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Attending Japanese language school 2008/6/20 20:38
I am having a problem with finding and getting into a Japanese language school. I would like to either start this October or this January, and attend a Japanese language school for 6 months. However, I am fairly late with the application as most of the schools have closed. Some schools have given me the option of going there on a tourist visum, and after the 90 days of my tourist visum have passed (I'm Dutch, so 3 months) I should leave and re-enter the country. Now, I read on the internet that you can extend your visum without leaving the country. Is this true? A second problem is, when I called with the local ambassy the told me there was no guarantee that I would be allowed to re-enter the country for a second tourist visum. I do need to know for sure that that is possible, because 3 months is definitely too short for me. The ambassy also told me that I could get a normal visum in 4-6 weeks, yet the language school I have been e-mailing with told me that it takes half a year (if I applied now, I could get one for april 2009!). I am very confused about my options, but I would very much like to study in Japan for 6 months and (but I'm afraid that is out of the question) after that travel around for 1-2 months. Can anyone advise me on this matter, as everyone I talk to seems to say different things and it's all very confusing.
by Giel Vos  

Options 2008/6/24 05:27
Lets see..
your trying to get in a language school by October or next January? From what I've read, usually the school year in Japan starts in either April or October, and I think it's a little late for you to enter this October. So that's part of the reason why schools are closed for the year until next year.

I'm not really sure how the laws in your country work, but I think the best way for you to get into a language school is to get the application for next April, fill it out as best you can and email them if you have any questions, then apply. I believe that if you enter in April, you should be applying maybe at the ends of October. After you apply, it usually takes a few months for the school to give you a "Certificate of Eligibility" (COE) that they get from the local embassy from that city. After you receive that, you apply for a student visa. Since you received a COE from the school, applying for a student visa is a quick process and should take no more than a week and you should receive a student visa. After that, If I'm not mistaken, you are ready to go and attend that school.

Just make sure you have all the paperwork filled correctly and make sure you check with your county's rules on visa and immigration information.

Just curious, which language school are you applying for?
by l rate this post as useful

more than 90 days 2008/6/24 09:21
The person you spoke to the embassy is right, if you stay the full 90 days on a tourist permit, fly to Korea for example and then turn around and come right back in to Japan again you may arouse suspicion and not be allowed back in.

Some nationalities are allowed to renew their tourist visa for another 90 days, but not all- did the embassy mention anything about this?
by Sira rate this post as useful

Japanese school 2008/9/6 07:33
Your visa problem sounds confusing, leaving and reentering, I wouldn`t risk that. But I could advise you on school choice. The Yoshida School starts the term four times a year. Jan, April, July and October. It is late for October, but you could try for term starting in January, I am not sure, thought, whether you can be guaranteed a seat. The school can also advise you on visa problems.
by gakusei rate this post as useful

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