Job hunting might seem difficult when you are not sure what you want to do. When you are looking for a job, how do you know which VISA is applicable for what sort of industry? DON'T WORRY! In this article we will explain and give you tips on how to do job hunting; as well as some helpful tips to live in Japan. Be a Jimoto-min aka jimomin, a local with us!
Working VISAs in Japan
There are different kinds of status of residences and when you work, you need a status of residence that allows you to work. There are many statuses of residence that allow you to work in Japan, but today I will introduce the most common status of residence to work,commonly for international students, the Designated Activities 46 hereby known as Specific Activities no. 46 VISA.
For Specific Activities no. 46 VISA, residence is allowed to stay in Japan and work/engage in activities that are not permitted under other VISAs with a special permission from the Ministry of Justice.
What is Designated Activities 46
Specific Activities no. 46 VISA is designed specifically for “designated by the Minister of Justice for individual foreign nationals.” The activities which are not categorised under any other VISA are permitted by the Ministry of Justice. As explained in the other article, jobs which can not be done using an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services VISA might be done using this VISA.
This is a new VISA which was put into effect from May 2019; aiming to increase the employment opportunities for foreigners looking to work in Japan. With this VISA, they will be able to work in even more industries.
Conditions to apply:
- Education background
You must complete your education (undergraduate or postgraduate) in Japan and have a degree. Those who dropped out or go to Japanese language school, technical school or a foreign university can not apply.
- Japanese level
You must have N1 Japanese Level or 480 points or higher on your BJT exams. However, if you have graduated from a Japanese or foreign university, majoring in Japanese this condition may be waived.
* if you graduated from a foreign university majoring in Japanese, your Japanese level may be waived but not your the first condition which is completing your education in Japan
- Wage
Similar to other VISAs, the salary when working with this VISA must be the same or more as a Japanese national who is in the same or related job field.
- Full time
With this VISA you are only allowed to work as a full time employer which includes regular employees and contact employees. This means, part time or temporary worker is not applicable.
When to renew?
Specific Activities no. 46 VISA permits have four durations for period of stay: 6 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years) SImilar to the ESI VISA, the duration is decided by the Immigration Bureau of Japan. There are no restrictions on renewal and on the total length of stay after a certain period of time and if the conditions are met, it is possible to apply for permanent resident status.
What kind of jobs can you apply
| Industry | Job description |
| Restaurants | Customer service, interpreter, content planning*Can not engage only in washing and cleaning |
| Retail stores | Interpreter, Management, Inventory check |
| Hotel | Customer service, Interpreter, Web Design |
| Nursing | Training foreign staff |
| Manufacturing | Instructing foreign staff, guiding and translation Japanese to foreign staff, Management, Quality Control |
Summary
Deciding which VISAs you can apply can be confusing and complicated. Furthermore, it takes a few months for your application to be accepted. Therefore, it is advisable to look into the VISAs terms and conditions a few months in advance before applying for it.
More importantly, when job hunting you should know what kind of jobs you want to do and then check what VISA is applicable for that activity.
How can we help you!
Too much to think about? Talk to our global career counsellor who are well experienced in VISA applications and finding jobs for FREE! In jimomin.work, we offer career counselling where you can discuss your problems and understand what sort of jobs you want to do.
We aim to spread awareness and give tips and information which are not taught in school or universities. Changing residence card, what is an Entry sheet, how to reserve a moving company; we cover all sorts of topics.
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