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Consultation content
The French person consulting is currently staying in Japan on a working holiday visa. He has been given the opportunity to work at a French restaurant and would like to continue working in Japan, but the deadline for his working holiday visa is approaching. In this situation, he would like to know how to change to a work visa (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services).
Checkpoints
- The working holiday visa is for people aged 18 to 30 years old, based on an agreement between Japan and the other country. It is a highly flexible visa system that allows tourism, study abroad, and work.
- The basic period of a working holiday visa is one year (extendable).
- Only a limited number of countries in Japan allow you to directly change to a work visa, and in many countries you must return to your home country once.
Eligible countries (no need to return to your home country): South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany.
Excluded countries (requires returning to your home country): Many agreement countries, including France. - A work visa (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services) can be obtained if you have specialized skills or practical experience.
Solutions from an administrative scrivener
If you wish to change from a working holiday visa to a work visa, you can consider the following methods.
- You will need to return to your home country once, except for countries that do not require you to return home.
If you have French nationality, in principle, it is not permitted to change directly to a work visa in Japan. Therefore, you will need to return to France once and apply for a new work visa. - Check the conditions of the work visa
To obtain a work visa (Technical/Humanities Specialist/International Services), you must meet the following conditions.- Specialized work content: In this case, this may be menu development and cooking work for French cuisine.
- Work experience or educational background: The applicant must have work experience in the relevant work. If more than three years of work experience are recognized, educational background is not required.
- Support for application in France
After returning to Japan, your employer will prepare the necessary documents and apply for a work visa to the Immigration Bureau of Japan. If the application is approved, you will be able to work in Japan again.
Eligible residence status: “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa
The “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa is one of the main visas issued to foreigners who wish to work in Japan. This visa is required for foreigners with specific expertise and skills to work for Japanese companies and organizations, and mainly corresponds to the following three fields.
- Eligible work: IT engineer, marketing, design, interpretation, French cuisine development work, etc.
- Requirements: Related academic background or more than three years of work experience.
Summary
In principle, French working holiday visa users who change to a work visa must return to their home country once. However, they can continue working in Japan by applying for a new “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa after returning to their home country. Aim for a smooth visa acquisition by checking in advance whether you meet the conditions for the work visa and preparing the necessary documents. We recommend consulting an expert for the application procedure.
Reference sites
Information about working holidays (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Immigration Services Agency “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa
