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Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

asia.nikkei.com

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Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#31

Post by Jcampuzano2 »

alibarber wrote: post #14
walthamstow wrote: post #10

180 days with a salary threshold and country restrictions, or 90 days pretending to be a tourist. I know which I'd choose.

Pretending to be a tourist is a good way to get deported usually in a lot of places.

Depends on your definition of tourist. If you are there for legitimate business within that country that is obviously a big no-no.

If you are a tourist who works for a foreign company while visiting a country, well I don't know a single person who has been actually deported for this. I know it can happen, but most places seem to not care much, and mostly care you're spending your money in their country.

I am a digital nomad myself for about 1/2 every year so I do have my biases though.

Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#32

Post by datpiff »

j4yav wrote: post #18
ekianjo wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

some activities require a proof of residency AND salary in Japan

The kinds of activities someone does while travelling for 3-6 months?

I believe renting somewhere to live often does, so yes.

Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#33

Post by keiferski »

spidersenses wrote: post #15
andybak wrote: post #2

The salary requirement seems harsh for people working on non-profit, self-funded or early-stage.

Japan is a country that is expensive to live in. Having minimum salary requirements already filters out the type of 'digital nomad' who would otherwise become a burden on society or those who merely seek immigration from Africa or South Asia under the disguise of the 'digital nomad'.

It really isn't though, especially with the currency exchange. Tokyo is comparable in cost to a second or third tier American city, not to NYC/LA/SF/London. See: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou...

I do agree that $68k as a salary requirement is fairly reasonable, though – but it's much higher than the "average" salary for a Japanese person.

Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#35

Post by ericmcer »

walthamstow wrote: post #12
arwineap wrote: post #7

Has anyone done the digital nomad thing with children? It'd be great if childcare/schooling was easier overseas, maybe even an opportunity for kids to get an early mind opening experience

If you're not paying tax in a country it's a bit out of order to send your kids to their schools.

Why? If your from the USA our stance is exactly the opposite.

Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#36

Post by makeitdouble »

oldtownroad wrote: post #16

“The most similar existing status is usually used by tourists, does not allow work and allows a maximum stay of just 90 days” I don’t think that’s correct. A tourist visa doesn’t allow you to work locally but they do not limit working remotely for an overseas company. For example, if you’re on vacation in Japan from the US and an emergency happens at work, you can join a call without risk of deportation.

Authorities won't be running after you, or a digital nomad traveling by bike the country while working on his blog. But those are still violation of the tourist status, they're just too small to be cared about.

It would be another story if you published a movie shot in Japan while on a tourist visa.

Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#37

Post by elzbardico »

oldtownroad wrote: post #16

“The most similar existing status is usually used by tourists, does not allow work and allows a maximum stay of just 90 days” I don’t think that’s correct. A tourist visa doesn’t allow you to work locally but they do not limit working remotely for an overseas company. For example, if you’re on vacation in Japan from the US and an emergency happens at work, you can join a call without risk of deportation.

Well, it is clear that the understanding of Japan's government regarding working with a tourist visa is different than that and that it indeed didn't allow working even if remotely for an overseas company.

Otherwise, they wouldn't hassle themselves to introduce a new kind of Visa that is geared towards exactly this kind of situation.

Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#38

Post by 8organicbits »

arwineap wrote: post #7

Has anyone done the digital nomad thing with children? It'd be great if childcare/schooling was easier overseas, maybe even an opportunity for kids to get an early mind opening experience

I've done remote work from another country, with kids, but that was because my spouse's job placed her there for a multi-year assignment. So it was a longer placement and her work coordinated and paid for a private school.

For me it worked OK. I did remote contract work and was able to figure out work authorization. The cost of living was lower so double taxation wasn't a big deal. The timezone difference was the biggest hurdle, I burned out doing late zoom calls; had the difference been smaller I suspect it would have been even easier.

Changing schools and big moves is hard on kids. No way around that, certainly one of my regrets from that time. However their interest in other cultures and especially languages blossomed. For them it was mostly just an adventure we took. So different from life when I grew up.

Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#39

Post by alibarber »

Jcampuzano2 wrote: post #31
alibarber wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretending to be a tourist is a good way to get deported usually in a lot of places.

Depends on your definition of tourist. If you are there for legitimate business within that country that is obviously a big no-no. If you are a tourist who works for a foreign company while visiting a country, well I don't know a single person who has been actually deported for this. I know it can happen, but most places seem to not care much, and mostly care you're spending your money in their country. I am a digita…

My definition of tourist is unimportant. That of the person at the border with the ability to deprive you of your liberty is.

Re: Japan to introduce six-month residency visa for 'digital nomads'

#40

Post by throwaway167 »

walthamstow wrote: post #12
arwineap wrote: post #7

Has anyone done the digital nomad thing with children? It'd be great if childcare/schooling was easier overseas, maybe even an opportunity for kids to get an early mind opening experience

If you're not paying tax in a country it's a bit out of order to send your kids to their schools.

The kids have no choice. It might happen, or even be compulsory depending on social system.

Worth asking though. Your kids might end up at the equivalent of Aveling Park.

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