Quite frustrated here for one of my employees. He had been working with us for a year and a half while in Language School and recently decided to finish his courses. We were excited and offered him a full-time job and a visa sponsorship. We were shocked today to learn that his visa was not approved, and he is being provided a temporary stay visa before he needs to leave Japan. Can anyone help with my understanding of this? We sponsor many teachers and have over 20 years of experience as a company in navigating immigration, but this is a first for me.
We understood that he had not completed a 4-year degree, but he had at least had the proper work experience. However, the catch was:
>留学中の職務経験はフルタイムでなければ実務経験年数にカウントできない。彼は留学Visaだったため、週28時間以内の就労しか認められておらず、パートとして勤務していました。
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>Work experience while studying abroad cannot be counted as years of work experience unless it is a full-time job.
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>Because he was on a student visa, he was only allowed to work 28 hours a week and worked part-time.
It makes no sense to me. Even though he does not have a degree, he clearly works, provides for himself, and pays taxes. He is going to language school to find a job in Japan. He found one with my company for English teaching. He loved this country and enjoyed this job, and we were ready to help him set up his life here.. but speaking with him on the phone while he was standing alone at immigration was just really hard… I will do what I can for him, but.. its as if I was the one that lied to him with false hope of securing a visa.
I am unsure if anyone knows of any loopholes we can navigate. It may not be possible for him, and I can accept that – but again, what is the point of Language School? Lately, the teachers we have been working with have been struggling with switching to working visas, and it seems like there is zero support for students to secure a job. Similar to TIU students, there is no support for them to find work, and the job-searching visa seems challenging to obtain in my experience (3 teachers from there).
They should have disclaimers encouraging people not to move here if they don’t meet job standards for hire. Does that mean people with online English teaching experience while “studying abroad” do not count either?
10 comments
The point of Japanese language school is to learn Japanese.
The point of immigration is to grant visas to people who meet the minimum qualifications for a work visa. Japan has some of the lowest requirements in the world for this. You even posted why he didn’t get approved for the visa. Not sure what you’re actually asking – he doesn’t meet the minimum requirements for a visa they’re not going to give him one.
What does the language school have to do with it?
I have a 4-year degree and currently a Highly Skilled Professional visa, but the scrivener who helped with my visa application still advised me to clarify my work experience because my CV was originally worded as though my freelance technical position wasn’t full-time.
Language school is to learn Japanese. It does not confer any award/diploma. If the person didn’t meet immigration requirements, they didn’t meet the requirements, and you probably shouldn’t have promised what you can’t provide.
Another day another “I don’t understand what words mean” rant on /japanlife
Whilst any work is ‘work experience’ to some extent it’s perhaps not ‘professional’ or ‘career’ experience which I guess is what the visa requirements are stipulating. A shame of course but there are no doubt many people the world over that could do a decent job elsewhere but the rules prevent it for one reason or another.
Why don’t you try other visa types?
Maybe under humanities etc he can’t qualify, but what about, idk, tokuteiginou? or better, go to a lawyer and find out a pathway.
Idk the details of visa types and their criteria, but ranting about minimum visa requirements won’t change anything.
If you succeeded, it can make a precedent to be followed up by others that have similar cases.
He doesn’t have a degree = he can’t get a work visa
This isn’t that complex
No degree means no work visa, unless have 10 years work experience.
Even that still pretty difficult.
So the only option was to just go home, or aim for tokutei ginou.
But since He’s being provided with temporary visa then most likely going home is the only option.
This is what happen when people just yolo and did not do proper research.
Basically if you have no degree, and go to language school to work in japan :
> Get JLPT N4
> Pass SSW exam
> Find workplace who willing to sponsor visa (related to the SSW)
Most of the prep are doable before even coming to japan.
“I was told a very clear and concise reason, but I don’t like it, so can Reddit tell me what I want to hear even though it’s wrong?”
I think it is pretty clear that only full-time work experience counts.