Nikuraba's Japanese MMA Bible

1.1 - Visa status

There are 3 relevant visas for UK nationals.

Best is a working visa obtained with sponsorship from the company you’ll be working for. If you find work outside of Japan this will usually be done for you by the company and takes between 4 and 6 weeks. You just have to send them your passport and degree certificates, and probably a medical certificate. You can also get a working visa inside Japan (the law recently changed so you don’t need to leave the country and go back again). To initiate the application process yourself you need:

If your would-be employer won’t provide you with c) to f) then you shouldn’t sign with them. After all, you want an employer who cares about you and ALL good companies will get you visa sponsorship for FULL TIME posts

Next best is a working holiday visa which MUST be obtained from the Japanese Embassy in the UK before you leave. It takes about 4 weeks and you don’t need a degree. It is for 12 months only and can’t be renewed. There is also an age restriction, I think 27 years old. I repeat, you CANNOT change your visa status to this inside Japan.

Once you’re on a working holiday visa you can come to Japan and look for work then. This allows you to piece together part time jobs to fit around your training, or if you couldn’t get a job from the UK. Telephone the Japanese Embassy in Piccadilly, London for more details.

Last resort is a tourist visa for a maximum of 90 days. You are not allowed to work while on this visa and you risk deportation. Most people work anyway, but you are forced into the lower paid shit work like conversation salons. Still, if you’re too old for a working holiday visa, or you want all your time for training, then this is a decent option. I came on a tourist visa because the working holiday visa is a new rule.

For further information:

Tokyo Immigration is 03 3286 5241, and Osaka is 06 6774 3409. They also have an English language helpline on 03 3213 8523. I found them friendly when I called.

Note for non-UK nationals: Here's what I found out from my non-brit friends:

1. Canada: working holiday visa is available and can be extended up to 18 months

2. USA: no working holiday visa

3. Australia: working holiday visa is available

4. Other countries: tough shit, I'm afraid. Its pretty hard to get sponsorship when English is not officially your first language.

1.2. Changing visa status inside Japan

Extending a tourist visa

If you come on a tourist visa you can get an extension to stay a further 90 days. This is discretionary so you must actually persuade immigration that you deserve it. Go to the main immigration office by Otemachi station (leave by the C-3 exit and immigration is in a big tatty government building. It says `Tokyo Immigration` in English on the building). There`s an english language help-desk on the 1st floor and they`ll guide you through the process. Go there before you go upstairs to make the formal application. Then you go to the application room. Take a ticket and wait for your number to be called then collect the one-page application form - its in English. It`ll ask you questions like why you want to stay in Japan, how much money you have and when your return flight is.

I got mine extended by saying I was continuing to train martial arts, that I had Y330,000 and that I had an open return ticket. The guy photocopied my Purebred membership card, and checked my bank book and flight ticket. When applying, try to bring supporting documentation, and obviously your passport too.

If all goes well, they`ll send you to another room to by a Y4,000 ticket. Bring it back and they`ll stamp your passport with an extension. Then you have to go to your nearest city hall to get an Alien Registration Card.

Alien Registration Card

Also known as the `gaijin card`, all foreigners need one of these if they stay longer than 90 days. Its easy to apply at your local city hall and the form is in English. Typically you`ll go with your passport and two photographs, fill in the form and then they`ll go off to process it. Then they`ll put something in your passport, return it to you, and then tell you to come back in 2 weeks to pick up the card. The application process takes about an hour and is far less painful than doing your visa.

Changing from tourist to work visa

First off all you need a job and visa sponsorship from the company, as noted above. While you are waiting for your work visa to come through you CANNOT overstay your tourist visa. You must get an extension if you think the tourist visa will expire while you wait. Once the Certificate of Eligibility arrives you can go to immigration and apply for a change of status so you don`t need to actually leave the country and come back.

Whatever route you take, expect ALOT of stress and trouble but remain as calm as possible.

Next Chapter : 2. Flight details