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Do training without a working permit

Val11

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28 Feb 2016
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Hey guys, I need your help understanding my situation.
I am currently on a student visa and I am studying in a university in Japan. Since I have a lot of spare time I have decided to apply for jobs in the food industry, mostly. After an interview, I was granted a job in a company and I was told that training will start in about a week time and I agreed.
The day after I went to the immigration office and applied to change my visa in order to be allowed to work and I was told by the clerk that until I don't receive my permission I cannot do any work and get paid for it.
So my question comes to the training situation: can I still go to training or since a don't have a work permit yet, I am not allowed?
I tried to look anywhere but couldn't find a solution!
 
You could have asked the guy at the Immigration office when he told you that you can't work until you get a permit....

But we all think of things when it is too late, I suppose.

If the training period is paid, then it is work. You could contact Immigration again for clarification, but if you don't want to do that then I would recommend asking the employer to wait until your permit clears. This isn't worth risking your student visa over.
 
Hi Mike,
Yeah you're right but I was afraid of asking too many question as I didn't want to seem scatchy.
Anyway thank you so much for your help!
 
I suspect I'll be in a similar situation myself pretty soon. I've accepted an Eikaiwa job rather last-minute. Contract starts at in the first week of April and I was offered the job a week ago, so I've got 4 weeks and 6 days to get the CoE and the visa.
Even in the CoE comes through in 3 weeks, (seems unlikely though at this time of year), visas here take about a week to process, so it's possible I'll be set up before I fly out, but cutting close. Like a matter of one or two days close.
More likely, I assume, is that I'll receive the CoE and have to change visa status during training, so I'll probably have to just suck it up and volunteer until the paperwork comes through. In saying that - I'm going with one of the big Eikaiwa, and they may well have protocol in place for this sort of thing, as I imagine it happens from time to time. I'll ask them as the date draws closer.

From what I can glean online, people do it semi-regularly, it's illegal to do any paid work on a tourist visa, but there are ways around it so long as the employee and employer are happy to work together.
 
From what I can glean online, people do it semi-regularly, it's illegal to do any paid work on a tourist visa, but there are ways around it so long as the employee and employer are happy to work together.

Any employer who will cooperate in having you "suck it up and volunteer" is best steered clear of.
 
Any employer who will cooperate in having you "suck it up and volunteer" is best steered clear of.
Fair enough. But if volunteering, or even just sitting around in Japan twiddling my thumbs for a week or three means the difference between getting a placement I'm extremely happy with, and ending up somewhere else random, then I know which I'd rather take.
Also - to be fair, no employer has suggested I volunteer at all in any way, but if they allow me to volunteer at training whilst waiting on documentation then I know what I'll be doing with my time.
 
Fair enough. But if volunteering, or even just sitting around in Japan twiddling my thumbs for a week or three means the difference between getting a placement I'm extremely happy with, and ending up somewhere else random, then I know which I'd rather take.
Also - to be fair, no employer has suggested I volunteer at all in any way, but if they allow me to volunteer at training whilst waiting on documentation then I know what I'll be doing with my time.

Oh, there are many more than happy to not pay you for your work. You might also wonder why they are filling a position on such a short notice there isn't time to do it all properly.
 
Oh, there are many more than happy to not pay you for your work. You might also wonder why they are filling a position on such a short notice there isn't time to do it all properly.

I don't need to wonder. The position was filled in December last year, the applicant changed their mind two weeks ago, I interviewed a few days after and was ready and willing to start ASAP, so they offered and I accepted. I'm stressed about a lot of things - this actually isn't one of them.
 
I don't need to wonder. The position was filled in December last year, the applicant changed their mind two weeks ago, I interviewed a few days after and was ready and willing to start ASAP, so they offered and I accepted. I'm stressed about a lot of things - this actually isn't one of them.

That's good news.
 
I would ask them how they will compensate you for any time spent "training." They should be able to pay you for the time one way or another (after you are legal). Can you change status in Japan these days?
I initially went on a tourist visa and was working right away. Then a month or so later my company sent me to Hong Kong to get my proper work visa. I'm sure I wasn't working for free.
This was a long time ago though so I wouldn't count my experience as a useful data point.
 
Chiming in late here. Sorry. You said you were attending university, but that you got a job. If you remain in uni, you only need to get special permission to work part-time on your student visa. If the job is full-time, you need a work visa instead, but are you going to continue with university studies?
 
Chiming in late here. Sorry. You said you were attending university, but that you got a job. If you remain in uni, you only need to get special permission to work part-time on your student visa. If the job is full-time, you need a work visa instead, but are you going to continue with university studies?
Hi Glenski,
Thank you for your answer. Yes I only had to apply for a permission to work part-time since I am still studying at university, the problem at the time was that I wasn't sure I would receive my permit before the job started, which isn't a problem anymore since it only took 2 weeks for it to arrive, all sorted!
 
Well never mind on my part, my CoE came through faster than I expected, so I'll be all nice and official after all.
Two weeks and three days from application to approval. Not too shabby.
 
Well never mind on my part, my CoE came through faster than I expected, so I'll be all nice and official after all.
Two weeks and three days from application to approval. Not too shabby.

Glad to hear it. Got your bags all packed?
 
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