How to live in Japan for another year after WH visa ends?

Hello!

My WH visa ends in 3 months and I want to stay here one more year.

My boss will sponsor me but I work at a Restaurant, but immigration said that is not work I can get sponsored for. I heard there is a visa for unskilled work; construction, marine ect but it requires N4 but I am far from that level. I also have no degree!

I would do any work, and do have construction experience.

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

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Thank you!

11 comments
  1. No options that I can think of in your situation. You’ll likely need to make peace with returning home.

    Edit: As the others have said, language school might be possible but there’s tons of caveats.

    First, you’ll need to demonstrate 2million yen/year in savings.

    Second, you’re only allowed to work up to 28h per week with permission from immigration.

    Third, once your student visa is over, you are unlikely to be able to get a work visa due to your lack of a degree.

    It would push the date of your return a little further though.

  2. Save as much money as you can over the next 3 months and enter a language school. You can work part time while studying. Then maybe you can get another job after that.

  3. Mh no options I’m certain of.

    Enrolling in a language school and getting a student visa MAY be an option but I’m not sure.

  4. If immigration told you can’t get a work visa for that and you have no degree, then your out of options, you’ll have to return to your country, and that “unskilled visa” is from organizations who specialize in training people outside Japan who also complete technical intern training or can pass a skills/Japanese test and all this is done from outside japan

  5. if you can afford it, i’ve heard you can just leave japan for 3 months (take a lil vaca in one of the cheaper asian countries) then re-enter with a fresh visa?

  6. you need to have actual skills to stay. at this point you can offer nothing to the country.

    also N4 is a very low level barely enough for even daily conversation so try to get at least that level. if you love Japan so much how come you put zero effort in learning the language in this 1 year?

  7. I’m sorry to hear that but your options are extremely limited. Having a degree, in any field really, will greatly help but also not guarantee anything. Given that you’re on a WH you’re already likely from a rather wealthy nation (only three in Asia anyway) so if you can support it, consider enrolling in a language school.
    But be aware that attendance requirements etc are taken much more seriously now.

    Beyond that the reality is you need to be able to offer skills. A coding bootcamp, while expensive and loathed by many here on Reddit, has been highly praised bt some of my friends who got decent jobs out of it. But ymmv. Not everyone should be a coder, also not sure if immigration still needs a degree

  8. Thanks for the help everyone, I guess I will do boarder runs. I know someone who did for 2 years. Maybe not the best but my only option as I will only stay one year

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