Check out 13 visa options for moving to Japan!

#日本migrant# Introduction: How does an ordinary person immigrate to Japan? Check out 13 visa options for moving to Japan! Moving abroad for a while – or permanently – is one of the many milestones today’s young people want to experience before settling down. There are many reasons why we decide to live abroad - to explore the culture, further our education, work and earn more money, etc. Among many Asian countries, Japan remains one of the most attractive places for foreigners to settle, especially Americans and Europeans. Japan is also a country of traditional and seasonal festivals, attracting many locals and foreign tourists. Throughout the year, we have no shortage of festivals to witness and experience across the country. Among these festivals, the three most popular ones are the Kanda Matsuri, Tenjin Matsuri, and Gion Matsuri. The following is compiled and published by!

1. Take stock of 13 visa ways to move to Japan

At the same time, the younger generation is attracted to Japan’s vibrant pop culture – anime series and movies, manga series, characters Cosplay conventions, kawaii street fashion, video games, Japanese idols (アイドル), and J-Pop and J-Rock, to name a few. Tokyo, especially Shibuya, Akihabara and Harajuku, is a haven for young otakus from other countries.

There are not many ways to immigrate to Japan, but there are still many visa ways to immigrate to Japan. In my opinion, there are three variables in obtaining a visa: language, study and money. Knowing Japanese opens a lot of doors for you, not only when it comes to visas, but also when it comes to your job search. If you have a higher degree (bachelor's degree), you will be able to apply for a work visa easily as this is almost an essential requirement. Of course, if you have money, you don't need more.

1. Tourist visa

Many people overlook this option when considering coming to Japan for a long-term stay, but the reality is that depending on the agreement with your country/region, you can How many months to stay in the country (for example, EU citizens can stay in Japan for a total of 180 days a year). This is a great choice for your first contact with the country.

If you are a freelancer, or if you work from home, it is just as easy to move for your clients or company and continue working from here. For accommodation, you can use agencies that rent apartments or short-term accommodation for foreigners, shared apartments, "airbnbs", etc. As long as you don't work for a Japanese company, your online job is completely legal for the duration of your stay.

　2. Exchange students

Some schools and universities have agreements with Japan to offer courses for several weeks or months in Japanese centers. There are also many private companies organizing exchanges. Another great option is to take a summer course so you don't miss out on classes in your home country. I understand that in these programs there is an option to stay with a host family, which makes the experience even more interesting. It seemed like a good option to get a feel for local life, learn the language, and make friends. If you have money to pay for such courses, you can find a school without any problem, but what if we don't have enough money? This is where one of the options for coming to Japan comes into play: scholarships.

　3. Japan Scholarships

There are many scholarships available: from your country’s government, the European Union, Japanese universities, etc. Here are some options:

3.1MEXT Scholarships

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) accepts applications from foreign students to study in Japan. There are different types of scholarships: university, master, PhD, research, teaching... You should find information on the page of the Japanese Embassy in your country.

　3.2 JASSO Scholarships

　JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) provides information on different ways to come to Japan as a student, including their own scholarships.

　3.3Vulcanus Program

This scholarship convened by the European Union is mainly aimed at engineering students. Thanks to it, you will be able to learn Japanese and get an internship in a Japanese company.

　3.4 Minerva Program

These are 6-month research scholarships for any professional or researcher from European countries. You can choose from a list of desired research topics or propose your own. At the end of your stay, you must submit a report.

　3.5JSPS Scholarships

　JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) provides a wide range of short-term and long-term research funding in Japan.

4. Japanese language students

If you want to live here for a few years, coming to school to learn Japanese is a good choice. The duration of stay on a student visa is 6 months and the maximum is 2 years. The key is that as a student you can work part-time (up to 28 hours per week), making it easier to obtain a work visa later. I can assure you that once you have a work permit, finding a job will be much easier than finding a company in your home country. Additionally, during those months at school you will learn the language, which is a great advantage. The problem is that these schools are usually very expensive, so I recommend you choose this option to save a lot of money.

Of course, you can also get into these schools on a tourist visa, but if you want to stay longer, you'll need to find a school that lets you get a student visa. If you need help along the way, there are also companies that can help you with paperwork, accommodation, and more.

5. English Teacher

If English is your native language, you will be very familiar with the option of teaching English in Japan. Additionally, it is one of the few options where you can easily find a job from your home country. Unfortunately, other languages ??are not as in demand as English, but it's entirely a matter of researching whether that's the path you want to take.

6. Working Holiday Scheme

This is the option that I always recommend to everyone and is definitely the one that requires less and gives you more advantages. Unlike a student visa or a dependent visa, it allows you to stay in Japan for one year and has the right to work without time restrictions. If your country has this program and you are under age, please do not hesitate to apply for this visa. I use it to come to Japan and everything is fast and easy to get.

7. Internship

People who come to Japanese companies for internships have a special visa (this visa belongs to the "designated activities" group). If your university offers this possibility, you can do an internship here for a few months (or even a year), which will be great for your resume and for your first contact with the Japanese business world. I know many people who came here like this. Although it looks like a temporary visa, if the company hires you after the internship, you will get a valuable work visa.

8. Work Visa

Now, let’s talk about work visas. Before getting to this point, I've talked about several ways to do this as a student, scholarship recipient, intern, etc. Why? Because I think it will be much easier to get a work visa once you are already in Japan. Finding a company that can take you from your country is much more complicated.

Within the work visa group, there are many categories based on your industry, but they all have one thing in common: you must have received higher education or demonstrated some experience. Typically, a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for visa approval. Otherwise, you typically need between 3 and 10 years of experience in your field.

9. Visas for artists, photographers, musicians, dancers, etc.

These visas fall under the category of "work visas", but I want to talk about them in more detail because some people have asked me about this. For this type of visa, a university degree may not be required, but you must prove in detail that you are a professional in the field, endorse the activities you will carry out in the country, the companies you will work with, the duration of your project, your income, etc. . You will not get these visas unless you have a solid contract or agreement with a Japanese company beforehand. I have a photographer friend who came here on this visa and I know it's not easy to get (and keep)... but it's not impossible either.

10. Freelance visa (self-financed visa)

If we are self-employed, what options do we have? Do freelancers have visas? Yes and no. When my working holiday visa was coming to an end, the first route I tried to take was to apply for a "self-funded visa" because before that, I was working remotely as a freelancer for different companies in Japan and abroad. I went to the immigration office to see if anyone could shed any light on this and I was surprised to find that they had no idea what I was talking about. Bad news, the visa commonly known online as "self-funded visa" does not exist like this. This method of applying for a visa is just a work visa, rather than proving your contract with one company, you have to do the same thing for all your different clients. Since it is not official, there is no specific data in the official page, but from what I understood during my research, you must show all your contracts with Japanese companies, payslips, etc. in immigration (important, if you work for an external company it does not count Including) prove that you will have a stable income of at least 3 million yen per year. Additionally, as with work visas, one of the clients must act as the "sponsoring" company, filling out and signing the main application form with their "hanko" (stamped). All in all, similar to a ‘work visa’ process, but with more steps and a high risk of rejection. But hey, that doesn't mean it's impossible! I know people who renewed their visas for several years this way, so I have proof that it can be done.

11. Business Manager Visa and Entrepreneurship Visa

If you want to start a business in Japan, you need a "Business Manager Visa". Among them, you must prove a capital of 5 million yen, have a physical office in Japan, submit a business plan, prove that your salary is sufficient to live in the country, and hire at least one employee.

The "Entrepreneurship Visa" program is a temporary license designed to help entrepreneurs who do not have the time or resources to apply directly for a "Business Manager Visa". The requirements are more flexible, but this is not a long-term solution as the idea is that after 6 months or a year (depending on the county) your business will be eligible to apply for a Business Manager Visa. Please follow /Groupon_2.html for a guide to applying for a Japanese residence status visa

12. Specified skilled workers

You may be wondering what happens to jobs that do not require higher education.

Just a year ago, the government released a new visa focused on workers in construction, agriculture, hospitality, elderly care and other industries. But don’t think this visa is a good deal as they ask for a lot of requirements such as passing tests to prove your skills and having basic Japanese language proficiency (N4). It also has a lot of disadvantages, such as the total time you can stay in the country is limited to 5 years, and it is not compatible with the Dependent Visa (i.e. you cannot bring your spouse or children into the country). Of course, you also A contract with the company sponsoring you is required to apply for this visa.

13. Dependent visa and spouse visa

If you are married to a non-Japanese who obtained a job in Japan, you can apply for a dependent visa. With this visa you will be able to live in the country, but your working hours are limited to 28 hours per week. This visa is also used to bring your children to the country. Please note that not all work visas are compatible with dependent visas. For example, if you are granted a Working Holiday or Specified Skilled Worker visa, your family will not be eligible for a dependent visa.

If you are married to a Japanese, you will be able to apply for a spousal visa. This visa allows you to work full-time (among other benefits). Remember that in this case you are directly dependent on your marriage, so in the event of divorce (or death of your spouse) you will lose your visa and risk losing your visa if you do not get another visa to stay in the country The risk of having to leave the country is Japan.