1

If you don't have a Japanese passport I doubt having a Japanese mother is going to help.

For the visa:
What visa do you want to get?
You can get tourist visas on arrival but with those you are not allowed to look for work let alone pick up work. So entering with a tourist visa and then wanting to turn it into a working permit might be difficult.
If oyu are going for the working holiday visa: As far as I know you can ONLY apply for those from outside Japan.

For the return ticket..... yeah, should have one. i entered without one and when they wanted to see it I told them I would take the ferry out. Was fine with them but I wouldn't be sure it is in every case..

2

It depends as much (more) on the airline, whether they let you in.
Australia in particular (perhaps mainly Jetstar)has a fierce reputation for not allowing people on the plane until they can show a return ticket (a booking is not likely to be enough). Other countries seem to be more lax, but it's a matter of time before airlines realize there is money to be made in extorting return fares from people.
Have you sorted out your visa options for once you are in Japan?
There is information on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website about visa categories - you need to check with officialdom, and not just what your parents say.
Japan doesn't have dual citizenship for adults, and if you don't have a japanese passport you will need a visa.
In your case you look like a perfect candidate for overstaying and it's immigration's job to stop you coming in. My suggestion would be either come in with the right visa or come in with a return ticket.

3

Just to be terminologically accurate, one does not get a tourist visa upon landing. One gets a tourist visa waiver. Certain countries require an actual tourist visa before entering.

You actually can look for work as a tourist, but do NOT tell immigration or customs that is your plan, because it is technically illegal and they will probably put you back on the next plane home.

If you can't even afford a RT ticket, you are going to be in very tough straits by coming here to look for work. You can't expect to get paid sooner than 4-6 weeks after you are hired, and just landing the job may take 2-4 months.

If Mom is a Japanese (and has not renounced her citizenship), you had the opportunity to get J citizenship when you were born but would have had to renounce US or J citizenship by age 22 (or hide it like some do). If somehow you kept the citizenship (which I think you haven't), you can enter as a tourist and that's about it. Look for work like the thousands of other foreigners, but in your case since Dad is already working there, you could probably get a dependent visa based on his work visa, and then change to a work visa yourself once you have found work. I mention this because without a visa status, you're going to have to leave in 90 days.

I don't know why gagalichen mentioned working holiday visa, since you said you were coming from the US. Assuming you are American, you cannot get the WHV.

What sort of work are you looking for (and with what qualifications), if you don't mind my asking?

4

Glenski do you know at what age is a dependent visa no longer an option?
I would have guessed 16 or perhaps 18 or 20.
I am not sure the OP would have more rights to residency than any other US citizen.

5

Quote: "You actually can look for work as a tourist, but do NOT tell immigration or customs that is your plan, because it is technically illegal and they will probably put you back on the next plane home."

Well I wonder how he would do that cause when I applied for jobs the first thing they wanted to see, even before inviting me for an interview was a scan of my visa.... cause they will get in trouble too if they deal with you on a tourist visa WAIVER (let's not forget this incredibly important word). I don't doubt there are some that will but it's illegal and Jpaanese usually strongly oppose illegal, so those who do are very likely extremely desperate for some reason or plain shady.

Sry, didn't know WHV wasn't for Americans.

To OP: There are agencies that place (native) English teachers in Japan and there's constant demand for those, so if you have any kind of (recognized) teaching certification it should be easy to get a placement which would a) get rid of your visa troubles and b) allow you to enter with a one way ticket....

Edited by: gagalichen

6

The US now permits you to hold two or more citizenships so unless the Japanese require that you renounce US citizenship to obtain a Japanese passport and assuming that OP's mother has included him in her family registry, I don't see why OP couldn't apply for a Japanese passport and remain in country indefinitely.

Ruth

7

The issue is on the Japanese side.
If the OP already has JP citizenship it is a grey zone whether s/he can retain it.
If the OP does not have JP citizenship under usual circumstances s/he would have to renounce US citizenship to get Japanese citizenship, even if one of the OPs parents is Japanese. There may be ways around it, but I don't know them.

8

".....under usual circumstances s/he would have to renounce US citizenship to get Japanese citizenship..."

This may be what the Japanese regulations require, but I believe that US courts have held that such renunciations of US citizenship are done only under duress, and are invalid under US law. (And therefore, after getting a Japanese passport, even if they tear up the US passport, the OP could get another US passport.) But this could require going to court to get a judgement......professional legal advice should be sought before embarking on this course of action!

9

The visa that a child of a Japanese national gets is actually the same visa as a spouse visa- those of you on spouse visas will have noticed that your visa sticker says "Spouse or Child of Japanese National", so completely different from a dependent visa.

I have friends in their late 30s who are in Japan on these visas- like the spouse visa I'm guessing there's no age limit, and also no working restrictions.

10

Onward Travel requirements are enforced first by the airline, if you dont have proper travel booked for the country you are visiting, the airlines enforces the rules, as they will get fined and also have to fly you back home.

Check with your airline. A US Passport entering Japan at Immigration a different issue as well, as far as Visa, length of stay etc.

11

You're mixing up some things here :
+ Your japanese mother should mean that you will qualify for citizenship, not a visa. You might even want to check this before you leave, i.e. if you are registered on her Family Registry. If you get a Japanese Passport this would make many things much easier
+ If your dad works here, you might/should be able to get a dependent visa. However this would only allow you to work a limited number of hours (after application). Probably he has to start organizing this from his side.
+ As others pointed out DON'T TELL immigration that you are entering Japan on a tourist visa to find a job. Than would violate the terms of the visa and could mean that you are refused entry.
+ Do you have a job lined up ? For a working visa, you need an employment contract. Most larger companies will have no problems with that, but others (especially smaller or part-time) will only hire people with a valid visa in the first place.

12

http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/long/index.html

Citizenship is tricky if the OP doesn't already have it because of the laws on dual citizenship for adults.
There is a visa for the biological child of a Japanese citizen as listed on the website above (and as explained by karandavasana).

13

TokyoB,
I don't think there is really any confusion. Because his mom is Japanese, he can apply for a visa (child of Japanese national). I have my doubts about being able to apply for citizenship merely on the basis of Mom being Japanese, and my main reason is that he is probably too old. He has not come back to this thread to respond to any advice from a dozen posts over 3 days, so he may be busy, but who can say? This sounds serious enough to warrant coming here to check.

I say figure out if he wants to change from American to Japanese citizenship, and if the answer is yes, ask immigration for the most expedient means. This is a VERY SERIOUS commitment, however, not to be taken lightly. Might also help to know his age.

If he doesn't want to change, or merely wants to wait a while (or if the process takes too long), then go with the dependent visa. However, beyond that, we STILL need more information to know whether we can even suggest getting a WORK visa so he can work full-time.

Hello, doubleshotstarbucks....?
Where are you?

14

I suggest getting educated on all the various types of visas that are available: Visas