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Sorry this is gonna be long...
I came back to Japan and am looking for jobs. My resume is out to a number of employers in the same field I was in before (teaching English). To find part-time jobs teaching English and live is easy, but visa sponsorship offers seem to be limited to full-time positions, which are harder to get.
Part time work doesn't fulfill the requirements of your residency status. To do part time work exclusively you would need to be change your status to spouse or another one that doesn't require full time employment.
(From what I understand, what is stated above, that my next employer is my sponsor is not quite accurate. For example, my neighbor is "self-sponsored" but, according to him, he had to have an agreement with a primary employer in addition to the others that give him enough income to get a visa... anyhow, let's get into a discussion of this point please...)
Self sponsorship is a whole other status that doesn't apply to you. For the SHIS status you need to be employed full time and your employer would be your sponsor.
What I understood from my visa consultation is that my visa would not be cancelled and that I just had to keep immigration informed of my status, but that if I didn't find another sponsor, I would get the "black mark" mentioned above.
Yes, the black mark is because SHIS status requires a full time job. If you don't find one then you no longer fulfill the requirements of your residency and would probably lose your residency status.
(I only started to get concerned about the spouse visa because in researching it, I came across some examples of people who had been denied... I thought it was just a given--you're married and not a criminal? Okay, you get a spouse visa. But it's not quite that easy, I guess.)
It's not guaranteed, but legitimate spouse residency status is rarely denied.
I don't understand the difference between residency status and visa. When I look them up on other websites, they appear to be the same thing.
Visa and residency are often used interchangeably on Japanese forums. If you want to get more technical, a visa is what you are issued before you enter Japan. Its like a pass that says your are prechecked to get residency in Japan, which the immigration officer (usually) accepts upon your arrival and converts to the appropriate residency status.
As I mentioned above, I asked the visa councilor multiple times and in different ways whether my visa would be cancelled without a sponsor. He said no. In fact, I asked him specifically whether I could stay in the country for three years without a sponsor, and he said yes but that I wouldn't be able to get my visa renewed.
That is correct, but with the new immigration rules there is an unspecified time where you would need to get a new job or risk having your residency revoked. It is generally believed to be a window of more than 3 months.
Right now, the problem I have is that I am at the limit on 90 days. I quit my job on the 16th of November. Assuming some of the resumes I have floating around land a job, it will be another 2-4 weeks before I can actually sign a contract, I'm sure.
Don't worry about it unless you receive a warning notice from immigration. Even then, you'll have time to work out your case. Shouldn't be too much of a problem if you are actively looking for work. Full time work shouldn't be too difficult to find, especially since you are in country with a valid residency, and now is a prime hiring time for the new session in April.
It depends whether "residing in Japan" in this case is a technical legal term or the common meaning. By the common meaning, since I wasn't in the country for most of the last 3 months, I was not actually residing in Japan. Again, can you post the source of your statements as I find the Japanese immigration website is difficult to find things on.
In this case, residing means holding residency status for immigration purposes. Where you physically are at that time doesn't matter. But note that the 3 months are not set in stone, and an actual deportation process is quite time consuming with several checks along the way. They likely won't even start the process until some time after 3 months, and you'll be served notice at that point.
Your distinction between visa being for passport control and "resident status" being for legal standing inside Japan makes sense. This could also explain why the visa councilors I met with told me my visa would not be revoked... maybe. Actually, I feel they gave me very poor (either inaccurate or misleading) advice that, worst case scenario, could land me in prison in Japan for a while...
Usually, I try to investigate things and see them in writing myself. But because people in Japan are so careful and cautious, I just decided legal council wouldn't guide me wrongly here. Big mistake!!
I don't see any issues with the advice they gave you. You have to understand that enforcement does not strictly adhere to timelines, and also things have changed a bit recently that means everyone still has to wait and see how immigration is going to respond.
You are not going to prison. Worst case scenario, you are jobless for way too long, immigration serves you notice that you need to find something, then you either get employed, change your status or leave on your own. Deportation is a lengthy and effortfull process that no one wants to get involved in.
Personally, I think you need to stop worrying about all this and channel your energy into job hunting. All the factors should be working in your favor right now so get out there and get employed.
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