# "Must currently reside in Japan" vs "Visa sponsorship available"?



## fchar

Hello,
My name is Farid, I am living in Chile (therefore I'm a native Spanish speaker, but also fluent in English), I am willing to relocate abroad as soon as possible (hopefully in Japan), but I would like to know some information on this particular situation:
I know that in order to get a job in Japan, I must get the COE document and apply for the work visa, sponsored by a Japanese company. However, many of them (at least when I search in GaijinPot) specifies this requirement: "*Must currently reside in Japan*", but, in the same job posting, it says "*Visa sponsorship available*".
I understand that many jobs are oriented to people already living in Japan, and not all are available from overseas. Thus, when I see "must currently reside in Japan" I assume that the applicant must be in Japan under a lawful status, living there; but when I see "Visa sponsorship available" I assume that this benefit is exactly what an overseas applicant (i.e. someone not living in Japan) is looking for, so I don't know if I'm missing something here.

I ask this because in some forums I have read that some people choose to visit Japan with a tourist visa, and during this visit, they apply for jobs. It seems that they are doing this because:
- As far as I know (from some expat blog posts) the Japanese companies are used to interview applicants in person rather than use virtual methods (e.g. Skype), so being physically in Japan can increase chances to be hired.
- Technically you are 'residing' in Japan during your application, even if you need a visa sponsorship if hired** (though it's not illegal, this practice may be frowned upon from the Japanese immigration bureau, I guess).

**This sentence can solve my doubt? When a Japanese company says that they are willing to sponsor your work visa and they ask you to reside in Japan, that means that you can apply just if you are physically in Japan (even with a tourist visa at this moment)?

I have a scheduled trip to Japan, so it would be great to know if is actually possible to apply for a job during my stay in Japan (if it's legal). I have found a few job opportunities (in GaijinPot and other places) but probably my options would increase if at some point I can consider these including the "must currently reside in Japan" requirement.

Thanks in advance for any feedback on this!


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## mths

You see this conflicting information a lot? I would expect it to be a lazy error, someone just copy pasting left and right to complete the ad. Either way I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just apply and let them know your status. It's up to them what to do next.

Btw when mentioning where you reside, you usually refer to your "usual place of residence," and that's not simply "where you're currently at." You're still very much a resident of Chile while on vacation in Japan, and there's no "technically" anything else. Though I suppose you're right, as a tourist in Japan you're only allowed to partake in certain activities, and job hunting might not be one of them. However I know several people who just flat out come and work in Japan while on a tourist visa, and that's.. ok.. point is don't worry about it.

I suppose it depends on what field of work you're in, but from my experience if you really want to get hired here, your best bet is to come on an extended stay and, ugh, "network." Go to meetups and all of that, put yourself out there, talk to people, figure out how you can help them. Simply coming here and applying for jobs doesn't give you much of an edge compared to applying from back home.


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## fchar

Hi, thanks for your reply!



mths said:


> You see this conflicting information a lot?


Actually yes, a lot! At least in many teaching jobs. Maybe it's some lazy error as you said, so I think I can apply and clarify directly with the potential employer (because GaijinPot and similar sites are intermediaries of the job offer).



mths said:


> your best bet is to come on an extended stay and, ugh, "network." Go to meetups and all of that, put yourself out there, talk to people


I will try this for sure. I know that sometimes there are "job fairs" open to the public, so I think it's fine to explore options there. I don't plan to spend all my time in Japan to search for jobs and interviews, so I want to focus on investigate before my trip and try to meet with some expats once arrived (btw, I'm planning to go either Tokyo or Fukuoka) .

Thanks again!


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