Staying In Japan

From HyogoAJET

After you finish your contract with the JET Programme, your contracting organization is required to provide you with a flight back to your home country. However, you are not required to take this offer. If you do decide to stay in Japan, you should make sure to take care of your visa/status of residency and your alien registration card.

Visas and Status of Residency

One legal matter you will have to attend to is your visa. As an ALT, your status of residency is "Instructor" (CIRs and SEAs have a different status). If you are going to continue working as an English teacher, and if your visa isn't about to expire, then you can continue working on the same visa. If, however, you are going to switch job types, become a student, or do anything else, you will have to get a new visa and status of residency. Your new job/school should help you with all of this paperwork. The PAs in Ibaraki prefecture also gave us some good advice about visas, which you can find here.

Alien Registration

Your Alien Registration Card remains the same the whole time you are in Japan. You will only be issued a new one when the old one expires, and you are required to turn it in upon leaving the country. However, if you move to a new place, or if your status of residency changes, you are required to take your card to your local municipal office (市役所) so they can update it (nothing too fancy, they just write your new information on the back).

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General	Meet The CIRs ・ Meet The PAs ・ Phone Numbers and Emails ・ Hyogojets Mailing List ・ Emergencies ・ Useful Links ・ AJET ・ Acronyms ・ Information Centers
For New Jets	The Hiring Process ・ Buying From Your Predecessor ・ Japanese Customs ・ Bringing Medicine To Japan ・ Presents For Coworkers ・ Tokyo to Hyogo ・ Alien Registration Card ・ First Few Days ・ Pension Book ・ Settling In At Home ・ Letter of Appointment ・ Personal Seal
Money	How Much Money Should I Bring? ・ Banking in Japan ・ Sending Money Home ・ Paychecks ・ Paying Up Front ・ Taxes Back Home ・ Statement of Earnings ・ Resident Taxes
Work	Who do I work for? ・ Evaluations ・ Paid Leave ・ Special Leave ・ Unpaid Leave ・ Study Leave ・ Recontracting and Transfers ・ Conferences ・ Orientation Overview ・ The Mid-Year Conference ・ I have nothing to do!
Life In Hyogo	About the Apartment ・ How safe is Japan? ・ Map of Hyogo ・ Dealing with bugs ・ Shopping in Japan ・ Train Lines, Times, and Fares ・ Hyogo Winters ・ Hyogo Summers ・ Typhoons ・ Sports Opportunities ・ Trains: Vocab and Tips ・ Post Office ・ Useful Items to Help You Live in Japan ・ Religious Institutions
Traveling	Traveling ・ Leaving The Country ・ Buses ・ International Airports ・ Domestic Airports ・ Tourist Spots ・ Travel Agents ・ Ferries ・ Natural Disasters Abroad
Language and Culture	Learning Japanese ・ Language Resources ・ Japanese Classes in Hyogo ・ Proficiency Tests ・ Study Tips ・ Japanese Holidays ・ Japanese Etiquette ・ About the CLAIR Courses
Food	Food Shopping ・ Restaurant Vocab and Guidebooks ・ Types of Restaurants ・ Recommended Restaurants ・ Bars
Health	Bringing Medicine To Japan ・ Japan's Medical System ・ Counseling and Support Groups ・ Vaccinations ・ Find a Doctor ・ Medical Examinantions ・ About our Health Insurance ・ AJET Peer Support Group ・ Dentists ・ Insurance and Dental Work ・ Gynecology
Books, etc.	Book Stores ・ Hyogo AJET Library ・ Libraries ・ Magazines ・ Newspapers etc.
Driving	Attention Drivers! ・ Buying a Car ・ Driving in Winter ・ Getting Around ・ Getting Car Insurance ・ Getting a License ・ Rules of the Road ・ Driving School ・ Driving Test ・ Drinking and Driving ・ DUI / DWI ・ My BOE won't let me drive!
Visas, etc.	Immigration Offices ・ Visa Renewal and Status of Residence ・ Reentry Permits ・ Renewing Your Passport ・ Post-JET Visa Advice ・ Temporary Visitor Visa
Recommendations	Gym Recommendations ・ Recommended Restaurants ・ Find a Doctor ・ Find a Hairdresser
Legal Issues	Lost Passports ・ Arrested in Japan ・ English Speaking Lawyers ・ Getting Married
Computers and Phones	Buying a computer ・ Typing in Japanese ・ Getting Internet ・ Word in Japanese ・ Cell Phones ・ Home Phones ・ Phoning Home ・ Help with Technical Problems
Leaving JET	Checklist for Leaving Japan ・ Post-JET Visa Advice ・ Return Tickets ・ Shipping Stuff Home ・ The Pension Refund ・ Staying In Japan ・ Preparing For Your Successor ・ Predecessor Information ・ Reverse Culture Shock ・ Police Clearance Certificate ・ Certificate of Participation ・ I want to break contract ・ Goodwill Envoys