What visa? UK based Father of Japanese

Hi,
Hope you can help.

Short history:

Married in 1997 in Tokyo - Left Japan 2014 - Visa was 'Spouse' then after divorce changed to 'Long term Resident'

Married to Japanese, 3 children: aged 16, 18, 22.
Divorced around 10 yrs ago

I would like to go back to Japan to live again, I have a job lined up, my ex wife can sign the gurantee letter, I can get letters from my kids asking for me to return etc.

My question is this...

Which visa should I be applying for?

My old manager told me they can't sponser because they don't offer pensions or insurance, they tried before for somebody and it got rejected, this was some years ago so wondering if it still works that way today?

The Japanese embassy here in the UK said I could apply for a work visa or a Long Term visa BUT the Long Term is usually applied for while in Japan not from outside.

So I don't know where to begin in this endevure.

Hope somebody can help.

Thanks in advance

TE

My old manager told me they can't sponser (sic) because they don't offer pensions or insurance,
Hmmm, it is a legal requirement of an employer to do pension/insurance according the the advice of my accountant. My staff are enrolled in both.
Maybe your employer (or is it an ex-employer) taking advantage of you. Either sounds fishy or a bad employer.

Not sure how you got "Long term Resident" as it is suggested it is quite a narrow application. Generally, if you are coming to Japan, get a job and get the appropriate visa for the job category. If you are not working (or studying), go home. Standard Japan immigration. You lived here long enough you should know how it works.

I agree with the above poster; if you want to come live in Japan, and you have a job lined up, then it would be most straightforward to get the employer-to-be to sponsor you for a work visa.

When you changed from Spouse to Long-term Resident; was the reason for you to stay in Japan to provide for your children, in addition to probably saying that your life was already gbased in Japanh? If so, that could work both ways – because you left Japan afterwards, immigration would note that your kids were OK without you forc five years or so by now; on the other hand, if your wife and the kids insist that the kids need you back in Japan, because you already were here on Long-term Resident status, they might be willing to greviveh it, so to say.

Find a different employer. The chances of you getting a LTR is slim to none. Your "kids" are not kids anymore. Or marry your ex-wife again.