Currently I am living in Australia and my girlfriend is japanese. She has family still living in Japan. She needs to go back to Japan soon. And I would like to come with her (if the covid restrictions allow it at any time soon.) I’m thinking about instead of getting a 3 month stay visa I could try and apply for a 1 year working visa with her father’s workplace. Her father owns a physiotherapy practice in her hometown and I could work as a cleaner or as a cook in the cafeteria. As I am a chef currently working in a Japanese restaurant and I know alot about japanese cooking.
So is that an option provided her father agrees and sponsors me. Is there any stipulations on working visas about how many hours you must work or you can’t be sponsored by and girlfriends family. I have no idea.
2 comments
>I could work as a cleaner or as a cook in the cafeteria.
These are not professions that would be eligible for visa sponsorship.
>I am a chef currently working in a Japanese restaurant and I know alot about japanese cooking.
Japanese immigration does not feel that there is a shortage of Japanese chefs requiring foreign talent.
>Currently I am living in Australia
If you’re an Australian citizen you could go for a working holiday visa, which would give you up to 18 months living in Japan. On this visa you would be permitted to work for your girlfriend’s father if you wanted.
It sounds like you have your answer, but if you’re not ready for marriage then the working holiday visa is the next best option (and unfortunately not an option at the moment).
The Specified Skills Visa allows people to work in the cleaning industry or food industry in Japan, BUT the information on this visa is vague. What’s not vague is that you have to pass an industry test for your field (which is probably not offered in Australia) and a Japanese language test (maybe JLPT N4 or around that level if they ever created the language test they said they would). On top of that the father’s company would have to be eligible to get this sort of visa, which I believe is limited. This visa is typically for blue collar jobs like you describe, aimed mostly at southeast asian countries. I don’t know if they are letting people in on this visa. It would be much easier to get a working holiday visa and spouse visa (if/when you’re ready).
I’m sorry there’s not a better answer at this time.