How To Apply For A Work Visa To Japan?

The following documents are required for every application of visa unless the opposite is indicated:

1- A valid passport.

2- Two passport-size photos.

3- Application forms (they are available on the website of consulate or embassy in your home country).

4- A proof of financial means to live in Japan.

5- A health care insurance.

6- The proof of a return ticket or sufficient funds to buy a return ticket for your country of origin.

The procedure to apply for a Japanese work visa:

To live and work in Japan you will have to apply for a working visa. Working visas are given for specific domains. For example, if you work as a journalist, then you will be given a journalistic visa.

In general, there are 14 types of working visas in Japan. To make an application, you will need a Certificate of Eligibility of the company or the organization which sponsors your travel in Japan. Although it is, in theory, possible to obtain a working visa with other documents such as your reason for coming to live in Japan, and proof of financial means. You need to your best to obtain the Certificate of Eligibility.

Your employer has to submit additional forms to the Office of Immigration. These forms include:

- A registration form (tokibo tohan).

- A report of earnings and losses (son-ekai keisansho).

- General information of the company. 

You will have to supply your CV, diploma and employment contract within the framework of the process of application. Working visas can be valid for durations going from two months to several years.

If you want to stay in Japan longer than your visa allows it, you will have to ask for an extension before it expires. If you fail make it, you will have to leave the country and make a new visa application in a foreign embassy.

Categories: Asia

Learning Japanese Is Your Key To University Study In Japan!

Because Japan is a favorite destination for many international students, most Japanese universities provide a program allowing international students to study Japanese in their establishments. The eligibility conditions are different from one university to another, but most of them require the common following documents: 

1/ You should have an undergraduate diploma, that is the equivalent of a Bachelor's degree.

2/ You should have a correct knowledge of the Japanese language, and have to complete some trainings in Japan.

3/ You should be recommended by your university, which has an agreement with the chosen Japanese university or the embassy of Japan, at which you will be appointed for an interview.

Why should you take Japanese classes?

The majority of international students, who wish to live and study in Japan, should, at first, take a program of preparation for the Japanese language, before being able to join a Japanese university. The purpose of Japanese classes is, according to the Japanese government, to allow the foreign and international student to understand the Japanese culture and society so to join a Japanese university program on good bases.

For many international students, the Japanese classes are a way to live and become soaked with the Japanese culture, which they respect so much, and to be able to live in a different country over a given period of time.

How much do you have to pay for Japanese classes?

The tuition fees bound to this type of program (Japanese language classes) are rather high. The fees are between 5000 and 10 000 euros a year for the courses according to the chosen university. But there exist several ways to see ther exempting registration fees, either by leaving within the framework of an exchange with a your university, or by being recommended by the embassy of Japan in your home country.

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How To Get A Student Visa For China?

When a student receives a letter of admission from a Chinese university, he, then, can begin the procedure of applying for a student visa. There are three types of student visas for China, and the choice is made according to the duration of desired stay in the country. These student visas are:

1- Visa-X: it addresses the students staying more than 6 months on the Chinese territory.

2- Visa-F: it addresses students staying less than 6 months in China. 

3- Visa-L: this type of visa addresses the tourists, but certain students who are late in the steps to obtain a visa-X or visa-F, can make a request to go in China and begin the program of study before obtaining the visa corresponding to their project.

Visa-X and Visa-F for foreign students in China:

Visa-X and Visa-f are similar in the rights given China, except the legal duration of the stay. So Visa-X addresses all students staying to study for, at least, one complete academic year in China. While Visa-F addresses students who stuyding for only a half-year, or are taking  Chinese courses in language school. Both types of visas are also valid for the students wishing to make an internship in a Chinese company.

Once you are admitted in a study program of your choice in Chinese university, it will send you documents to be filled. After you prepare the following documents, you will send them to the Chinese embassy that is close to you:

1- The visa application documents sent by your university completely filled. 

2- A copy of the pages of information of your passport, which has to have at least another 6 months of validity, and an available blank page, because the Chinese visa takes a complete page. 

3- A recent passport-size photo.

4- The original letter of admission you got from the university, which you will keep afterward as well as a copy of it.

The procedure time for obtaining a student visa is between 2 to 4 weeks, from application to tto the reception of your letter of admission and the package of the university.

Visa-L for late applying students in China:

Students not having time to end the steps of study application, can apply for visa - L,which is intended to tourists staying less than 2 months on the Chinese territory. The required documents are similar to the other visas, at least the letter of admission of a Chinese university.

Before taking these steps, ask for the authorization of the university to assure that afterward the educational establishment will help you to obtain Visa-X or Visa-F which you need. And it's always better to take the different steps in time.

Categories: Asia

What Is The Procedure To Apply For Study In Japan?

Japan is a developed a country and it attracts more and more foreign students from different countries every year to go and experience study at one of it's universities or universities. The Japanese culture is appreciated by French students, who show interest in studying in Japan. However, it requires much motivation to study in Japan and understand the different steps to follow to be able to study there. 

There are two possible ways for the French students, who wish to study in Japan:

- The registration at a Japanese university as a foreign student without partnership.

- The registration at a Japanese university within the framework of a partnership.

1- Joining a Japanese university as a foreign student without partnership:

Foreign students wishing to join a university in Japan outside the framework of an agreement or partnership have to take a test called EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students,) to estimate their general level, but also their level in Japanese language. In France, the EJU test can be taken twice a year and this has been the case since 2002, and it addresses the French students wishing to join a program of one year minimum at a Japanese university. The EJU test consists of the following:

- Test of Japanese as foreign language.

- A test of sciences or a test of culture at choice on Japan and its link with the world.

- A mathematics test.

However, all the universities in Japan do not recognize necessarily this test, and the choice remains varied enough so that you can manage to find a university which interests you.

2- Joining a Japanese university within the framework of an agreement or partnership:

In case you wish to leave to study in Japan within the framework of a partnership, hundreds of French educational establishments possess agreements of exchanges with Japanese universities, and can integrate you into the French-speaking program.

The French university or educational establishmenrt will help you in your steps to obtain the necessary documents for your departure, but the formalities are easily feasible by oneself. Once accepted, you will have to start the procedure to obtain a study visa for Japan.

Categories: Asia

The Tips To Apply For A South Korean Working Holiday Visa (WHV)

Obtaining a South Korean working holiday permit will allow you to stay for one year in South Korea as a tourist and, at the same time, be able to work to finance your stay without having to find an employer before your trip to South Korea begins.

The proper way to obtain a working holiday visa to South Korea:

Every year, 2000 working holiday visas are delivered by South Korea in the order of "the first come, first served". You will have to fill in the visa application form and take with you, along with, the other necessary documents to the South Korean Embassy in Paris, France. Obtaining a working holiday visa is free of charge, and there is no official processing time of the visa, but it is, generally, one week.

The conditions to obtain a South Korean WHV?

To obtain a working holiday visa you should:

* Be a French citizen and holding a valid French passport.

* Have never obtained a WHV to South Korea before. 

* Be between 18 to 30 years old on the date of the deposit of the visa application.

* Be living Live in France at the time of the visa application.

* Not be accompanied with people, where you are in charge of them.

* Be able to provide necessary financial resources to meet your needs at the beginning of your stay in South Korea. (the minimum amount to be justified is fixed at 2500 euros).

* With the exception course of Korean, you won't be able to study in South Korea with a working holiday visa.

Categories: Asia

How To Get A Japanese Working Holiday Visa?

Young French people who wish to travle to Japan to spend their holidays, can get a "Working Holiday Permit," for the duration of one year maximum, which will allow them to have the possibility of working to finance their stay.

The conditions to obtaine a working holiday visa: 

There are certain conditions to get a working holiday permit. These conditions are:

1- You should between 18 and 30 years old when you apply for the working holiday visa.

2- You intend to conform with conditions of the bilateral agreement.

3- You shouldn't have never benefited from the same visa before.

4- You should not be accompanied with a child.

5- You should be in good health and you need to provide a medical certificate giving evidence that you are in good health.

6- Being a French citizen, you cannot exercise activities considered as opposite to the objective of the agreement such working in: nightclubs, bars etc.

The procedure to obtain a working holiday visa:

Each year, Japan distributes 1500 working holiday visas. You, the applicant, should make the application for this type of visa in person at the nearest Japanese consulate from your home. Applications are made without having an appointment in advance, between 9:30 a.m. and 12 a.m.

You will be charged no fees to obtain a working holiday permit, as it is completly free. And, in case your application is accepted, waite for 3 to 5 days to obtain your working holiday visa.

The type of jobs you will find once in Japan:

To be able to find a job in Japan when you're on a working holiday visa, you need to have some knowledge of Japanese language. So before you travel to Japan, try to learn some Japanese, but, if you have money, you can travel to Japan and start learning Japanese at a school or institution during your first months of your working holiday visa. A good website that would help you find a job in Japan is: Gaijinpot.com 

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How French Students Can Get A Scholarship To Study Chinese In Taiwan?

Every year the Taiwanese Ministry of Education attributes several scholarships to French students willing to study Chinese, or to learn about this language in an approved center of Chinese language in Taiwan.

These scholarships are of a monthly amount of TWD25000, which approximately 615 euros. Allowances are directly paid by the host establishments after assuring that the grant holder is satisfied with the conditions of diligence and results.

The Taiwanese scholarships can be given for a duration of 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months or for summer sessions of the language centers.

Eligibility conditions to be granted a scholarship:

To be eligible in one of these scholarships and leave to study Chinese in Taiwan, you should meet with some conditions: 

1- You should be a French. 

2- You should not be a holder of the Taiwanese nationality or your parents are Taiwanese. 

3- You should not have the status of Overseas-Chinese.

4- You should be 18 years old, have a high school diploma or higher education diploma, and have excellent results in your current academic studies or in the last followed academic studies and be morally good.

5- You shouldn't be, currently, following cources in a center of Chinese language nor be committed in university studies in Taiwan.

6- You should have never benefited from a grant to study Chinese language or a grant to study in university in Taiwan. 

7- You should not be currently in Taiwan on any scholarship of any type.

Before you qualify to a scholarship to study Chinese language, the interested people will have to begin directly the steps of preregistration at the accredited center of Chinese language of your choice.

The successful applicants will have to respect a number of obligations, so not to risk loosing the scholarship. These obligations are:

1- The obligation of diligence: maximum absences, subject to being duly justified are 12 hours/a month. And the penalty in case of exceeding the number of absnces is a restraint of a month of allowance of the scholarship.

2- The obligatory result: average of notes, session equal or superior to 80/100 -the penalty in case of insufficient results is a restraint of a month of allowance of the grant. If the insufficiency of results repeats during the following session, your scholarship will be, simply, abolished. 

3- For the students who were granted a 9-month scholarship, it is obligation to appear at the competence Test in Chinese language (TOCFL), level " Learner " before the end of their period of program.

For a list of accredited Chinese Language Centers in Taiwan, click here.

Categories: Asia

How To Get A Scholarship To Study In Taiwan For French Students?

Taiwan is a country island in East Asia and about 180 kilometres off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It is a modern, democratic nation, whose people are friendly, educated and hardworking.  The educational system in this country is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. Some of the highest test scores in the world, are obtained by Taiwanees students in fields such as: science and mathematics.

Every year, the Ministry of Education of Taiwan, delivers scholarships to foreign students from different countries, who wish to study in Taiwan and receive a diploma. 

French students, for example, receive 5 scholarships, which are given to those students with excellent academic results and who wish to join a university in Taiwan to study for a Bachelor's degree, a Master's degree or a Doctorate degree. From the 5 scholarships given to French students, only one scholarship is reserved for undergraduate study.

Students who receive those scholarships can also benefit from an upgrade in mandarin if it turns out to be necessary for the good progress of the studies. The money reserved for those scholarships is different according to the program of study; either undergraduate or graduate. And the scholarship is granted for one academic year, and it is renewable under the condition of the results obtained.

1- Scholarships for undergraduate studies (Bachelor's degree): the student will get TWD25 000, which is, approximately, €660 a month.

2- Scholarships for graduate studies (Master's degree, Doctorate): the student will receive TWD 30 000, which is, approximately, €790 a month.

The selection of candidates for the Taiwannes scholarships in France, is done by a jury which meets in the course of April and attempts, from the study of the files of the candidates and the individual interviews with every candidate, to estimate their academic quality, their motivation and the feasibility of the announced educational projects. The application files must have been returned between February, 1st, and March, 31st.

Categories: Asia

How To Get A Training Employment Pass In Singapore?

People who want to make a training in Singapore have two very specific choices of visa: the Training Employment Pass (TEA) and the Training Work Permit (TWP). The latter does not generally address students, unless if they study at present in Singapore. 

Obtain a visa of internship in Singapore

To make an internship in Singapore with a Training Employment Pass (TEA), it is necessary that you fulfill some conditions:

- You should be at present a first cycle university student (i.e., Bachelor's degree); the students in Master's degree will have to apply for the Working Holiday Visa (WHV) or be at present in internship, a training course or apprenticeship, within a company implanted in Italy for example and want to leave for an internship in an office of the same company In Singapore.

- You should be a student or a graduate of an establishment recognized by the government of Singapore.

- The internship should be connected to the studies of the trainee.

Note: In Singapore, the trainees have to receive, necessarliy, a minimum monthly salary of $2800, which is approximately €1700.

The different steps to get internship visa to Singapore

1/ In order to be able to leave for internship to Singapore, it is necessary to be sponsored by a company in Singapore. It means that it is necessary to have found a host company for your internship and that this company completes a number of formalities to allow the student to come. The detailed procedure is explained in English on the website of the Ministry of Employment of Singapore here.

2/ Having found a host company, it is necessary to download the form allowing to apply for the Training Employment Pass on the website of the Ministry of Employment of Singapore. The student has to fill in the part, which concerns him and to send then this document to the host company, so that it completes completes it, signs it and seal it. Other documents must be sent to the company so that it can make a demand for the Training Employment Pass. Documents to be sent which are not in English must be accompanied with certified translations. These documents can be sent by e-mail but it is necessary to make sure that they are in very high resolution.

3/ The company has to complete then the part of the form which concerns it, then subject this form along with the secondary documents to an on-line service (EP Online) to make the visa application of internship. The fees for the applmication are 20 Singaporean dollars, paid, in principle, by the company.

4/ The processing time of the application is 7 days maximum in most of the cases. Once the application is approved, the company obtains an In-Principle Approval letter. The trainee is also supposed to receive it in his place of residence. This letter is valid 6 months as from its date of issuance. It means that the trainee will absolutely have to go to Singapore for his internship during this period. It is then useless to make a visa application of internship 12 or 9 months in advance.

5/ The pick your Training Employment Pass, you will be charged 120 Singaporean dollars, which is paid by you, the trainee, once you are in Singapore. The student thus has to leave his country of residence, and carry with him his passport, the letter of acceptance and a round-trip ticket.

Categories: Asia

How To Obtain An S-Pass Work Visa Type In Singapore

In a previous article, we talked about how you can get an Employment Pass (EP) to be able to work in Singapore. In this article we will talk about a nother kind of work visas in Singapore, which is called "S-Pass."

The S-Pass is similar to the Employment Pass (EP) but less strict on the qualifications and the experience. It is necessary to have a salary of at least $2000 a month. You do not have the right to make a Dependent Pass (DP) unless you earn $2800 a month.

The main disadvantage of the S-Pass is that you are subjected to quotas, which depend on many criteria and which evolve all the time. Thus, a company cannot freely hire foreigners on an S-Pass. On the contrary, the Employment Pass (EP) is not subjected to the quotas).

In addition to that, you have to have a health care insurance otherwise you will not get the S-Pass. The health care insurance is to protect yourself against the unpaid medical invoices in the case of an accident. Generally, this insurance is provided by the employer and it is simpler for everybody.

So you can meet salespeople who are on S-Pass but earn more than $15,000 a month through commissions and are waiting for the renewal of their work permit to switch to an Employment Pass EP, because with an S-Pass you are not entitled to apply for a Permanent Employment Pass (PEP.)

You may think that only PMEs use the S-Pass for their sales people, but this absolutely not, even the very big companies do it because it allows to put the pressure on the small businesses ones and to get rid of them very easily.

Note: 

What is a PME?

In general, professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) refer to workers:

- Whose highest education qualification is a diploma or above.

- Who have been employed and have had work experience in a PME job.

Categories: Asia

How To Get An Employment Pass In Singapore?

The Employment Pass (EP) is the most common working visa in Singapore for French people. The conditions of obtaining it are rather simple, it is just necessary to possess what the government calls up "Acceptable qualifications" or a significant experience (in the case of the EP-Q1.) The government is allowed to refuse more or less easily the EP without valid reason, even if most of the time that goes easily.

Besides that, there are some financial criteria. It is necessary to have a monthly salary (without counting bonuses) upper to $3000 for an EP Q1, $4500 for an EP-P2 and more than $8000 for an EP-P1.

There is no big difference between P1 and P2, which allow to make Depending Passes (DP) for the married spouses and for the children less than 21 years old. You can even bring your parents, your parents-in-law, your children more than 21-years old. You can check the website of the Ministry of Man Power for a complete list  of Ministry of on a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP).

On the other hand for the EP-Q1, you can make only a Depending Pass (DP) and not a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP), thus it is impossible to bring your mother-in-law to live with you. The Laws in Singapore are very strict.

You should know that if you lose your Employment Pass (EP), all people who depend on your EP (i.e., DP or LTVP) will lose their visa and everybody returns on a tourism visa.

You should rather find a work quickly otherwise that is going to be back to the start without getting $20,000. And here you will regret not having read your local contract of employment when your employer told you the virtues of the local contract, when he cancels your French contract.

Categories: Asia

How French People Can Get A Work Holiday Visa "WHV" In Singapore

If you are a French citizen and are a young graduate of a university or institution that is recognized by the government of Singapore, you can apply to the "Work Holiday Program" of Singapore and get a "Work Holiday Visa." There are some conditions that you have to fulfill to be able to participate in the program. These conditions include:

1- Your age should be between 18 and 25 years old in the date of the deposit of the visa application.

2- You should be a holder of a valid French passport for all the duration of the stay.

3- If you are still student, you have to justify that, at least, 3 months before your application, you were a full-time student in your university. 

4- If you are a graduate student, you have to justify that you were studying full-time in your university. 

5- You should provide a proof of financial means to meet your needs at the beginning of the stay.

6- It is strongly recommended to have a travel and a health insurance, which will cover you during all the duration of your stay. 

List of the documents needed to obtain the Work Holiday Visa:

*/ A copy of your passport. 

*/ A letter from your university or school highlighting your personal information such as: your full name, age,nationality, date of birth and your student's ID number.

*/ If you are a young graduate, provide a copy of your last obtained diploma.

*/ If you still a student, provide a copy of your student ID delivered by your university.

Applicants have to submit a copy of the original documents and their English official certified translations by the University or institution. And any not traslated document will not be taken into account.

The Work Holliday Visa procedures:

- You need to fill in the registration form, which you can download from the website of the Government of Singapore here then click on "Apply for a pass."

- Gather all the documents needed for your application file and which are provided above. 

- Send your application form and the documents by email to:  mom_whp_wpd@mom.gov.sg  (in the object box right: " Application for WHV ")

Note: It takes about 3 weeks to receive an answer and you will be kept informed about the result of your application. If the result is positive, you will receive a letter of approval: In-Principle Approval Letter (IPA). Once you receive this letter, you will have a deadline of 3 months to pick up your Working Holiday Pass. Upon receipt of this letter IPA, you have a deadline(extension) of 3 months to get back your Working Holiday Pass, on place in Singapore.

Remarks:

- The visa fee is: SG $150 (approximately: €100)

- Duration of visa is 6 months.

Categories: Asia

How To Find A Job In Singapore As A Foreigner

Singapore or the Republic of Singapore, is an independent city-state on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It is comprised of one major island, which is Singapore Island, and more than 50 adjacent islets. Singapore is one of the original Four Asian Tigers and it has a highly developed market economy, which is known as one of the freest, most innovative, most competitive, most dynamic and most business-friendly.

For those who are looking for a job or for an internship abroad, Singapore is an interesting destination. Indeed, this country possesses several assets, which make it the ideal place for people who want to work abroad. This due, in particular, to two major things: its dynamic labor market, and its numerous international companies and especially its political stability. 

Malay, Chinese, Tamil, and English are all official languages in Singapore. Malay is the national language, whilst English is the language of administration also the language of work and you do not need to master Chinese Mandarin, even if it is can be an advantage.

The multiculturalism is appropriate in Singapore, the city is a crossroads of cultures, religions and traditions. Your colleagues will be local and foreign, very certainly of several different countries. The tolerance is rigorous.

It is not rare or strange to see people eating their breakfast in the office, or make their prayers in the dedicated places. To organize the meals of the work team can be complicated because you will have: halal, Buddhist and vegetaria. But it remains less complicated compared with the difficulty including certain accents such as the English of the Australians. 

In the end, to evolve in a multi-cultural universe in Singapore is probably an excellent experience and will teach you a lot things. But, obviously numerous people also refuse this melting-jar and prefer to see frequently only their fellow men in an office, and this something you will not miss to notice.

Categories: Asia

Residence Law Of Turkey 2016

In this article, we will shed light on the new Turkish residence law.  And to be precise, we will talk about the new amendments issued by the Department of Immigration on the law of residency and  protection issued in April, 2013, under No. 6458. The new amendments took place after the government issued the law of foreign labor in August, 13th, 2016, under No. 6735.

The new amendments came up with 8 main points, which will help facilitate life to the people residing in Turkey. The new amendments include:

1- You can apply for a residence at any Turkish establishment or institution, which are mandated by the General Directorate of the immigration service in Turkey.

2- The new law makes it possible for you to apply for an extension for your residence, which is issued for 1 year, to be for 2 years. This amendment is really good for those who intend to go to Turkey for the purpose of work.

3- If you have a short-term residence and you stay for more than 120 days off the Turkish territory in your last year of expiry of residence, your residence is still valid.

4- If your family or anyone of your family spent more than 180 days off the Turkish territory in the last year of expiry of residence, the family-based residence will remain valid.

5- Granting families in Turkey the right of residence for a period of 3 years maximum instead of 2 years only.

6- Make a list of regulations governing the duration of stay in Turkey for families with family-based residence when they leave the Turkish territory, and the same thing will be applied to those with a short residence.

7- Things will be easier for students wishing to study in Turkey. And the new amendments on the residence law give students the right to stay in Tureky untill they complet their studies.

8- Stop working with the current law that regulates students work,and which allows undergraduate students and institutions students to work for 24 hours. A new regulation for student work will be set in the future.

As a final point, we can say that the new amendments made for the residence law will facilitate life for many holders of short-term residences, and also for holders of family-based stays in Turkey. In addition to that, the new amendments will facilities work for students, especially in terms of the number of hours of work they are allowed to. New adjustments to this issue will be provided in the future, and may be we will see an increase in the number of hours of work that students can have.

Categories: Asia