I'm not rich, but I was wondering if I was rich, would it be pretty easy to get a visa to japan?

For example if someone were fine with spending $100K to get a visa that would let them stay a couple years.

Spines11 Wrote:I'm not rich, but I was wondering if I was rich, would it be pretty easy to get a visa to japan?

For example if someone were fine with spending $100K to get a visa that would let them stay a couple years.

Not likely. However, this works great in China and isn't even expensive. 150 dollars or so and you can get a business visa for a year.

Well, I don't necessarily mean just buy a visa. Like maybe a good immigration lawyer could figure something out.

Apparently there is an investor/Business Manager visa. Maybe if you were rich you could establish a company, hire some Japanese employees (which is required for the visa), and oversee the company on your spare time. I think it would be fun to open up a restaurant or something.

There is probably some kind of visa that would work for people that don't need to work to make a living. Also it might be possible to have some company hire you as some kind of consultant even though you'd be the one actually paying them in some other way (would that be legal?).

Anyway I'm sure that if someone is rich enough and determined to live in Japan, there is probably a way to do it. Most countries don't mind letting people who are going to pay a huge amount in taxes immigrate.

Spines11 Wrote:Well, I don't necessarily mean just buy a visa. Like maybe a good immigration lawyer could figure something out.

Apparently there is an investor/Business Manager visa. Maybe if you were rich you could establish a company, hire some Japanese employees (which is required for the visa), and oversee the company on your spare time. I think it would be fun to open up a restaurant or something.

Yeah, but if I remember what Jarvik7 said correctly, to do that you actually have to have one year of profits in Japan first... which sounds like an odd catch 22, but that's what I remember from that old thread.

I have never heard of any such visa. if you use the money to set up a company etc, then there would be ways but not by just having the money in your bank. There are plenty of rich people in Japan already, just having cash doesn't get you in. You could spend the money on going to language school, that would give you visa.

The Japanese language school thing seems like a good idea , and you don't have to be that rich to do it, just be able to afford the school and living expenses.

I searched the web about Japanese language schools and the ones I've come across all seem pretty intense, like 4 hours every weekday. Anyone know if there are more relaxed ones, but still offer a visa?

I think there is a mininum number of hours a day of classroom study to get a visa, i think that amount is four every day.

If I had a million dollars, how many chai lattes do you think I could buy? I mean high quality stuff, not from convenience stores.

@ruiner - I'm thinking more than 40, but I'm not completely sure...

Does anyone know if most people that apply for a student visa to go to a Japanese language school get accepted?

If I remember correctly Canada had something like this but they sold themselves cheaply. It was something around 15,000$, you'd get an investor visa or something similar.

Looks like Canada's numbers are closer to:
Investor: $800K assets, $400K investment
Entrepreneur: $300K assets, create a business with various requirements.

btw That program (then $250K) brought about $5 billion/yr of capital into Canada from HK in the decade leading up to the handover to China. A third of it into Vancouver alone. We don't feel cheap. ;-)

According to this blurb, Japan has no fixed amount for that investor/manager visa, but the requirement to hire staff is waived for those who invest about Y5 million ($50K?) Setting up a company there takes time and money though. You'd want to have some exit plan to recoup some of your $ in case you fail to qualify.

Just marry a nice Japanese girl.

I'm no expert but I think anyone can go to basic Japanese Language school, they're not like universities. Also if you didn't go to all the classes but still paid the fees I'm guessing they wouldn't kick you out...

caivano Wrote:I'm no expert but I think anyone can go to basic Japanese Language school, they're not like universities. Also if you didn't go to all the classes but still paid the fees I'm guessing they wouldn't kick you out...

I think that if as a school you do that and the government catch you at it you lose the qualification that lets you arrange student visas. The one I went to was certainly pretty strict about registering and monitoring daily attendance.

Yeah with enough cash you can live just about anywhere ! Not sure if $100k will do it for Japan though. Best bet is to just enrol in some sort of course, or undertake some sort of cultural study. No doubt there are some dodgy schools around that will let you enrol, sponsor you for a visa, but not require you to turn up to class.

Erubey Wrote:Just marry a nice Japanese girl.

That would piss my wife off to no end.

It is possible to start your own company/business and sponser yourself. So the answer is yes.

Erubey Wrote:Just marry a nice Japanese girl.

Trivial if you're rich.

Looks like we've cracked it!

Nukemarine Wrote:

Erubey Wrote:Just marry a nice Japanese girl.

That would piss my wife off to no end.

Mine too, but sacrifices have to made.