So exactly how fucked am I?

[ADHWGT]

Okay, I should have done this a long time ago. My apologies if this is posted in the wrong sub-forum, or if I'm breaking some other rule I'm not aware of.

My situation: I've been in Japan for close to a year now, on a student visa (with the work permit thing), studying Japanese while doing freelance work on the side for a company (a newspaper, to be specific) in my home country. The 15 months on my visa are up in December. As I probably should have anticipated, I'm not super keen on moving home in six months. So I'd like to know what my alternatives are at this point.

What I have: around eight years of full-time work experience as a journalist/designer. What I don't have: a university degree

Sorry if I come across as super naive/uninformed. I've spent untold hours googling this stuff the last months, but it's kind of hard to find clear cut answers about my specific situation and what options are available to me. So I figured I'd ask you guys instead

On to the questions:

1. The whole eikaiwa racket. I have no qualifications whatsoever, other than being a pretty good (non-native) English speaker. Even if the pay is crap, I figure I could get by if I keep freelancing on the side. But is this even an option for me? Would it be possible for me to score a visa this way?

2. I know it's possible, but really hard (or so I've heard), to get a work visa if you don't have a degree. Is it worth trying, though? How would I go about doing that? I actually sent my CV to one of those recruitment agencies, but since I lack a degree, I figure my chances aren't looking that good.

3. Would taking the JLPT N2 test (which is actually tomorrow, LOL) help my chances in any way at all?

4. My favorite option is the journalist visa. A friend of mine (a fellow freelancer) has one, and for what it's worth, I talked to a lawyer who said he's 99% percent sure he could get me one... for an astronomical fee, of course. However, I'm not sure I understand what the requirements actually are for freelance journalists. Do I have to prove that I'm going to make a certain amount each month? Would I have to pay Japanese taxes, even though all payments go to my non-Japanese bank account? While we're on the subject, I actually run a super small, super indie magazine publishing company back in my home country with a friend. Could I ask him (the CEO!) to write a letter for me saying that the company needs a Japanese presence and is going to pay me so and so for my services? Would that help?

With that out of the way, you can now proceed to piss all over me!

[yanpa]

Unfortunately, unless there's someone in a very similar situation, the advice you'll get here is worth exactly what you pay for it...

Off the top of my head, I only know of one person with a journalism visa, but apparently he is a trained journalist and may have an actual degree or equivalent.

Depending on your age and country of passport issuance, a working holiday visa might potentially be an option which would get you an extra 6~12 months to work something out.

[wagyl]

A working holiday visa is only able to be applied for from outside of Japan, possibly (I would even say probably) only from your country of nationality, so it would need a journey home.

JLPT means absolutely nothing to Immigration.

The visa for eikaiwa is the Humanities/International Affairs visa, which requires a degree.

The recurring theme with almost all visa decisions by Immigration is whether you will be a burden on the Japanese state by being here, or an asset. Consequently, your self sponsored visa, for journalism for example, will require proof of income in the form of contracts with clients adding up to a certain income (I don't know the amount).

...and as all searches would have suggested to you, these things seem to be case by case and depend on how hot the cup of tea the Immigration Officer dealing with your file is when he takes a sip, or any other factor you can pull out of the breeze. There is no answer except to try. Someone saying they are 99% sure of success: I find that hard to believe, but if you feel that that advice can be relied on and is worth the fee, nobody will be standing in your way.

[Coligny]

Can I suggest the sugar mama opshiun ?

[legion]

Can I suggest the sugar mama opshiun ?

you wanna be this guys sugar mammy?

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Go for the journalist visa option.
There's no need to get a lawyer. Ask your friend what was required to obtain the visa, list up those requirements and then confirm with the Immigration Bureau that they are correct. A record of having worked here should go a long way toward helping your application go through, as would proof of you having contributed appropriate taxes/payments. It shouldn't be that hard.
If that fails, you can also sponsor yourself.

[wagyl]

Sterling advice from Mr SDH. Your visa-holding freelance journalist friend should be your first point of advice. It is not customary to engage a lawyer for an application to Immigration, even changing visa status, and I should have made that clear.

I am disappointed, however, that SDH missed the opportunity ask whether you were German, based on your invitation to piss all over you.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I am disappointed, however, that SDH missed the opportunity ask whether you were German, based on your invitation to piss all over you.

It's probably because I'm a bit unsure myself about golden showers. Now, had it been poop, I would have been asking about the Teutonic touch, compared to which pissing is a mere piddling matter....

[omae mona]

Looks like there were some good answers above. Just to address a few things you asked which nobody seemed to answer yet:

Would I have to pay Japanese taxes, even though all payments go to my non-Japanese bank account?

I believe so. I think the tax authority considers income earned while in Japan, due to activities in Japan, to be Japan-source income and fully taxable. So it doesn't matter where the money's coming from and where your bank account is. If you're getting paid for doing work in Japan, I think you owe tax. Now whether you choose to hide it or not is a different question. But I'm pretty darn sure than if you try to renew your visa after a year and they see you've reported zero income, your chances aren't going to be very good.

On the other hand, you're safe from paying taxes on income from non-Japan activities (e.g. earnings on investments from your home country), at least for your first 5 years here.

While we're on the subject, I actually run a super small, super indie magazine publishing company back in my home country with a friend. Could I ask him (the CEO!) to write a letter for me saying that the company needs a Japanese presence and is going to pay me so and so for my services? Would that help?

The CEO of a foreign company has about as much clout with immigration as my dog. Immigration folks aren't around to help overseas companies. Now, on the other hand, if your CEO wrote a letter saying he's going to set up an actual branch in Japan, put some capital into it, hire a handful of local employees, and wants to put you in charge, and he follows through, then you got a darn good chance of a nice spiffy work visa!

[legion]

Go to immigration and ask them what to do or ask your CEO friend to go to the Japanese Embassy or Counsel nearest and ask them how to get a journalist visa in Japan

and answer some posts here just to prove you are prepared to make some effort for all this free advice

[wagyl]

I think the OP might be concentrating on an exam tomorrow (err, today....)

[J.A.F.O]

Can I suggest the sugar mama opshiun ?

I can vouch for this... er at least for my case it worked ok. Some of my friends would argue that its more like Russian Roulette though. Then again their trying to live in japan.