Side job as a photographer while IT employee

Hi, I searched for previous answers to this question, but I got only old ones. I am an employee in a IT company based in Tokyo and I hold a working visa type Engineering, Int. and Human. Services.
Would it be possible to start a side job as a freelance photographer while keeping my current employer? Are Artist/High Skilled Professional visas the only way to be a photographer (also only as a side job)?
Thank you very much and sorry to repeat this question again on this forum, in case.

One thing would be whether your employment contract with the current employer allows a side job. Another is to get a "permission to engage in activities other than the that permitted under the status of residence previously granted," but I believe you need to get a permission per-project, which in substance does not make it easy at all to start freelancing. I believe there was a thread posted by a guy who had an IT job and wanted to do some TV gigs...

You could also do it just occasionally, and not as a full side job. Then no need for permission, even if you get paid. No, I don't know where the line is.

You don't need permission from your employer to engage in additional employment (no matter what they might say).

You do need permission from the immigration office for "permission to engage in activities other than the that permitted under the status of residence previously granted" however.

This process involves filling out a (free) document that you then submit to your local immigration office and is generally painless.

However, you will not be able to engage in any additional paid employment (freelance or otherwise) until the immigration office has made a decision as to whether or not to permit the additional employment activity.

The decision will be made somewhere between two weeks to a month, and cannot be appealed if permission is denied.

You generally won't need to change your status of residence to engage in this additional work (which means no need to worry about whether or not you need to apply for a "journalist" or "artist" status) as the immigration office will just stamp the back of your residence card should the additional work be permitted (i.e. you will be in Japan on a Engineer/Humanities status with permission to engage in paid photography work).

Essentially, the line is this:

If you are doing voluntary work in which neither financial or other forms of compensation are given for that work, then you do not need permission to engage in that activity.

If you are doing work in which financial or other forms of compensation are given, then you need permission to engage in that activity.

Simply put: will money exchange hands?

Yes? You need permission from immigration.
No? You don't need permission from immigration.

You'll need to declare the income when it comes to filing taxes, and you need to submit tax information to the immigration office when the time comes to extend your permission to stay in Japan (aka when your residence card expires).

If immigration discovers that you have been engaging in paid employment that they did not give you permission to engage in, then you might find your extension denied in the future and given 90 days to leave the country.

The alternative would be (illegally) do the freelance photography and (illegally) accept payment for it without permission.

However, given how easy it is to apply for permission, it's not really worth it.

Be that as it may, the ultimate decision is yours to make.

In OP's situation, the chances of the permission being granted are basically zero.

If working for an IT company in Japan, and you wish to work for another company/activity in your spare time. If you going to engage in an activity other than what is specified on your visa, then you need to obtain a Permit for Other Activity from the Immigration Bureau of Japan. When you apply, you need to hand in a copy of the contract of your employment that states your job type, working hours (even part-time 29 hours or less), working period, remuneration and other details. As mentioned if you second work is income generated than you need to apply Permit for other activity. Also ask your company you currently work for because some companies do not want you to have a second job.

@Firas,
Pretty much, but it's worth a try. It's not much different from people who do the occasional DJ / musician gigs on weekends, though, and it won't cost anything to go through the correct process (other than time and effort) before considering alternatives.

@OP
If you can submit some kind of evidence of a demand for your photography skills - i.e. some proof that you have clients who want to use your talents - then that would go a long way to improving your chance(s) of being permitted to work outside of your residence category.

For example, a DJ might be able to get a letter from the manager of a club that wants them to DJ and submit that as evidence.

That being said, depending on how frequently you intend to do photography, you might be able to keep under the radar. I can't recommend it, and the consequences would be on you if it later came back to bite you, but it's ultimately your decision.

The link to the Immigration Bureau of Japan's "Application for Permission to Engage in Activity other than that Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted" page is: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/09.html[/

That being said, depending on how frequently you intend to do photography, you might be able to keep under the radar. I can't recommend it, and the consequences would be on you if it later came back to bite you, but it's ultimately your decision.

As I said above, if you do it sufficiently infrequently, then it is allowed and you have nothing to worry about.

http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail_main?re=&vm=&id=264...

http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail_main?re=01&vm=04&id...

The idea would be to make it a side job (hopefully frequently) so I will definitely go to the immigration office and see what I have to do / can do. Thank you again for all these links, very useful!

Thanks, Firas. I've never read that particular article before. It's good information to know.