Those who wish to immigrate to Japan from New Zealand can apply for a visa that will allow them to remain in the country for medium to long-term purposes. These are issued for work or study, or to the wife or the child of a foreigner who is already lawfully living in Japan.
If you want to open a company in Japan and wish to remain in the country for business and investment purposes, our team will guide you through the visa requirements, as well as the general company formation process.
The guide presented herein discusses the main requirements for those who are interested in immigration to Japan, however, you are welcome to ask us more questions that are relevant to your situation.
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Work visas for Japan
If you want to immigrate to Japan from New Zealand for work purposes, you will need to comply with the following:
- have an approved employment contract with a Japanese employer (who will act as a sponsor for the Certificate of Eligibility);
- apply for the visa at the Japanese Embassy in their area of residence in New Zealand;
- have a valid passport, the filled-in visa application, a recent photograph, and other documents ready for the application;
- New Zealand is exempt from the visa fee.
All persons who enter Japan with permission to stay for more than 3 months are issued a residence card. For information on how to apply for this once you have entered Japan for your intended medium to long-term residence purpose, please contact our team.
You can apply, as necessary, for a change of residence status. This may be the case when a New Zealander initially enters Japan as an intra-company transferee and is then promoted to a business manager. Conditions apply and our team can give you more details.
Other types of visas for Japan
You may also wish to move to Japan from New Zealand to study or to reunite with a family member. The following conditions apply for a study visa:
- you need to have a filled-in visa form and a valid passport;
- the applicant needs to have a Japanese school as a sponsor;
- applicants need to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Japanese Ministry of Justice;
- additional documents may be needed.
If you want to relocate to Japan from New Zealand to reunite with a family member under the dependent visa you will need to meet the following criteria:
- the applicant is the spouse or minor child of a New Zealander who is a resident based on a work or student visa;
- the relative living in Japan will generally need to submit an invitation for the applicant;
- a valid passport and other documents are required.
Additional information for those who move to Japan from New Zealand
Our immigration lawyers in Japan remind you of the following:
- visas are generally valid for 3 months after their issue date; you should plan accordingly;
- the expected minimum processing time for most visas is 5 working days;
- the photograph required for the visa application needs to be taken within 6 months prior to the application date.
Assistance for those who relocate to Japan from New Zealand
We remind New Zealanders that they will need to select a visa type that will suit their medium or long-term purposes. These are the ones suited for their purpose to immigrate to Japan from New Zealand, as opposed to visas issued for short-term purposes (such as the one for a short business trip).
By working with our team, you will be able to apply for the right type of visa and, more importantly, you will submit a complete set of documents with your application.
Our immigration lawyers can answer more questions about the general visa application process, and our company formation experts can help you with setting up a company in Japan.
Contact us if you want to know more about our services.