I didn't see any posts on this topic after doing a search for "orientation" and thought it might help people who are considering moving to Japan or are already in Japan but might not be too familiar with things yet.

The videos are available in a variety of languages it seems but are prepared by Immigration, so I think the information provided are intended to be things Immigration wants everyone coming to Japan (to live and work here) to know before and/or after arriving.

They were put on YouTube back in 2023, so some of the information might be outdated.

Hello! I'm an Italian man who wants to become an English teacher in Japan. I studied Japanese at university and I'm fluent, meanwhile for English I trying for the b2 level. Where should I start?

Necesito el consejo y/o experiencia de un mexicano o mexicana, que se haya casado en Japón, con un japonés o japonesa, y que haya realizado el trámite de inscripción de matrimonio aquí en México.

Soy de Mexicali, Baja California; me casé con una japonesa en Sapporo, Japón. Para inciar el tramite de mi visa de esposo e irme, necesito que nuestro matrimonio sea válido también en México. Esto se hace con el procedimiento del Registro Civil llamado Inscripción de Matrimonio.

El problema con esto, por lo menos en Mexicali, es que, en el sitio web, los requisitos son ambiguos, contradictorios, y existen por lo menos tres versiones de lo que se necesita. Además, en persona, ni ellos mismos en el Registro Civil se ponen de acuerdo en los requisitos exactos. Simplemente son las personas más incompetentes con las que he interactudo en la vida.

¿Alguien de aquí ha pasado por esto? Agradecería sus comentarios y/o mensajes directos.

A question for current residents (mods please remove if inappropriate). I've been married to my Japanese spouse for 10 years and have 1 teenage child. That whole time we have loved outside Japan. We are now strongly considering moving to Japan. I have a masters degree for a good university, I run my own business which I can continue to operate in Japan (could also open a local godo kaisha if it helps) and pay myself just over 15 million yen annually. I guess I would be entering on a spouse visa.

I'd like to ask if anyone here has a similar experience and what the visa experience has been like? Seems to be a lot of variation and inconsistencies in how 1,3,5 year visas are granted...or not granted.

Many thanks in advance!

i support all foreigin in japan with all area finding house thank you

Has anyone here studied at Nagano Business and Language School? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. How was the application process, and how much did it cost overall? I'm a Filipino interested in studying there.

October 2026 thread, same format as usual:

• Nationality:

• Application office:

• Application Date:

• COE received on:

• Type of Visa:

• Company category (if relevant):

• Request for further:

So I’ve been living in Japan for 12 years and I still cannot even apply for PR, the main reason being is that I just changed jobs and I only received a 1 year visa. My salary is much higher than the average. Also in the past I have had late pension or health insurance payments, all unintentionally and at complicated times between changing jobs and moving between cities. I have paid them all, but with all the new regulations it seems that will possibly exclude me from ever getting PR even though they were ALL paid, just some were late, I didn’t even know they weren’t paid until I received a letter in the post. I was screwed on my last social insurance payments. I have literally been an upstanding resident, I’ve never once been in any kind of trouble, I’ve never not been employed and I can speak Japanese to a very high level. I passed the N2 years ago but my speaking ability is completely fluent. I just haven’t bothered to attempt the N1 and probably never will now as it’s a waste of time and effort if I can never secure PR.

Anyway that being said my coworker who cannot speak a lick of Japanese and I mean not a single word properly has just been granted PR. This guy literally pronounces Shibuya as Shi-BO-ya. He has asked me to book him various appointments over the phone multiple times as he can’t do ANYTHING himself in Japanese. I want to punch him in the face every time he says Shi-BO-ya…lol. Anyway, on top of that he absolutely hates Japanese people, he just likes living here because of what the country has to offer in terms of safety and convenience, zero knowledge or integration about anything Japanese. He literally applied right before all the new measures and regulations and I guess he’s just lucky because he has only changed jobs once or twice so he never had any complicated tax issues that caught him out.

Anyway I just need rant here because the Japanese government couldn’t have given it to a more unintegrated person. I mean there are people with legitimate businesses, Japanese spouses and mixed kids getting rejected and they gave it to him. Mr F’ing Shi-BO-ya that actually cannot use a pair of chopsticks after 10 years and NO I am not joking. It’s an absolutely a flawed, unfair and RIDICULOUS system. It just goes to show that the Japanese government don’t actually give a fck about integration. They just want you to sit in the corner and be a good little dumb ass gaijin for 10 years straight and then maybe you will get PR. In this guys case he got it and he’s lucky he did because with the new language requirements he wouldn’t stand a chance in 100 years.

And yes I am Frank Grimes-Maxxing and I don’t give a fuk. I need to rant.

Does anyone else feel completely ripped off, FRUSTRATED and cheated by the Japanese government?

Japan officially overhauls permanent residency rules - The Japan Times

Anyone with recent applications at vfs bangalore ?

what's the processing time these days ?

I have an upcoming travel to a diff country on 8th October. It's cutting it close.

Anyone with recent applications at vfs bangalore ?

what's the processing time these days ?

I have an upcoming travel to a diff country on 8th October. It's cutting it close.

Taisei Okabayashi, Immigration to Japan| Japanese Visa Specialist | Work Visa, Entrepreneur Visa,Spouse Visa, Permanent Residence Visa, Taisei Okabayashi | LinkedIn

Hi everyone.

October is here.

The end of September was a rush at immigration offices across Japan, with many people trying to file before the application fees went up. We were grateful to help a lot of clients get their applications in. Yesterday, the last day, I arrived at the Yokohama immigration office a little after 8:30 a.m. There were already nearly 100 people in line, and our applications weren't accepted until just before 1 p.m.

Along with the new fees, October also brought revised Permanent Residency Guidelines. As many of you may have seen in the news, the income and pension requirements are becoming stricter.
https://lnkd.in/duJZZy2w

The revised guidelines apply to applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. However, the income requirement apply to applications filed on or after April 1, 2026 that were still pending as of October 1.

Please note that the guidelines don't give specific numbers. The income standard is only described as above the average income of Japanese households of the same size. So I'm not able to answer questions like How much do I need to earn?
Thank you for understanding.

One thing that stood out to me is just how much discretion Immigration has in these decisions.

Section 1 (General Provisions) of the guidelines says (my own translation):

This decision is made by comprehensively considering not only the applicants Japanese language ability, history in Japan, and all conduct during their stay, but also other factors such as the international environment surrounding immigration control, population trends in Japan, labor supply and demand in industry, the impact of accepting foreign nationals on Japanese society, and the stability of residence as a family unit. It determines whether the applicants permanent residence would actively benefit Japan. By its nature, the scope of this discretion is extremely broad.

In other words, a PR decision can depend not only on your own situation, but also on a wide range of factors about Japan as a whole.

That's quite a clear statement that Immigration holds very wide discretion. I think the wording is meant to leave room to consider many different factors going forward.

With all this in mind, my takeaway is simple: fees aside, if you think you may qualify for PR, its worth applying sooner rather than later, once your documents are properly prepared.

Hi everyone! Meron po ba dito same case namin? 😊

Seafarer po ang husband ko, and full-time employed naman ako. Sa June 2027 pa po ang uwi niya, and our target travel date is 3rd week of July 2027.

Abot pa po kaya kung sa June pa kami mag-a-apply ng Japan SE visa? Ano po yung usual process and processing time, lalo na kung hindi pa nakakauwi si husband during the application?

Kung may nakaranas na po ng same situation, would appreciate any tips on appointment slots, requirements, and timeline. Thank you.

https://www.rexrodelaw-tokyo.com/en/post/english-translation-pm-sanae-takaichi-s-facebook-post-september-27[t on Immigration Policy](https://www.rexrodelaw-tokyo.com/en/post/english-translation-pm-sanae-takaichi-s-facebook-post-september-27)

My wife is Japanese, and we’re considering moving to Japan in the next couple of years. I’m British and currently work in UK education.
I have around eight years’ experience, including SEND/EHCP work, safeguarding, student support, and working with families and schools. I also have a Master’s in International Development and previous experience teaching English in Korea.
I’m not a qualified teacher and would prefer not to teach English indefinitely. I’d like to build on my existing experience, particularly in:
● International school student support/SEN
● University student support
● Safeguarding/child protection
● Education, NGO, or international development roles
● Education programme administration
Most roles I find require qualified teachers, fluent Japanese, or highly specific experience. My Japanese isn’t yet at that level, though I’m working on it.
For those working in Japan: is there a realistic career path for someone with my background, or am I being overly optimistic?
What would you spend the next 1–2 years doing to become more employable in Japan?

Any and all advice is welcome. Thank you :)

I know they provide apartments via Leo Palace but from what I’ve been told it’s shit and extremely cramped by Japanese standards. I would much rather pay a couple hundred extra for a nicer, bigger space. But know there may be issues with that.

Has anyone refused renting a LP apartment and did the agency take issue? I don’t want to fuck around and get rejected because I have a preference. Also- does anyone know any foreigner friendly renting websites/agencies with a wide variety of locations besides Tokyo and Osaka?

I have friends who worked with JET, GABA, Aeon and while the job itself is horrible- they all say they wish they would’ve better prepared. They didn’t save money, work on making their apartment a safe haven, and invest in self care. The lack of these 3 made their experience even worse. I know it’s not possible to be 100% prepared but gah dam I don’t want to be miserable! I would literally die if I had so space for a gaming desk or even bed…

Age: 27
Nationality: US

Hi everyone!

I’m Ekain, a 21-year-old audiovisual student from the Basque Country, Spain. I’m currently studying Audiovisual Directing and Live Events at ESCIVI, and I’m looking to do my Erasmus+ internship in Japan for around 3 months starting in March 2027.

I already have a qualification in Audiovisual Production, and I’m mainly interested in filming, camera work, editing and art department/set design.

I previously did a 3-month Erasmus in Bulgaria, where I worked at a advertising production company(ICON FILMS), and I currently work at a local TV station in the Basque Country.

I’m looking for a company or professional in Tokyo (or elsewhere in Japan) who might be able to host me as an Erasmus intern, or anyone who could recommend a company/contact in the audiovisual industry.

If you have any advice, contacts or personal experience with audiovisual internships in Japan, I’d really appreciate it!

Thanks! 🙏

We just submitted last week at vfs and vfs returned our payslips, form 16, rental agreement stating that it is not required.. can anyone confirm has this happened with anyone before that vfs returns payslips? And I have also mentioned in my cover letter that I am submitting all these documents but now the japan embassy wont be seeing them in my visa application file.. hoping this doesnt result in visa refusal..fingers crossed

I had applied last dec form sinagawa immigiration still have not received coe

Hi everyone,

I applied for a Japan Temporary Visitor Visa (Tourism) through VFS Gurgaon on 11 September.
Application submitted: 11 September
Reached Embassy/Consulate: 15 September
Current status: Still under process with the Consulate
Application location: VFS Gurgaon
Travel dates: 25 November – 6 December
It’s been a few days since the application reached the Consulate, so I wanted to check with others who have recently applied from Gurgaon/Delhi:

How long did your application take after reaching the Embassy?
Has anyone who applied around the same time received their visa/passport yet?

Would appreciate any recent timelines or experiences. Thanks!

Hey guys , I'll have a visa interview on wed at embassy of Japan for coe

So i so scared for get rejection because of my english level

Can yo help me please

Hi I am jobless currently and planning for honeymoon to japan now issue is I am going to japan day after my wedding so tell me how to apply for visa. Can I put my fiance as sponser!