Hi there,

I'm in a bit of a tricky situation with my Japanese visas right now and I was hoping someone here might be able to provide a little insight into the risk involved in a potential solution I have.

I'm a Canadian university student here in Japan working for 8 months as an intern, on a special visa and COE issued for that purpose. I'm almost at the end of my internship and I plan to do some travelling for a few weeks after I'm done. I want to use a Japan Rail Pass because that will save me bucketloads of money, but I'm ineligible to do so with my current visa (you need a tourist visa).

But the good news is, I'm going to South Korea in a few weeks. I return from Korea on April 19th, so I was planning on re-entering not on my internship visa, but on a regular tourist visa instead, since that will cover the 3 more weeks I plan to stay, and allow me to use the Japan Rail Pass.

The only catch is that technically, my internship doesn't end until the 28th of April (9 days after I would re-enter Japan on my tourist visa), and I'm assuming that I'm not allowed to be employed (even for such a short period) with a tourist visa. I figure that since my internship ends so soon after re-entering Japan and the vast majority of time after re-entering would be spent as a tourist traveling, it couldn't be a very big deal and it is very unlikely that anyone would find out. But before I seriously consider doing this, I'd like to know if there are any significant risks involved in doing this.

Alternatively, is there any other feasible way to exit/re-enter Japan cheaply to change my visa one I'm finally done on the 28th, or is it even possible to just change your visa to tourist so long as you have no problem with the work visa being permanently ended?

Thanks for any insights anyone could give me on this issue!

It will depend on the immigration dude when you re-enter.
The quick trip to Korea is actually a popular way to get around the visa issues (not saying that is why you are doing it) but the immigration dudes are on to it.
Whatever you do, stick to the rules!
If you break any rules.. good chance they will find out.. and then there will be a price to pay!

The Japanese are KNOWN for going "by the book." This could sound bad at first, but actually will end up helping you. The first and foremost thing you need to do is find out how to change your visa status. I think basically going from Student visa to tourist will not be very difficult. It may only require you writing a letter of intent.

I don't think you can have two active visas. You have to abolish one when getting the other. So to get a travelers visa you will be fore-fitting your other visa.

So by going by the book your solution to getting the cheap travel pass could be as simple as requesting the travel visa before you plan on returning to Japan, or just before you leave.

I would STRONGLY suggest going to the Japan Visa page (google search for it) and calling the phone number on the page. They should be very helpful. (obviously you dont need to include the details about the discount pass, just let them know you want to change your visa status before your current visa expires. Make sure to tell them you will be leaving the country for a few days too.)

Hi guys thanks for your replies.

Something I should have mentioned I guess is that my work visa doesn't expire until September. I was issued a year long visa even though I'm only working for 8 months, but now it looks like that's biting me in the ass:

To try and stay "by the book" I went to the Nagoya immigration office today to ask about changing my visa status. I explained to the clerk that my internship ends on the 28th of April, and I plan on travelling for 2 weeks after that (I will go back home to Canada on May 10th), but need a Japan Rail Pass to be able to do that, thus I need to change to a temporary visitors visa when my work finishes on the 28th. This seems to me like a reasonable request, and even the person at the information desk said that it shouldnt be a problem and should only take a few days. However, after bringing it to a clerk and having him discuss it with his supervisor, I was informed by him that "making this change is very difficult and requires good reason". I wasn't really sure what kind of better reason for changing from a work to a temporary travel visa existed so I asked, and he said that if, for example, it was the end of my work visa (september) and I still wanted to travel, then they would grant me the travel visa. This is furstrating because my situation is pretty much the same. My work time here is ending and I want to travel after (which I can only afford to do if i can get a rail pass), it's just not when my visa happens to be ending because of the way it was issued. He suggested entering back from my trip to Korea on a temporary visitor visa, but that would bar me from working the last 9 days of my internship, which I need to work.

Does anyone know if I might be able to more effectively argue my case and get permission to change to a temporary visitor visa once my internship ends? It seems pretty strange that I could accomplish that by spending a few hundred dollars to fly anywhere then fly back immediately, as all Canadian citizens are granted 90 days temporary visitors visa whenever they enter Japan, but they won't just grant me the visitor visa themselves without making me fly somewhere first even though it's within their power.

Highcommander, you implied that I might not want to mention my intention to use the Japan Rail Pass? Is there a reason for that? I mean the way I see it it's the only compelling reason for them to grant me the temporary visitors visa, as there's nothing else from stopping me from being in Japan until May 10th since my work visa won't expire.

Alternatively, is it really actually likely that I'd be caught if I re-entered from Korea on a temporary visitor's visa, worked the last 9 days of my internship and then did my travelling? I mean I'd only be in Japan for 21 days total on the visa which is good for 90. How would they ever know that I worked the first 9 days? I know that there are certainly consequences for being caught (anyone know how bad they are?) but it seems like not a very big deal and if I didn't tell anyone here then noone would find out. But if anyone has any experience of this nature with Japanese immigration that illustrates this as a very bad idea I'd definitely love to hear it.

Arguing your case would not achieve anything...
just get them offside, maybe

ThomBoh wrote:

QUOTE:
Alternatively, is it really actually likely that I'd be caught if I re-entered from Korea on a temporary visitor's visa, worked the last 9 days of my internship and then did my travelling? I mean I'd only be in Japan for 21 days total on the visa which is good for 90. How would they ever know that I worked the first 9 days? I know that there are certainly consequences for being caught (anyone know how bad they are?) but it seems like not a very big deal and if I didn't tell anyone here then noone would find out.

It's possible (not saying you will or wont get caught though) and it's also illegal since you are doing somthing what your visa is not intended to be. If caught it would mean that any future vists to Japan for whatever reason will be much much more difficult for you to re-enter into the country. I wouldn't know how they may might find out about it, but the fact you might be doing an internship, since you are sponsered by a company/business/organisation for the internship they might have to let immigration know at some point that you have finished your work or somthing similar?

ThomBoh wrote:

QUOTE:
Highcommander, you implied that I might not want to mention my intention to use the Japan Rail Pass? Is there a reason for that? I mean the way I see it it's the only compelling reason for them to grant me the temporary visitors visa, as there's nothing else from stopping me from being in Japan until May 10th since my work visa won't expire.

Possibly, it may be because (MAY be) that transport is a lucrative source of revenue for the country. I know when i went to Japan i spent over 1000 euros on Shinkansen tickets on a 470 euro 3 week j-rail pass. They only issue these to people who are in Japan on temporary vistor visa with intentions for Tourism/cultural exchange/visting family etc. The fact that you are on a different visa to a temporary vistor, mentioning that you want to change over to the temporary vistor visa while on a college/internship visa and get a j-rail pass might be shooting yourself in the foot. To some people it seems logical to do that since it saves money, but when it involves government it gets tricky since they may be effectively losing money.

I can understand the frustration though, it is expensive to use Shinkansen but at the same time you are caught inbetween time lines that makes getting a j-rail pass a bit difficult while trying to act within the rules.

Just a question, you say you are going back to Canada May 10th and your internship finishes on April 28th. Do you HAVE to be back in Canada on May 10th for any reason? I was thinking that when your Internship ends, letting immigration know that you have finished your internship should write off your visa status, you could always go home and fly back again? (would that be too expensive?). I say this because you need to be outside Japan to get a j-rail pass anyway, as far as im aware you can't get them inside the country since they are only issued to foreigners and external Japanese. You may be able to get one in South Korea, but im not 100% sure.