How risky is a 2nd 90 day tourist visa?

These people are various nationalities, just employed by a company outside of Japan.(Britain in this case) They receive pay from outside of Japan.

They work in Japan (you could call them consultants), but nevertheless, they work.

They leave every 3 months. They come back within a week or two. They continue to work. I've seen one person do this 5 times in a row.
I asked if this was ok, and they told me this is the normal way. Each time they say they are on business for 3 months when they return. Each time they leave, and come back.

Sounds highly suspicious to me, borderline illegal if not outright illegal.

I asked if this was ok, and they told me this is the normal way.

Asking if it was ok/legal and getting an answer "this is the normal way" doesn't sound right to me.

Yesterday I met with the people at my work about preparing the visa material and they told me that I will be given a piece of paper stating that I am waiting for a work visa decision to go through. This would mean that I won't have to worry about my temporary ("tourist") visa expiring on May 27, 2007 while I am waiting the 2-3 months for the work visa application to go through. It is not an extension but it is something that is similar. Next week we will go the immigration office in Shinagawa and I will post an update. Thanks again for all your responses and input to my original question!

I DIDN'T say "tourist Visa", I said "temporary visitor".

I meant temporary visitor" when writing "tourist visa".

The company is either using a loophole or some sort of agreement (similar to the "stipendium") or they simply apply an illegal practice. There are some hostess bars, for example, which claim that hostessing can be done on a tourist visa, which is simply wrong. The fact that companies do/claim something does not always mean it is legal.

I don't think that Japanese immigration officials will consider it legal for a self-employed person to be spend most of his (working and living) time in Japan on a "temporary visitor" visa for an extended time.

I don't if it is definitely legal, but I was told it was ok. Take that for what it is. They were instructed by the company to declare they were on business when entering, so they have nothing to hide.

However, surely these contractors entering multiple times for business, clearly have this information stamped in their passports for Immigration to see? e.g. Enter for business January, leave March, return March, leave June, return June, leave September, return September, etc..... ?

I don't if it is definitely legal, but I was told it was ok.

Told it was ok by the company or immigration?

What exactly do these "contractors" do.

Immigration can't tell if they continue to give false information that they are on business (if that is what they are doing), and if that "business" doesn't neccessarily fall under whats permitted under a temporary visitors permit.

Today I went to the immigration office at Shinagawa here in Tokyo to turn in my work visa application. And from my understanding today is that, if the results for my application of eligibility do not come back before my temporary visitor visa expires (May 31), I will have to leave the country. So right now I am think about continuing my plan with going to China and then coming back for another 90 day temporary visitor visa. It's wierd though because tonight I met an Italian person and they said that they got a stamp in their passport when they submitted their work visa application that allowed them to outstay their temporary visitor visa until the results came back on their application. ???

Did you apply for a extention to your status?
It sounds like all you did was apply for your work visa, but never applied for an extention to your current status.

Chris,

You may need a tourist visa applied and issued in advance to get into China. Have you considered S. Korea or Taiwan? If you hold an American or British (or many other countries in the world) passport, you can just show up at the customs and they'll let you in, pending a cursory glance at your passport.

If you go to China you need to apply for a tourist visa there.

If you go to Hong Kong you don't. Taiwan, or South Korea (as most Visarunners do).

My coworker who is Japanese called the immigration office today here in Tokyo and found out that because I am American, it is not possible to extend my 3 month temporary visitor visa.

I am choosing to travel to China because I have a friend there with whom I can stay with for free. If I were to go to Korea (which I know that I don't need a visa for), I would have to pay for hotel costs and other things.

Do you mean American citizens receive "Special" treatment for extension of stay? You think it is not fair for your Italian friend to get it but you didn't. I don't think so!

I think the Japanese governmnet, like other governments in the world, want to handle each and every application on individual merits. You are asking for a change of status from visitor to employment. They would consider the kind of employment you intend to take up. Whether the job can be easily filled locally or whether there is a large number of similar applications received on are points to consider also. Of course, your appropriate qualification and experience plus your employer's local connection and business size are not to be neglected. All these take time to consider and investigate. But I agree the shorter processing time it takes, the better chance of approval you'll get.

Of course if you applied and was approved a work visa before you travel, which should be the proper procedure, then, you won't have that kind of problem as you are now encountering.

Anyway, good luck.

Wow, people really like to argue on this forum. No, I don't think I should recieve special treatment because I am American. It is just that some people of certain countries are allowed to extend their temporary/tourist visa up to 180 days. Just like some people, like French and Canadians can get a working holiday visa here but I can't because I am American.

TW I didn't get that sense from Chris at all.

That was what I assumed from the very beginning. Due to immigration laws he can't get an exention. I don't think he was complaining one bit, but just simply reiterating the facts.

"Only death is the final equality". Well, different people, different treatment is basically prevailing everywhere in the world. Even under the visa-waiver scheme of Japan, UK citizen can stay 180 days upon arrival but US citizen can only stay 30 days (correct me if I am wrong). You will have to apply for extensions in order to stay longer and you can never stay more than 180 days as a visitor.

America is also very straight on visa approval especially after 911 but Canadians can continue enjoy their visa-free visits. I mean that is the fact and rules that we have to follow. No country wants to have immigration matters out of their hands.

US Citizens can stay 90 days in Japan under visa waiver, thats the entire premise of this thread. Not 30 days.

Canada and Mexico have different rules for US, but under visa waiver citizens of 27 other nations (including Japan) can visit without the need to apply for a visa.

hi im british and ive just arrived in japan with the intention of travelling the country for 6 months. several sources (internet, travel guides etc) state that with a british passport tourist visiting allowance is 6 months. however upon arrival this was refused and i was made to alter my visiters slip to 90 days and my passport was marked accordingly. im keen not to do the 'visa scam' if i can avoid it. anyone in a similar position or got any suggestions? cheers.rob

however upon arrival this was refused and i was made to alter my visiters slip to 90 days and my passport was marked accordingly.

This is how it works! Initially you get a 90 day visa. And afterwards you can extend by another 3 months by going to an immigration office. In case of UK citizens, this should be rather easy and probably requires no explaining:
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/03.html

Even an American should be able to extend a tourist visa beyond 90 days if he/she has an "adequate cause". However, I suspect that it would have to be a rather urgent reason. Just "more sightseeing" will unlikely be accepted as an adequate cause.

On a side note: I have heared that Americans have it increasingly difficult with Japanese immigration authorities because of the fact that US immigration has become very strict and tough, also on Japanese nationals. Canadians and West-Europeans seem to have it easier getting work visas and visa extensions than Americans.

On Tuesday I am off to China (Shanghai) and will return on Friday. I will report back what happens upon returning to Japan. This is my first time trying to get a temporary visitor visa renewal. Wish me luck :-)

So I was the original one the posted the question on this thread, and I just got back to Tokyo from Shanghai this evening. First off, let me say that if you want to see history in the making go to China (and don't go on those stupid tours where you are with a bunch of people). Ok so on to my experience at Narita today. I left Japan for about 4 days and was in Shanghai the whole time. Plane landed, walked to the immigration line counter, everything was going smooth. Then got assigned a line for my counter. And then I start to notice the immigration official getting pissed at one of the guys in front of me. They denied him from entering and sent him off to work on his disembarkment card with an official. Then it was mine turn with the immigration official who was smiling before but was not pissed and seemed very annoyed. I handed him my little paper form that I filled out with all my info on the plane and then handed him my passport. He starts flipping through the pages and notices right away that I had only left for 4 days. Then things turn bad and he gets a very annoyed look on his face and begins to start throwing out questions at me. At this point I thought this is it, I am not getting into the country and am going to get thrown into the holding cell at Narita. He asks me why am I coming back so soon and what I was planning to do with this new 90 days that I was requesting. I politely told him that I am planning to travel some more around Japan and see a bunch of friends. He then asks rudely if I have money to do this. And I say of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't be here. He starts to consult other documents on his desk and finally just gives up, staples the card (in a pissed off way), hands it back to me and says "ok, go". Man was I so scared though. It felt like being questioned by the cops and it seemed like I was there forever. This whole thing is so stupid here though, because no where does it state that you can't do this. And I have talked to tons of people who know of others that do this, yet why is it in the grey. If it is something that is not incouraged or they don't want to happen then all they have to do is simply state it in the immigration rules. Oh well, I am back in the country and didn't have to fly back to America, and the answer to my work visa application should come in June or July - for a well respected position! Don't want to sound bitter but this is just stupid. We are in 2007 and the world is becoming more globalized with people working in all parts of the world now. Countries need to start changing their immigration systems!