Partner has CoE and 3 year work visa. I gave up my job back home and am on a “visiting a relative” / dependent visa for the same 3 year period. Initially we were only going to be here for 6 months but as we really like Japan we’re going to stay for another 18 months. Which means I should keep busy and get a job. My skill set and experience mean I shouldn’t find it too difficult to get a job which comes with a CoE and appropriate visa. My question is.. what if it doesn’t work out (we have small kids that need looking after) and I / we want me to return to the same dependent visa and status I’m on now. How would that path work?
2 comments
Semantics but will make a huge difference in your search results.
You are not here on a visa. For Japan a visa is purely used for entering the country. When you enter the country using a visa you’re issued a status of residence.
It’s the status of residence that allows you to live here (and work if applicable). You are currently living with a status of residence for a dependent. If you want to get a full time job you’d apply for a change of status. No CoE needed, no visa needed.
If you decide you don’t want to work anymore then you’d apply for another change of status back to dependent.
The full details for the change of status request can be found here:
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-2.html?hl=en
You can work up to 28 hours a week on a dependent resident status, so you don’t really even need to change – if 28 hours is sufficient. You job-hunt for part-time or 3/4 time, get the job, turn in the “permission to engage in activities…” application, and carry on.