At the very last minute I’ve got an opportunity to get a WHV before I reach the age limit next week. I’ve got an appointment at the embassy in the UK and the only real hurdle seems to be obtaining this ERFS. Do I need a company in Japan to sponsor me / have a job lined up? I do have a friend in a Japan but not sure if he has his own business or works freelance if they would be of any help to me? Thank you!
UPDATE:
So I’ve been very lucky to get all this sorted before my ultimate age restricted deadline this week and I’ve secured the ERFS visa from a small restaurant business in Japan I had contacted initially years ago about possible English speaking jobs there.
I randomly asked if they’d be willing to sign up and add me to their account to generate the certificate and they were kindly willing to do so.
It seemed like a fairly straightforward process of the business signing up to the system and receiving log in details the next day (on a Saturday) and then when they entered my info for a certificate they got one issued on the same day.
So if you can make contact with a company to sign you up then it’s pretty quick. But maybe it needs to be in their interest and a company you actually plan to apply for as they have to regularly notify the system of your health status so carries some admin for them while you’re out there (how often it wasn’t clear)
UPDATE 2:
Visa was submitted last week at the Embassy in London, the representative giggled at how I was only a few days off the age limit. Going to collect in the next week so fingers crossed it’s been successful.
UPDATE 3:
Successfully obtained a WHV!
Hope this helps others!
9 comments
So, to get an ERFS currently you have to have a company / legal entity that pays tax registered in Japan as they need a National Tax number essentially. (they also need a corporate email, but that is just a web domain an mail server). The company then has to apply for login details to the ERFS system which can take a couple of days for them to be verified as a legit company.
Once they are verified etc they can register the fact they are sponsoring you, and get you an ERFS.
This is, 99.9% not happening for a Working Holiday Visa. usually because you arent going to have a locked in job that is willing to sponsor you.. if you do have a job locked in you could ask the company.
Hello there! Was wondering how you got on. I’m in a similar situation. Contacted the WU, their 800euro fee plus additional deposit doesn’t seem too reasonable to me.
[removed]
I’m hunting for the ERFS sponsor now too – I thought my friend would work as the sponsor and have an embassy appointment at the end of this week! I’ve discovered that language skills will sponsor your visa if you’re planning to study with them for at least 2 weeks so I’ve contacted one in Tokyo and fingers-crossed I can get the certificate this week!
I am now in a similar situation, what would be the best way to find one a business or company to work for to sponsor an ERFS, if you have no connections to any companies or the likes in Japan yet?
Congrats on the getting everything sorted! I hope youre enjoying Japan.
Do you, or anyone else, know if an ERFS would allow me to go work and live elsewhere in Japan from where the entity that acquired the ERFS for me is, with no intent to return there?
I just went through this process and learnt a few things on the way…things you should know about timing and ERFS:
Nominated Dates: You cannot choose an entry date that is beyond 6 months of the date of application. However, you are able to change the date after being accepted – apparently. I don’t know what the process is in doing this.
The time it takes to get one: Should be within a couple of days of the company applying for the ERFS on your behalf.
Apply early – get your ERFS asap: Consulates get booked out weeks in advance. You need an appointment to apply for your visa. If you’re not ready for the appointment (have your ERFS ready in hand), you’ll need to rebook. Important to know if you’re trying to pull one at last minute.
Hey mate, I’m thinking of applying for a WHV too, did you have to give them your intended place of stay in advance? (to get the erfs)
Congrats! Just leaving a note from the side that issued ERFS:
Like OP said in updates, it was very straightforward process. The whole thing for me was about 5 minutes from the time I type the information to get the certificate. I’m still not sure about how long they would keep the information in their database (as they don’t explicitly mention the expire date, and the exact reason why they require this certificate is not clearly explained, although I suppose this whole purpose is to ensure the entrant follows the Japanese COVID policy by asking someone from business entity to look out for them).
Not sure how long the gov will keep this thing going, but in case someone had to obtain this, it might be helpful to let someone from potential employer know that the whole ERFS process is indeed very easy and fast (costs no money, no need to attend office in case one had an online account for business registration called gBizID).