What TYPE of Visa is it....? That's what they are after.

call the MWR personnel office. they've dealt with this before and should be willing to walk you through it. the type of visa shouldn't affect your chances for employment.

If you're coming over here on a tourist visa then that is what goes on the application.

Yes, but not likely you can get a job on a "tourist" visa in Japan...

thank u for all the replies yea I will be coming in japan for tourist visa..But I hope I can get a job with juz a tourist visa I really want to stay in Japan.. Thank u again JB members

You can't legally get a job with just a tourist Visa, and MWR is a no exception company since it works closely with the American and Japanese government. However, IF MWR does it, they can sponsor you for a work visa to get a job. You'll have to do a lot of paperwork and talking with the embassy. I really think you might be SOL going with MWR, so please do not count on only them. (This is coming from someone who has worked with MWR before and could not get the job I wanted because hiring is very different here/wasn't available for SOFA hire).

If you're unable to get a job, do not over stay your tourist Visa! If you do they'll deport you if you get caught and you probably won't be able to come back (for a while). Same goes if you're caught working on a tourist Visa. I've even had internet "friends" that were caught hostessing here and they were detained for 28 days before being deported... 28 days, meaning no one knew what happened to them, no outside contact, they're in a cell. And these girls were only able to come back if they married a citizen, and that was still a "maybe".

So please be careful, don't mess with the Visa and immigrations laws, and good luck!

wow Elizabeth u scared me.. so u mean there is no way for me to apply jobs and be able to get sofa? Im kinna confused now,cuz im going to Japan end of this month and i want to apply any full time jobs here MWR or NEX..and besides I dont wana ruin my immigrant status like wat u said above. Im kinna nervous now ehh felt sad.

I don't mean to scare you, but I want to be realistic. We (SOFA) are very limited to what we can get hired for off base, so you're fighting against already qualified spouses and Japanese nationals for on-base positions... I just want you to not rely on this bases job opportunities as your only hope. Please look at other bases and other employment options outside the base as backup.

As far as I know (and please correct me otherwise), you're not eligible for SOFA status because you're non-military affiliated. You would just be an off-base hire. So what you're looking for is to have MWR/NEX/the Base position grant you sponsorship for a work visa (ex. that's what all the English teachers acquire to come over --before they get here). (Perhaps if you get a job on base they DO give you SOFA status... I don't think so/don't know?)

Before in Japan they required you to get a work visa while out of the country, but now you can transfer your tourist visa to a work one if you get a sponsoring job. So you want to look for jobs that will do that kind of thing... so I would get on the phone to HR over here and see if they will even do that for you first. Also, when you come here make sure you bring all your personal documents that the embassy and such would want to see!

So like I said, not trying to be scary, but realistic. If you do get a job, make sure they'll sponsor you for a work Visa, otherwise you're just working illegally and risk deportation. The base will not do that to you... but off base jobs might so be careful.

Thsnk u so much for the great info Elizabeth im kinna thinking...thinking rytnow haha..but yeah thank u I appreciate it.

Elizabeth,

You should know that you are giving out incorrect information. During my time with MWR Yokosuka, I hired several people and know a fair number of current employees with MWR who came to Japan on tourist visas and were in no way affiliated with the military. As long as she is an American citizen, she is eligible for SOFA status and does not need a work visa to work on base.

Kyle2Krystel,

As I said before, you need to contact the MWR Personnel office to answer your questions. You are receiving incorrect information from Elizabeth and others. While she is right in that you will have a (much) lower priority than military spouses, you are eligible for SOFA status and there are jobs available. It is highly competitive and there is a chance that you might not get a job before your 90 day tourist visa expires, but you can leave the country and come back. Just call HRO or the MWR Personnel Office for accurate information, it's their job

Like I said, I was unsure about what she would need to be hired with at MWR --SOFA or work visa. So thanks for the correct info, I'm sure this question will be asked again here.

I just wanted to make sure she knew she can't work on the tourist visa, on base or off. I've known of too many people sent back because they were uninformed/job taking advantage of them or thought they could get away with it.

Good luck again, Krystel.

Thank you so much for such a great info and help Ally and Elizabeth.yea I know it is highly competitive but I still want to give a try. I already called the mwr and as wat as Ally said yeah I can get a sofa if I got hired under my tourist visa and as wat as Elizabeth said yea there would be alot of paper to do. But yeah I appreciate all the info anf thank u again

Try Exchange New Car Sales. If you pass their test they will sponsor you.

Ally is correct. You're not totally screwed if you are seeking SOFA. But you need to make sure that you are applying for a job that is going to give you SOFA if you are selected.
As far as MWR, you will need to look for an RFT position....NOT Flex.
I'm not sure if it was you I was talking to before, but active duty spouses are priority 1. Other government spouses and other active duty dependents are priority 2. Interntal (and there are a couple other qualifiers, but I can't remember who) are a priority 3. Sofa seeking (as you will be) are priorty 4. Yes, this makes you the lowest priority, but if you are the most qualified, you still have a decent shot at getting selected. But if you are going against a priority 1, you had better be THE most qualified. I believe it may have been you that I suggested this to as well, but just make sure that you find out which positions have been available the longest, and if you are qualified, even if it's not your dream job, apply. Just don't put in for every job under the sun (when you know you aren't qualified) or you could slow up the process. If you want a better idea of what the manager is looking for (if you aren't sure if you are qualified or not), I would suggest contacting them directly (preferably by phone) to get a better idea. There are only a few people in MWR's personnel office, and they can only do so much in a limited amount of time. They have to weed through the applications and rate them before the certs even get to the managers. Not that you have to listen to me, but it's just my 2 cents.
Also, if one of the housing bases (Ikego and Negishi) are offering full time positions, you may have a better shot at getting picked up there. I personally have had issues getting full time employees because a good % of spouses that are looking for jobs (that's about all we have out here) are looking for either part time work, or day shifts. Those are very, VERY hard to come by. Just make sure that you will be able to work the schedule that you're needed. The only one I have open now sometimes requires the employee to work after the trains and buses stop working.
FYI...On the applications I have seen from those seeking sofa, it IS their tourist visa info they put on the application.

https://www.mccsokinawa.com/jobws

Hello JB's Thank you for all the replies and great infos I really appreciate it. Im here in Japan now

FYI -  MWR has a SOFA package that you can complete if you are looking for sponsorship.

It takes anywhere from a week to 30 days for them to review.  Once approved you can then apply for jobs and they will sponsor you if hired.  As mentioned before, it is very competitive for jobs here.  I am retired Military and even have a hard time finding jobs on base.

I interviewed for a position yesterday at the hospital and was told by the interviewer that over 2000 people had applied for that position and that I was lucky to have made the cut.

I am not sure which is more amazing, that I made the cut, or that there are over 2000 people unemployed or otherwise seeking jobs.  Eitherway, it is a tight job market and every advantage is worth taking.


Chris

 

 

Welcome to Japan, Krystel!

I'm an Australian citizen and in Japan on a Permanent Resident Visa so do not require any sponsorship.
Could someone please let me know if US citizenship is a prerequisite for all the civilian jobs available on base or contractors supporting the bases?
I have recently returned from working in the States for 3 years, so already have a Tax ID # (ITIN) IIRC.
I am curious because US and Australia are allies and have strong ties so I would have thought this should make Aussies eligible?

It you need any sort of clearence for the job , You will have to be a US citizen. If you speak Japanese you could work as an MLC, maybe. You would have to check with the contractors, I am sure it is different for each one. You might be able to work for a contractor that works on the base.

Thanks for the reply Dave, unfortunately my Japanese is not very good.