Comments | expatsjapan: Freelancing in Japan

ebeelove in expatsjapan

Freelancing in Japan

May 20, 2008 16:55

I'll be moving to Japan in August or so of this year to live with my boyfriend who is a JET program ALT. I've been looking into my own employment opportunities in Japan. I'm a graphic designer / illustrator by trade and I was thinking of going full-time freelancer, or at least taking on some freelance jobs here and there to supplement income if I'm ( Read more... )

non-teaching jobs

Comments 5

hinoai May 20 2008, 21:50:04 UTC

Don't take my word for law or anything, because I've never tried to get an artist's visa or anything like it, but.. From what I understand, to get any working visa, you need to either be sponsored by a company, or you need to be able to provide that through one or several contracts, you'll be making above a certain amount of money per year. For a freelancer, I don't think that you'd be able to have those things right away, so it wouldn't be possible to get a visa like that ( ... )

ebeelove May 20 2008, 21:57:29 UTC

I'm American. :( I can't get a working holiday visa. I would much prefer to be able to do freelance work instead of teach if possible, and I doubt there will be any companies in Japan that will offer sponsorship for that.... Hrm.

freelancing and working in Japan aimegami May 21 2008, 00:52:57 UTC

ah the joys of emmigrating if you're from the States: firstly you don't have to teach, but it's generally the most readily available type of work that will let you have a long-term working visa ( ... )

innermoonlight May 21 2008, 07:25:02 UTC

If only this post could have popped up last year before I was about to set off for Japan, instead of three months before I leave! Expatsjapan is unfortunately sparse when it comes to artists resources ( ... )

roque May 22 2008, 04:25:37 UTC

I'd say come over on a tourist visa, then immediately start talking to immigration about getting upgraded to a dependent visa. (it'd be a lot easier to get such a visa if you and your boyfriend were married, but you may run into a sympathetic immigration official who'll help you. remember to act Friendly, Earnest, and Willing to Work Within the System.) if you can get a dependent visa, give it a few months and then go back and apply for permission to work. they'll ask you how many hours you plan to work-- be conservative in your estimate. if you can't get a dependent visa, you could talk to them about self-sponsorship for a work visa. this will be a much bigger pain where you'll have to produce documents proving that you've made enough money to support yourself doing this in your home country, and can be reasonably certain of doing it again. (oh, and everything has to be translated into Japanese ( ... )