how to start living in japan

i've been thinking of moving to japan for a while for like 6 yrs now but i don't know where to start i just need some help find how to start this big move i mean im a welder i have a certification im 19 an reallly have my heart set on this goal.

thank you

What is your nationality? If you are from Canada, Australia, the UK or NZ among other countries then you are eligible for a working holiday visa. If not, then without a university degree (or 10 years experience in your field) you can't be sponsored for a working visa.

I very much doubt there are jobs for foreign welders in Japan, as most foreigners here do jobs where the fact that they speak English or another language is an asset- i.e. English teaching, translating, IT and finance at international companies etc.

If you had very fluent Japanese and a student or spouse visa (requiring either full time study or being married to a Japanese) then it might be possible to find welding work, but otherwise it's extremely unlikely, I'm afraid.

Say i just wanted to go there an do regular work like a normal person in japan what visa do you think i need jus to stay there like i have the enough money 2 pay for my stay like this is somthing i wanted 2 do for a long time im learning japanese now but its dont very good im good to wait intill im ok with it like i thinks its good if can under stand it an hold a convo i jus need to now where 2 start thank you

Hakeem, as Sira said above if you are from a select few countries you could get a working holiday visa. See here for more information:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2350.html

If that is not an option then unfortunately, again as Sira said above, without a university degree or 10 years experience it would be very, very difficult to get a job in Japan.

Have you considered going to Japan for a vacation for a few weeks or a month to first to get a feel for the country?

yes i do want to go on a vaction there but whats the longest i can stay im mean i really want to live there its a big step i kno but what visa do i need jus to stay for the 5yrs i mean what if i wanna get married

Have you read the link? It says a working holiday visa can be up to one year.

yes i read it i just wanted to kno if i go there for the 90 days an i wanted to stay longer what should i do and will i have to live out an hotel or can i pay for an apartment like what if i wanted to work for some one like alittle food store do i still need a working visa
thank you for all your answers

Hakeem,

The options available to you have already been listed in this thread and many times in other similar threads here. If you are American, then the Working Holiday Visa is not an option, and you are limited to staying for 90 days on a Temporary Visitor (aka tourist) visa.
Where you stay during those 90 days is entirely up to you, but you cannot work legally while staying on a tourist visa.

Well I remember reading that you apply for an alien registration card during those 90 days to extend your time. As for a job, everyone is right, an American welder won't have an easy time. I would suggest possibly going to a language school. You can learn the language better, the school can approve a temp job for you and you can see if you really like living there. Some can even prepare you to enroll in a university there.
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/study/language/jap...

Ameee wrote:

I remember reading that you apply for an alien registration card during those 90 days to extend your time.

I think you might misunderstand the purpose of alien registration. You have to register as a resident if you plan to stay in the country for more than 90 days, but registering does not entitle you to stay beyond the period allowed by your visa.

but if my 90 days are almost up what do i do if a wanna stay longer and also i heard from some where that i can get a visa that lets me stay up to 3 yrs...o yeah so if i went for a vaction there i can buy a apartment

i mean i am a welder but the only reason i sed that is because i heard that in japan there not that many good welder so i looked at it like great i really wanna go to japan maybe this can give me a better shot on moving thea like i do have many good qualitys

but if my 90 days are almost up what do i do if a wanna stay longer

At the point that your 90 days is almost up and you don't have another type of visa lined up (work, spouse, student, etc.) then there is nothing to be done except go home. You can come back again for another 90 day period.

and also i heard from some where that i can get a visa that lets me stay up to 3 yrs

Yes they exist, just not for tourists. A tourist visa will only last you for 90 days. Longer visas that you could possible qualify for in the future are a work visa, spousal visa, or student visa, and require a job, Japanese spouse, school, etc.

yeah so if i went for a vaction there i can buy a apartment

You could buy an apartment in Japan from outside the country even. Owning an apartment however will not qualify you for a visa beyond than 90 day tourist visa.

what if i wanted to work for some one like alittle food store do i still need a working visa

you would still need a working visa, which would require an employer to sponsor your work visa. Regular retail jobs cannot sponsor work visas.

What you don't seem to be understanding is that at this point in time you really only qualify for 2 types of visa. The first being a 90 day tourist visa. The second being a student visa. Both have their downsides if your goal is to live in Japan for a few years or more.

The tourist visa's downside is that you cannot stay longer than 90 days at a time. The student visas downside is that you must have a considerable amount of money to support all your studies and living expenses BEFORE they will grant you the visa. That and you will have to be in school the entire time.

If you really want to live in Japan long term then I would suggest you go back to school and get a bachelor's degree. This would significantly increase your job options that would qualify you for a work visa.

Or go back to school and do a study abroad program for a year or two in Japan.

ok now just 1 more thing if i wanna go to school there how do i do this...and how much money do you think i need truthfuly a guess is fine

ok if i do go thea for school live there for the 2 yrs that im studying after that how do get to stay in japan like i want to live and die there i mean who wouldnt want to die in a beautiful place

I suspect you probably have some misconceptions about Japan- it's not all like the postcards, and many parts of it don't qualify as beautiful at all. It can also be quite hard for foreigners to fit in here as you are already finding- just getting a job and a visa has many restrictions on it.

Try coming here for a short trip first so you can see if the country really lives up to your expectations.

Just a request- if you are going to ask more questions would you mind using a little punctuation so it's a bit easier to read your posts?

Do a search as well on coming to Japan on a student visa as it has been discussed many times already. Basically it is not cheap at all.

i think i am going to take a trip there first. but i read of some school named IUJ an i read all the things about the school i really like it thats what i wanna do.But my question when im done with the school can i stay in japan longer?

To Dave in Saitama,
thank you for the correction. I also plan to move there and that clarifies that issue for but, I'm planning on going on either a student visa or waiting to get a working visa. I think I'll go into translating.
But yes to stay after your student visa is done you would need to change your visa type. You'd have to get a working visa which requires a sponsor as everyone has alredy explained. Oh and if you go on a student visa to study there, you indeed do need a significant amount of money to start, but if the school approves it you should be able to get a job there but with some strict restrictions on working hours and such. But don't confuse that with getting a working visa from that. Your best shot would be to get a job involved in business, education or the government. There are several companies that have positions in Japan from your home country so if you get a job with them here, you could transfer there on a work visa and they may even help with your finances. To gain citizenship I've read you have to stay 5 consecutive years and give up your citizenship in your home country. To have duel citizenship you have to stay 10 years. A good idea would be to find the closest Japanese Embassy and look at their website for getting a visa. I found that was quite helpful.

I just realised I forgot words in my first paragraph. Basically thank you Dave in Saitama for clarifying for me. ^.^
And I'm not really sure where to ask this and I'm sorry if this is out of place, but by chance does anyone know about Hiroshima university or Nanzan university? I live in the states right now but the colleges that I'm looking at going to here have exchange agreements with both those schools. I've been to both universities websites several times but some things weren't too clear and plus I'd like someone's personal experience.

thank you guys for making it easier for me what i was thinking before i came to this was i was just going to go there an keep renewing my tourist visa lol crazy right but thank you all