Since the Japanese gov’t has announced the processing of new work visas starting October 1st, I was wondering if anyone has any insight on whether if it’s now feasible to be job searching from abroad at this time? Recruiters I’ve talked to have mostly said companies still aren’t really hiring foreigners living abroad at the moment, somewhat due to covid.
For some background info, I’m a software engineer/web developer from the US with ~2-3 years of experience, BA in Comp Sci, and have basic Japanese ability (JLPT N5). I’ve previously lived in Japan teaching English for two years.
It seems really difficult to find a company to sponsor my visa right now, would I just be better off waiting for more relaxed immigration policies? Or is overseas hiring still going on but my qualifications aren’t strong enough?
Even though the rules have changed, there still hasn’t been enough time for companies to see how things will actually change. For instance, there’s likely a backlog of visas to be processed, and so it may take quite some time for a new one to be issued. From the companies I’ve talked to so far, they’re waiting to see how things play out before changing their overseas hiring policies.
It’s impossible to say if it’s worth your time applying to the companies that are hiring internationally right now, as your chances come down to you as an individual. In the current situation, it’s probably harder than normal to get hired, but not necessarily impossible.