and overview and income of the company.