In 2015, I travelled to Japan on a tourist visa to explore the job market, and the process of getting a job offer. I was able to interview at a few companies, and was eventually hired at a language school (eikawa) in Nagoya. I began training even while I was still preparing the paperwork I needed to process a visa at immigration. The school provided the paperwork, and the immigration office in Nagoya didn't seem like there was anything going against the law, and I was not required to return to the US, my origin country, to submit a CoE to begin processing a work visa at my local consulate or embassy. This made it simple, but I am wondering now, with all the research I have done about this, that the school wasn't following the proper protocol. Of course, I didn't know anything at the time. The immigration office successfully gave me my residence card without any questions.
During my research and questioning others about entering Japan on a tourist visa, I came across something that happened in 2019, changing what would be exempt from having to return to one's home country. One of them being the hassle of returning overseas just to process the visa required.
Now that I am planning to return to Japan, I have gotten so many different answers about entering on a tourist visa. To my understanding, I can job hunt and interview, but am not allowed to begin work. I need to know this specific information as I have a deadline coming up to attend a language school for a student visa. Is anyone aware of a possible law change or has anyone experienced the same, and can someone explain the discrepancy?
Thank you for the information.
by katineko