Dual passport, where should I get my visa

Hi,

So here's my story: I came to Japan to look for work and found a Job very quickly (one week), now I'm waiting for my CoE. I have two passports, Italian and Canadian, but I can only get the visa on my Canadian passport (english teacher), and I'm currently here on my Italian passport.

BTW: I came to Japan on my Italian passport because I wasn't sure how long it would take to find a Job. This way I can do a risk free visa run (although probably was unnecessary because I found a Job so quickly)...

So here's the question: Once i get my CoE should I go to Korea and get the visa at the Japanese embassy there? In that case should I enter Korea on my Canadian passport right?

Or should I come back in on my Canadian passport and do it here? In that case, what do I tell immigration, that i'm here to travel or can I tell them I already have a CoE?

Thanks in advance!

I can only get the visa on my Canadian passport (english teacher)

No, I don't think so. If your employer told you that, they don't know what they are talking about.

Once i get my CoE should I go to Korea and get the visa at the Japanese embassy there?

They will not accept your application since you are not a resident in Korea.

Usually the advice (to avoid possible problems) is to do everything with the same passport you specified on the COE application (supposedly the same you used to enter). The point made about using the Canadian passport for the job may be related to the assumption that as Canadian you would be a "native" English speaker, since this is what is usually asked by schools. Finally, you get the entry visa from a Japanese embassy in the country where you have your residency now, or in alternative when you get the COE go to the immigration office and apply for a change of status.

Change of status does not require a CoE. If you want to go that route, you can cancel your CoE application now and apply for a change of status. And if for some weird reason your employer insists that you must apply with your Canadian passport, you can go to Korea and re-enter on your Canadian passport before applying.

Hi everyone, thanks for answering.

While technically I can apply for a CoE on an Italian passport the likelihood of getting one is much lower than on a Canadian passport, plus with my Italian passport I would have to provide proof of 12 years of education in English (hard to dig up old report cards...).

So, ok, I do a visa run, what do I tell them at the airport? Do I lie and say I'm just here on vacation, or can I tell them that I found a job and I'm waiting for my CoE?

I also found this

http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/qa.htmlhttp://www.imm...

Q6 : Can I enter Japan if I possess a Certificate of Eligibility?
You cannot enter Japan only with a certificate of eligibility. You need to receive the issuance of visa at a diplomatic mission abroad by presenting your certificate of eligibility. The Certificate does not always guarantee your entering Japan. You might be denied landing Japan if the landing examination has revealed that you obviously fail to satisfy the landing permission standards as your circumstances have changed.

Note: a diplomatic mission abroad.

@firas - are you sure it has the be a country where I am a resident? Do you have a source?

How about you do your homework and contact the Japanese embassy in Korea to ask about their visa issuance policy, if that's what you plan to do?

Never mind, i found this

Q5: Can I apply for a visa at the nearest Japanese Embassy / Consulate General while traveling in a foreign country?
A5: You can apply for the visa at the Japanese Embassy / Consulate General in your own country (region) or country (region) of residence (if there is more than one, apply to the Japanese Embassy / Consulate General nearest from where you live). In other words, you cannot apply for a visa at your travel destination; however, if there are unavoidable circumstances, consult with the Japanese Embassy / Consulate General where you would like to apply for the visa before making the application.

Sorry for doubting you Firas.

I also found this post where you said it was ok to enter the country while waiting for a CoE.
https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+155594

So can I do the visa run while waiting for my CoE, or is it different because I am applying for a work visa instead of a spouse visa?

Change of status does not require a CoE. If you want to go that route, you can cancel your CoE application now and apply for a change of status.

No, I actually meant to apply for a change of status with your COE in hand (assuming it arrives before the temporary visitor status expires). Based on http://www.transenzjapan.com/blog/certificate-of-eligibility-spouse-vi... the process may take just one day and would not require to leave Japan.

So, I went to a Berlitz interview and the interviewers were very professional and knowledgeable and answered all my question! Of course I didn't tell them I was there just to ask visa questions...

Here's what they told me:
Berlitz will always apply for a CoE first, we never apply directly for a change of status. Normally the CoE takes about two weeks. Once it has arrived you can either go directly to immigration here in Japan, normally in Saitama obtaining a change of status with a CoE takes one or two days, in the Tokyo office it takes one or two weeks. Otherwise you may go to Korea, it is not necessary to be a resident in order to apply for a visa. Processing time in Korea is normally one or two days.

In your specific case you would have to leave the country and either apply in Korea or re-enter Japan with your Canadian passport as we cannot apply for an English teaching visa with an Italian passport as it would be assumed that you are not a native speaker.


Horray Berlitz!!!

turgonml,

I also have dual citizenship (one of which is Canadian), and was wondering if you are an actual "native English speaker" or not.

I am looking for jobs in Japan (as engineer) but in the meanwhile I may try to do some teaching/tutoring. I am a naturalized Canadian, so no "native speaker", but In Canada I did teach at university level for many years engineering subjects. For those types of positions is usually not requested to know the language at "native" level because is more important the knowledge of the specific subject (of course you still need to speak a decent English).

Basically, I am trying to understand if Japanese school looking for English teachers are really picky on this.

Thank you for your help.

Hi,

It is quite difficult to get a teaching job if you are not a native speaker. As you had numerous grammatical errors in your post I would think that you might find it difficult to find a Job teaching english. If you are under thirty you can get a working holiday visa and get an entry level job. If you are able to learn basic Japanese you should be able to find an engineering job.