90 Day Passport + Working Visa?

I have read on many sites (including foreign residence feedback on apartment sites) that people go to Tokyo and search for a job ... then find one eventually.

I find this a tad odd because I was told by the Japanese consulate that in order to be able to work in Japan, I would need a work visa (I have a U.S. Passport) and in order to get the visa I would need to get someone to 'sponsor' me ... basically having a job before arriving in Japan.

So these claims of people going to Japan first THEN getting a job are very confusing. Is this possible?
The only possible way I could see this happening is if it is possible to go to Japan BEFORE my working visa kicks in and stay on the 90Day Passport 'Tourist' visa.
Is that even possible?

I know it's NOT possible to get a working visa in Japan if you're already in Japan on a tourist visa.

Any information would be very helpful ^_^

I was told by the Japanese consulate that in order to be able to work in Japan, I would need a work visa (I have a U.S. Passport) and in order to get the visa I would need to get someone to 'sponsor' me ... basically having a job before arriving in Japan.

That is the normal procedure to obtain a work visa independently of another visa type.

So these claims of people going to Japan first THEN getting a job are very confusing. Is this possible?
The only possible way I could see this happening is if it is possible to go to Japan BEFORE my working visa kicks in and stay on the 90Day Passport 'Tourist' visa.
Is that even possible?

Yes, you can come into Japan (without a work visa) for 90 days as a tourist, and look for a job during that time. If you are able to secure a job that qualifies for a work visa you can then apply to convert your tourist visa to a work visa.

I know it's NOT possible to get a working visa in Japan if you're already in Japan on a tourist visa.

That is incorrect. It is a simple procedure to convert from a tourist visa to a work visa. Companies that regularly hire foreign workers will likely even do the paperwork and filing for you at their time and expense.

yllwsmrf ~ That is extremely helpful :) Though, I was told by the consulate that I couldn't get a work visa while in Japan ... I know there are many different types of work visas though.

Have you done this, personally? Or know someone that has done it?

Also, do you know what kinds of jobs would not mind mind helping with the paperwork?

Though, I'm confused as to why the consulate said contrary :(

I was told by the consulate that I couldn't get a work visa while in Japan ...

What you were told by the consulate is correct, and I think the confusion can be attributed to the incorrect common usage of the term "visa". Visas are issued to people who are "outside" the country. They are sort of like a permission ticket, which is exchanged at immigration for a resident status. That is why you sometimes hear of people needing to leave Japan to pick up their visa and then reenter the country using the new visa.

If you are inside the country you instead apply for a change of status of residence. That is why you are able to change from a tourist "visa" to a work "visa" while in the country. No actual visas are involved.

Have you done this, personally? Or know someone that has done it?

Yes, I've both done it myself and know many other who have as well.

Also, do you know what kinds of jobs would not mind mind helping with the paperwork?

Any company that regularly hires foreign workers will probably handle the work visa application legwork for you. At the very least the company needs to supply you with most of the paperwork required for you to apply for the work visa yourself. In that case you would just need to take everything that they send you and submit it with your application and fee to your local consulate.

It is completely possible and legal to do this and lots of people do it. I would advise however to make sure you have enough money to keep you going for a few months in case you don't find something right away. A large proportion of companies/schools prefer people who already have a working visa to save themselves time and hassle, which reduces job possibilities. As long as you have the money to keep yourself going you should find something eventually. Best of luck :-)

Wow, that is really amazing o.o Thank you so much!

yllwsmrf ~ Would you mind sharing your experiences with me? Maybe mail if you don't feel comfortable posting it?

J ~ Yes, we will for sure do that. Our plans were to move there for 3 months if we couldn't get a work visa prior to moving to Japan.

Plan A: Apply and wait for acceptance and COE to arrive. COE takes 3 weeks to 4 months to reach applicant.

Plan B: When you are in Japan on tourist visa, you require 1. an Alien Card or Certificate of Registered Matters (resident status in Japan- will ward office accept a 90 days visa application for AC or CRM) before applying for a job. Consider that you 2. apply, 3. attend interviews and 4. are accepted, and 4. company agrees to sponsor you for a COE. Then you require a permanent address for the COE, wait for the receipt before you can convert COE to work permit. Do you expect the procedures to complete within the 90 days of arrival? This might or might not happen.

What are your plan C and D?

yllwsmrf ~ Would you mind sharing your experiences with me? Maybe mail if you don't feel comfortable posting it?

No problem, its a pretty straight forward and uneventful story. I had a job lined up when I entered Japan on a tourist permit. My company submitted the application forms for me and a short time later my status was updated from tourist to specialist in international services.

Other friends have come without the job already lined up. Some had no trouble finding jobs and changing their resident status, while others didn't find work quickly and either went home or did a visa run to get another 90 days to job hunt. Even after going home, some had made enough contacts in their time here to successfully continue their job hunt from abroad.

A few notes:

will ward office accept a 90 days visa application for AC or CRM

Yes, you can get an ARC while only on a tourist permit, in fact it is required in some situations.

When you are in Japan on tourist visa, you require 1. an Alien Card or Certificate of Registered Matters (resident status in Japan- will ward office accept a 90 days visa application for AC or CRM) before applying for a job.

I've never heard this before, and I'm pretty sure you don't need an ARC to apply for a job. That may be a company specific policy however, although I'm not sure what the point is in requiring job applicants hold an ARC.

4. company agrees to sponsor you for a COE. Then you require a permanent address for the COE, wait for the receipt before you can convert COE to work permit. Do you expect the procedures to complete within the 90 days of arrival? This might or might not happen.

The COE is not a requirement of people changing resident status (i.e. people in Japan on tourist visas). In the case you come to Japan to look for work the procedure would be: secure a job, submit the necessary paperwork to immigration (including a copy of your contract), and then wait for approval. Also, you can stay in Japan for as long as your application is being reviewed, regardless of the end date of your current visa. If you are denied however, you would have to immediately leave if your visa has expired.

I was selling my old bicycle once, since I had purchased a new one.

I put an ad on craiglist and met the buyer. He was someone who sold everything he had to move to Japan to find a job. I asked how long has he been in country and he said one month and still found no job.

Mind you this was a while ago, now that a number of foreigners have left Japan (I don't have an exact number, but it is known that a number have left), the opportunity to find jobs might be actually higher.

I feel sorry for some of those who left, because many of them are still contractually obligated to do their jobs. Most likely they will be dismissed from their positions for leaving. I do know a story of one German girl who just upped and left without even collecting her salary.

Any case, not to say take advantage of a situation, but I do anticipate jobs opening up because some have left.

Could someone please explain the acronyms used? I'm not quite familiar with them. I'm assuming AC = Alien Registration Card?

Thank you for the words of warning :)

Our goal for going to Japan is not to score a job to live/work there forever (though, I would not mind it ^_^), our goal is to live there for at least 3 months so we can experience Tokyo again ... we miss it dearly.

So we are not going for the soul purpose of job hunting, though we would prefer to obtain one.

90 days or less does not require you to have an Alien Registration Card (ARC is the most preferred acronym).

90 days or less does not require you to have an Alien Registration Card (ARC is the most preferred acronym).

The question was whether or not you can obtain an ARC while on a tourist visa, but that is still a good point to make. There are a few cases where a tourist would require an ARC, but they are pretty specific. For example certain nationalities require an ARC to use their drivers license in Japan in lieu of an international drivers permit.

I've known people who've had ARCs while on temporary visitor's permits.

Though I think many foreigners who have not come to Japan lack a general understanding of the ARC. Simple possession of an ARC doesn't necessarily mean you are allowed to work, open a bank account or buy a phone, or even allow you to say in Japan longer. What your status in Japan is that basis.

If you want to go to Japan for around 3 months just to explore Tokyo, the easiest way is to save money and be ready to live as cheaply as possible (rent a tiny monthly room in a Gaijin house, cook basic meals etc.)

Getting a job anywhere in a foreign country is getting harder and harder these days, especially if one isn't fluent in the local language.

I live in Canada, where, like in the US, the majority of the people are from immigrants families (may have been 100, 200 years or 2 year ago).
When I moved there many years ago one could get a job at 7 in the morning, quit at 3 pm and get another one at 5 pm. Of course they were low skilled low paid jobs but one could afford one room in a house (with a shared kitchen and bathroom) right downtown...

Nowadays it may take months to get the same low paid jobs, they are often now part time only and the same room cost so much more that it takes 2 part time jobs to survive, as the hourly wage in these jobs hasn't changed in many years while prices have gone way up.

This is likely the same or similar in Japan nowadays..