I'm legal! ... sorta
I arrived in Japan on July 19. I shortly thereafter applied to get a working visa. After multiple trips to the immigration office, photos taken (both ones in which I *cough* incorrectly smiled and ones in which I *cough* correctly scowled), paperwork filled out, and hours sitting in the immigration office much like at the DMV, my working visa finally arrived on September 22, over 2 months after my arrival.
This piece of paper - well, acutally, stamp in the passport - is what was holding up countless things for me. Opening a bank account. Getting a bike (because you need to register the bike with the local authorities so it's known that your bike is not stolen - see the title of the previous post). Getting a phone. Getting internet at home (yes, I am aware of the delays between posts - I have limited access to the internet at the office. And even though I plenty of free time in the office, personal internet use is not allowed. Again, see the title of the previous post). Even getting a video rental card was being held up by not having a visa.
Fortunately the electric and gas companies don't require that, so I have been able to take hot showers and use the lights in my apartment.
So, finally, after over 2 months of paperwork, red tape, and waiting, I have my visa. So, all these doors are finally open to me. Right? Well... not exactly.
Once I received my visa, I was then told I had to apply for my alien registration card. This card is apparently the key to my identification in the country, supplanting my passport. It is what I need to do all the aforementioned things. Yet it will take another 3 weeks (for god-knows-why) to process. With any luck, I can finally do all these things on October 12, when my gaijin card will be ready.
So after 3 months of waiting, what do you think the chances are that I'll be able to walk into a bank and just open an account? My money (no pun intended) is on filling out an application and then waiting another month before actually having it open. Then another 2-month background check before I get an ATM card.
I know this delay exists for getting internet access at home, so why wouldn't it be true for getting a video rental card or being able to register with a local arcade so that I can go to the batting cages?
Slowly inching closer to real life here...
This piece of paper - well, acutally, stamp in the passport - is what was holding up countless things for me. Opening a bank account. Getting a bike (because you need to register the bike with the local authorities so it's known that your bike is not stolen - see the title of the previous post). Getting a phone. Getting internet at home (yes, I am aware of the delays between posts - I have limited access to the internet at the office. And even though I plenty of free time in the office, personal internet use is not allowed. Again, see the title of the previous post). Even getting a video rental card was being held up by not having a visa.
Fortunately the electric and gas companies don't require that, so I have been able to take hot showers and use the lights in my apartment.
So, finally, after over 2 months of paperwork, red tape, and waiting, I have my visa. So, all these doors are finally open to me. Right? Well... not exactly.
Once I received my visa, I was then told I had to apply for my alien registration card. This card is apparently the key to my identification in the country, supplanting my passport. It is what I need to do all the aforementioned things. Yet it will take another 3 weeks (for god-knows-why) to process. With any luck, I can finally do all these things on October 12, when my gaijin card will be ready.
So after 3 months of waiting, what do you think the chances are that I'll be able to walk into a bank and just open an account? My money (no pun intended) is on filling out an application and then waiting another month before actually having it open. Then another 2-month background check before I get an ATM card.
I know this delay exists for getting internet access at home, so why wouldn't it be true for getting a video rental card or being able to register with a local arcade so that I can go to the batting cages?
Slowly inching closer to real life here...
posted by David at 2:24 PM
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