Telecommuting under a tourist visa?

Hello,

I'm guessing these specific circumstances are not common, so I am wondering if anyone has done this or knows anything about the technicalities involved:

It was my intention to go to Japan and look for a job this year. Due to some family problems, I decided instead to just go visit for two months, live at home for two months, go back to Japan for two months, etc. for maybe a year before I start the job search. It will allow me to spend some extensive time in Japan while still being around a lot to help out my family.

Presently, I work for a company in America, who has no branch nor clients nor any other sort of business in Japan. I am a web programmer, so being in Japan does not hinder my ability to work for my American employer, and my employer okay'ed that I do this already.

My question is, is it okay to engage in that kind of activity while under a tourist visa? I am imagining that the purpose of a work visa is to engage in Japanese business while in Japan.

The maximum you can spend in Japan in any one-year period is 180 days, so you won't be able to do that for a year. If you are lucky you will get two back to back tourist permits within the year, but the next time you try to enter you will probably get turned away unless about 6 months has gone by.

If he does 2 months on, 2 months off, for a year that would be 6 months in Japan, which would be within the 180 day limit. The only problem is that on the 3rd entry, he may not receive a full 90 day tourist visa waiver... or he might get turned away completely.

We can only speculate what an immigration officer at Narita will do.

True, but even staying within the hundred day limit, the chances of getting a third tourist permit in a year for a fairly long stay is not that good. Of course, it can all depend on the Immigration officer you deal with and how they are feeling that day as well. If you want to take the risk of being put straight back on a plane, you can certainly try.

Hey, that is great information, thank you. I had no idea about the 180 day limit, which I probably would go slightly over left to my uninformed devices. I'll just have to make some slight adjustments to my plan. And I guess after the second trip, it would be smart of me to ask if I will have any difficulties getting in a third time.

In answer to my own question, which I had asked the consulate several times before but never successfully got my point across, it is legal to do work for my American employer, it is if I intend to do work with a Japanese company that I would need the permit.

Granted, I could have just done it and they probably never would know, but I'm a little paranoid about doing something wrong and not being able to obtain a working visa later on.

You are there on vacation (ie. tourist visa) it is not illegal for you to do work for you employer in America. A work visa is for working for a company in Japan. Besides, they would never know if you were telecommuting anyways.

What kind of job are you hoping to get in Japan in the first place? I don't think it takes 2 months on or off to come and go (not withstanding the money lost on airline fare), plus home family problems the math doesn't add up.

180 is a official/unofficial number, good luck trying to get Immigration to ever give you that number on paper "Officially", Immigration can turn you back even before you begin day 1, its really up to the whim of Immigration officers.

This type of job probably won't hurt your chances at a work visa in the future, since they would probably never know, however coming and going into Japan and possibly being denied entry (on your second or third entry attempt) might affect a future work visa application, as the forms usually ask "have you ever been denied entry into japan" can't really lie since there would be a record of it.

I am aware that they could turn me away at any point, but I'm going to go on the assumption that they're being at least semi-rational and not going to deny me entry just to be difficult (it's certainly possible, but that variety of issue can come up in any facet of life, it just usually doesn't). So I will be careful about it, and as an extra precaution, I'll ask after the second time so I minimize the chance of trouble.

As for what work I intend to do, I figure the easiest way to start is get a job as an English teacher of some variety, and depending on how much I like that lifestyle and the modest wages that come with it, I may try to pursue something in the IT world (possibly web programming, as I currently do). It seems like a wider array of jobs are available if you only need to have your work visa renewed, as opposed to needing your first work visa.

It seems like a wider array of jobs are available if you only need to have your work visa renewed, as opposed to needing your first work visa.

Not exactly.

Say for example you are working as a teacher on a specialist of humanities visa/instructor visa/, you can only work in that area, you can't really change to a completely different job field, but rather have to find a job in IT, get a new sponsor and a visa status change. "Working Visa" is just a broad category of different working visas, its not a general visa where you can work in any field you want. Thats why many advertisements say "Proper Visa, or proper working visa required".

As for English jobs in Japan, many if you are in Japan looking for a job, many employers including low pay Gaba now requires many applicants who are IN Japan looking for a job to possess some sort of visa/work permit other then Tourist/temporary visitor.