Advice on the elusive cultural studies visa

[obear]

[Iraira]

Hi!
Does anybody here have any experience with the Japanese Cultural studies visa?
I wanted to pick your brains about something that seems quite vague even within the Japanese immigration office itself.

Is it or is it not possible to get a work permit for part time work if you are in Japan under the cultural studies visa? I’]Anyone have any experience on this?[/B]

Or can anyone direct me to any useful informative site about this topic?
o..

I had one of those when I first came here. Got it through the JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences). The guy at the counsellate in LA said that he wasn't sure what VISA to give me, as it was a tax-free research grant to study the genetics of aging and density-dependent natural selection (in fruitflies, not in Japanese persons...hell, not even in Japanese fruitflies) ...whatever...well, basically, I don't know what it means or how to go about it, but it looked nice in the passport and I did answer your first question, "Anyone have any experience on this?", so I feel like I was a little bit helpful.

[Mike Oxlong]

A friend is got one for practicing karate. It helped that he'd been a student for almost 20 years with the same organization in the US before moving here to train at their hombu dojo. He needed to apply for a separate permit from immigration to allow up to 20 hours/week part-time work. Some people work without the additional permit. It can be done, and you might not get caught. Not sure if it's worth the risk.

[obear]

This is great!

i knew this would be the best place to find others that have this visa. ( or had it)
So far it sounds like it could be done.

But i'm also curious if anyone has any ideas on the risks.
i once heard that the tax department doesn't share info with the immigration department as a way to encourage employers to be more honest with their taxes. I see the logic but wonder if this is true.

i would like to get our guy onboard legally but i also want to do a risk assessment if we decide to hire him under the table.

Absolutely any input is greatly appreciated.

o..

[obear]

Hi everyone,

So this is some good news for the community at large. Recently I went with our guy to the Sendai immigration office, and under the cultural studies visa, his work permit was granted easily and on the spot. I am not sure if he was lucky or if this is actually routine. We showed up, showed the passport and Alien card, submitted the work permit request form and about an hour and a half later, we were called up to the window and the officer forked over the permit.

My experience throughout all this was that I researched this issue and became familiar with the procedures and tried to speak to as many people as possible ( ideally those with experience on the matter) and then went in to make the application.
In this case the officer at the branch office was simply not familiar with the rules but rather admit that he needed to look into it, or ask his superiors, he decided to arbitrarily refuse the application tell us that it was simply not allowed.

Realizing that this was highly inconsistent with all the other information I had come across, we went to the main immigration office where they 1) where much more familiar with this procedure and 2) could actually speak in English if language and communication actually became an issue.

At the main office, they simply accepted our information and granted the work permit.


So if anyone is wondering, you absolutely can obtain a part time work permit under a cultural visa. This permit allows work up to about 25 hours per week and was valid for the same duration as the cultural visa itself. If anyone has further question about this topic, please contact me directly I would love to help out and share my positive experience with the community at large.

[Mulboyne]

If anyone has further question about this topic, please contact me directly I would love to help out and share my positive experience with the community at large.

Thanks for sharing that with the board, obear.

[24yroldjunior]

I plan on going to Japan through WWOOF and will not be working for pay. I am an American and would like to stay for more than the 90 day temporary tourist visa allows. How do you apply for the cultural studies visa, I couldn't find this info on the Japanese consulate website. Are there any other ways an American can stay in Japan for more than 90 days without a work or study visa? Anyone have experience with extending the 90 day visa??

Thanks

[Mr Doricar]

Fly to Korea for the weekend and come back in at a different airport to get another 90 day visa.

[ttjereth]

Fly to Korea for the weekend and come back in at a different airport to get another 90 day visa.

Has been mentioned plenty of times elsewhere here, but that is not a sure fire method. Plenty of people get caught and refused admission.

[IkemenTommy]

Fly to Korea for the weekend and come back in at a different airport to get another 90 day visa.

If it's that easy to get a visa, trust me the J government has already caught on.

[FG Lurker]

Fly to Korea for the weekend and come back in at a different airport to get another 90 day visa.

Sure, this has gotta work -- immigration never checks your passport stamps, right?

[rooboy]

Anybody got more info on the cultural visa? I want to tell another mate back home about visas (not the bloke who screwed himself over by not paying his dues) and he has not one fucking clue about the cultural visa. And I sure don't.

Anybody know:

1) About how much it is
2) If you wanna study Japanese does it have to be an expensive place like a uni affiliated private school or whatever?
3) Can you still get a special permit to work while you're studying?

[BigInJapan]

Fly to Korea for the weekend and come back in at a different airport to get another 90 day visa.

I did exactly that in the early 90's after my first 3 months when things were much less strict.
A few years later, a Canadian friend's GF tried something similar (went to Thailand after 90 days), and being not too bright, when asked by immigration at Narita why she only had Y10,000 on her, she said she had a job and an apartment waiting to go back to (on a tourist visa).
Needless to say, she was on the next plane back home to Canada...

[Christoff]

this might help. http://forum.gaijinpot.com/showthread.php?t=70131