Permit to engage other job - entertainer

Hi,

Can someone help me with this. Sorry, this might be a tad long.

I am currently on an Engineers visa looking into continue doing minor acting work.
As I had my acting resume, registration form on talent agencies I was once with a few years ago, and I am just re-applying. I was then told I need to get contracts from the agencies.

I then got 2 contracts out of the 3 I signed up with.
One didn't have a contract to sign but they e-mailed me on an upcoming job with audition and shooting date and they said I can probably use this to confirm my registration.

Now I went there to get it done and to put a rush on it since I have a been offered a gig this weekend. I printed the gig which had the date, tv show name, character I would be playing. Also it's from one of the agencies I got a contract with.

This passed but ONLY for that TV show.

My Japanese is not that good but what I can gather the contract needs to show a clause stating the hours I meant to only work such as "Those holding a student visa or permit to engage in other activities understand the maximum allowed hours to work is 28 hours per week and must not go over according to the law" ..I think and maybe then I can get a permit to do acting jobs.

According to immi-moj.go.jp site of the Permission to engage in other activity, the necessary documents section:
"A document material that proves the intended activity as indicated on the application form 1copy"

Also on same site under Immigration Procedure:

"2. Permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted can be obtained through receiving issuance of a seal of verification (attached to a passport) or a written permission. The details of the newly permitted activity are indicated in the seal of verification or the written permission, in either of the following manner: (i) the name and location of the company, etc. that employs the foreign national and the details of the duties are designated separately; or (ii) under the conditions that the foreign national engages in the activity for not more than 28 hours a week and no amusement and entertainment business is operated at the place of the activity, the name and location of the company, etc. and the details of the duties are not designated (hereinafter the latter case shall be referred to as "comprehensive permission"). In the case of comprehensive permission, the details of the newly permitted activity will be indicated as "The activity prescribed in Article 19, paragraph (5), item (i) of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act." A residence card, issued on or after July 9, 2012, to a mid- to long term resident who has obtained permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted, contains the statement to that effect on its back side."

I am sure mine falls under section 2.(i) as I have the seal, agencies name and address, duties saying doing acting/modeling and rules. So it doesn't need to have the clause on how many hours a week I can work, right??

Is there something else I am missing? Because if I don't get a proper permit, they said for every gig, I would need to go to immigration everytime to get a permit just for that.

I will notify my agencies if they can redraft the contract and add the clause in of the maximum hours I can work, but I don't want to just ask them only to find out when I arrive at immigration, I still don't get a permit.

I have been 3 times already and they keep dicking me around.

Cheers
Adam

I guess Immigration did not assume anything like one-off gigs/job assignments when they drafted these rules. What they thought of was more like regular part-time job, meaning a few hours each weekday evening, or something of that sort (for those on student visa, for example). So in their eyes, "one appearance is one contract," it could well be. Unless the agency employs you on a somewhat regular basis saying "a few hours at a time, max. 4 times a month," Immigration might not consider it an on-going one that needs "comprehensive permission."

I am sure they must've had other people with casual jobs with their working hours unknown.

I guess I will either get my agencies to add in the clause or download a template for talent agreement and put in lines such as "I am aware of 28 hour per week restriction and that this job will not conflict with my current job" and working duties as a model/actor would be attending auditions and shooting for Television programs, movies, expeditions, commercials, magazines, etc. Get them to sign it and add their seal.

I e-mailed immigration legal counsel services and one says since my situation is rather specific, best to hire someone who is well known of the Japanese immigration system. (this is one I am trying to look for)

Another counsel service says to stick with engineer job. what a prick.Useless answer that was. whole point is to get a permit.

I think
your major income should be from engineer work.
(if you earn more money by a side job. it is no more a side job. it is a main job.)
your engineer work should be more than 30 hours per week.
(30 hour is a minimum working time for a full-time worker in labor laws.)

That doesn't matter. The whole point of obtaining a permit to do other activity is so you can work other jobs and these, like have a student visa, allows a maximum of 28 hours.

If I was going for a normal part-time or casual job like at a cafe of small shop, they would have proper hours set and that would pass. But apparently acting is not common and really no scheduled times.

So regardless of what current working visa I am on, the point is they need to have a contract or written documentation which states certain things. I just need to know what other things I need to have the talent agencies write down before attempting to submit again.
Immigration just sees Engineer visa and that is main source of income and I can live on that.

How did it go? I am thinking that I need to get the same visa, and I am also signed with 3 different agencies. The firm says we need to write our salary, but since the jobs are all random and the pay is different I don't know what to write.
Also I saw on some site that these kinds of jobs do not require an extra visa.

Sorry for the late reply. Since I had received a rejection letter, I spoke to them why. They said you would need to get a contract from the actual company each time. So you can still apply for auditions but you would need to leave yourself time as once you have received the acting position, you would need to go to immigration with every detail such as pay salary for that day, location, company name, etc.

Although I am sure they are circumventing the law because later I when checking the Japan law, doesn't say anywhere that I need contracts.
I eventually gave up but still receive jobs. Haven't applied for anything yet as filming dates were all during weekdays which I can't do. Tried to also receive legal advise but I think I milked some of the free legal advise given by some law firms and scrivener offices.

If you do go to the immigration bureau or do speak to a law/scrivener firm, do me a favor, go to http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?id=1901&vm=04&re=0... and take a look at Article 19. Just says "provide documents" Also on the Japaneselawtranslation.go.jp site might be information on how the immigration office is being unfair and provide misleading information.
All it says is that they need documents as proof, not contracts from actual companies, even though you might receive contracts from talent agencies, that should be enough for proof.
If you want to keep fighting it, let me know as well. But might be too much of a hassle unless you can find the right firm or legal service that says "immigration is circumventing the law on making up their own rules and being unfair".

Good luck

you will soon receive your 12-digit "my number".
that number is necessary for working in Japan after January 1, 2016.
if you fail to show that number to your company, the company will not pay your salary. (illegally overstaying persons will have serious problems to get money.)
when you work at a field different from the residential status permitted, you should know that you leave the footprint by which the government can trace your works in future.
actually, immigration and tax offices are independent each other. but, we don't know how long those offices work independently. I think they will connect the information through "my number" system in not-so-distant future.
my advise is that, if someone works with violating immigration laws now, finish the job until the end of this year (get the final salary until the end of this year.)(if the final salary is paid at the beginning of next year, the company is requested to report your "my number" to tax office, I think.)