VISA in passport but no job

12 comments

1. yes

2. Yes.

3. lol nice. The only annoying part would be finding a place to live while you dont have a job. Also setting up a bank account.

4. this is possibly a better scenario than coming and finding out you don’t like the job. use it to your advantage!

5. You need to inform immigration of any changes to your working situation.

6. Yes but the visa is only for specific jobs. And those jobs I bet have a hiring process that takes weeks or months, so I wouldnt hop on a plane until your hired by a new company.

   But congrats, on jobsinjapan, gaijinpot etc there are jobs you can search by “having a visa” and some of them are nicer than ones that visa sponsor

7. Yeah! Just make sure you tell immigration of your situation. Also depending on what type of visa it is, you’ll be able to do different jobs. Like, if it’s an instructor visa you’re gonna need to do ALT work, etc.

8. Start applying online now for jobs and make sure you say that you are already in Japan (Even if you’re not yet)

9. …. I believe the VISA is linked to the job, esp. if they sponsored it.

   The VISA may not be valid if they do not sponsor you anymore; Check that before you do ANYTHING else.

10. Don’t inform immigration of the change in circumstances until you find a new job. I never did and it never pinged back on me. You don;t need to go dobbing yourself in.

11. OP, if you use that visa to enter Japan on a work visa, you will be writing a black mark on your own immigration record that will be immediately noticeable by authorities when it comes time to renew the status or change it, because you will have entered Japan under the pretext of working for Company A but there will be no record of you ever having worked there, and if immigration services calls them up, they will probably be able to produce records showing that your job offer was rescinded and this was communicated to you *before* you used the visa to enter Japan.

    Other commenters on this post seem to be under the impression that since you can change jobs within Japan while remaining on the same status (在留資格), you can do the same before entering Japan (i.e. when you have been granted no status/在留資格 at all yet since you have not undergone the landing permission procedure needed to be granted one), because you have been granted a visa (査証).
    While 在留資格 is often translated as “visa” which leads to confusion like this, they are distinct things and the same flexibility does not apply.

    If you were to use this visa to enter Japan theres a real likelihood you would be flagging yourself to authorities as committing fraud to enter the country which could get you kicked out and banned from entering again for a while.

    If you don’t believe me, please consider the risks if what I’m saying is true and call up the Immigration Services Bureau and tell them that you have 1. been granted a COE, and 2. after that a visa at the embassy/consulate, but 3. that you have not entered Japan yet, and 4. most importantly your job offer was completely canceled so you currently have no work in Japan, and ask them how to proceed. You can call the embassy/consulate and ask the same to them too, but the question is more the field of the Immigration Services Bureau.

    You would probably be told that you need to cancel the visa at the embassy/consulate, and return the COE (most likely to the Immigration Services Bureau).

    I’m writing this post on the off-chance that you are looking to follow the rules and not get in trouble, and since it seems like the other posters are advising you to do something that will make your life harder in the future.

    You can find another job to sponsor another visa for you, but if you get on immigration services’ naughty list once its hard to get them to trust you again.

12. Hello from a freelancer.

    I have work visa like you and I just renewed my visa again.

    Because I am a freelancer, my job frequently changes .

    And you know what, I don’t think immigration cares. They renewed my visa again in June for another 5 years.

    I think as long as you work within the restrictions of your visa category,they don’t care if your company is A ,B or C. You pay your taxes right ,commit no crimes, work within your visa restrictions,I don’t think they care.

    I actually worked for a recruitment company in 2018 when I applied for that visa. Then I got fired after three months but I already had a 5 year visa. I decided to freelance.. How do I declare that, freelance is freelance. At my busiest, I was hustling for 12 companies (yes, the stories on r/overemployed are true ! )
    I couldn’t declare to the immigration that I “switched” companies because one company would be dormant for half a year then hire me again .

    Now I renewed my visa they asked if I did change my job – I said yes( I no longer work for any of the 12 companies but I later realized they were asking if I was still a recruiter ). Now I work for only one, on a gyomu itaku contract. but I have been with this company for 3 years . I didn’t know I had to fill out a form. Anyway they still gave me 5 years, so maybe they don’t really care .

    This time just me to fill out a form (from counter D2 of the second floor of immigration in Shinagawa) . You can sign it and send it to them. You don’t need any company stamp.
    .
    You can enter Japan , search for a job . You already have a visa so you don’t have to switch to a floating visa. Once this visa expires though you need to switch to a floating one.