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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'

#141
post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A night or two in jail doesn't sound the worst for that kind of savings. Especially if you have someone to pay 'rent' for a nicer cell space.

What kind of savings? I live in Switzerland now and barely spend more in a lazy month than I did in 'super cheap thailand'

Probably because you don't rent in Zurich/Geneva.

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

#142
post #79

People seem to underestimate how limiting tourist visas actually are. Imagine you sell digital products automated or something like that. You would have to literally shut your website down if you go somewhere on a tourist visa so you don't accidently make money. You might think there are exceptions, but no there usually aren't. And now imagine you actually live from a digital business you run yourself. You literally…

That logically doesn’t make sense. Salary workers will still receive their paycheck even while on travel/holiday/vacation. Are they violating tourist visa restrictions? If a person checks their work email while on a tourist visa?

As others have mentioned, they work for a company in a different country what doesn't matter. They usually won't work while there.

It's not realistic to expect a one-man internet company to be anywhere for longer than a few days without 'working' in a way or another.

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

#143
post #79

People seem to underestimate how limiting tourist visas actually are. Imagine you sell digital products automated or something like that. You would have to literally shut your website down if you go somewhere on a tourist visa so you don't accidently make money. You might think there are exceptions, but no there usually aren't. And now imagine you actually live from a digital business you run yourself. You literally…

I wouldn't even get hung up on the website part. Pretty much any business traveler is making money when they're traveling and may even be doing business-y things like going to a conference or meeting with customers. Some countries require a special business visa for that but many/most don't and mostly don't give you a long precise list of what you can and can't do.

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

#144
post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What kind of savings? I live in Switzerland now and barely spend more in a lazy month than I did in 'super cheap thailand'

Not sure about Thailand but key in Philippines is to go in the village/province where the locals are the primary consumers of housing. It helps if you know local families to keep you from getting ripped off.

I am lazy and a sucker for basic luxury. I tried, and I realize I could be living a lot cheaper. But I highly doubt I can live cheaper anywhere else at the same standard :)

However I recommend anyone to find their place and lifestyle and look as far as possible!

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

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I also find it weird because "To be eligible for the new status, applicants must have an annual income equivalent to 10 million yen ($68,000) or more" which means the newly created Digital Nomad class needs to have 2x the average GDP/capita in income?

So they only want high earning workers from developed countries, basically the kind of immigrants every other country wants but doesn't dare say it out loud. What's wrong with that? Their country, their rules.

Nothing innately "wrong" but I can see it fueling resentment among working class Japanese towards these foreign, exclusively-wealthy digital nomads.

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

#146

Most aren't aware of the situation Japan is in today because of the world we all grew up in, where Japan was at one point nearly the largest economy in the world. Japan has been in between a recession and stagnation for 30 years. Their GDP was higher 31 years ago than it is today. [1] Their GDP/capita is $33,950 with most wages well below that. They hit a record high for average wages in 2022 of ¥311,800 - about $2,1…

Yeah I also find it weird because "To be eligible for the new status, applicants must have an annual income equivalent to 10 million yen ($68,000) or more" which means the newly created Digital Nomad class needs to have 2x the average GDP/capita in income?

How is that weird? They are trying to pull in people to spend more money in the Japanese economy.

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

#148

Most aren't aware of the situation Japan is in today because of the world we all grew up in, where Japan was at one point nearly the largest economy in the world. Japan has been in between a recession and stagnation for 30 years. Their GDP was higher 31 years ago than it is today. [1] Their GDP/capita is $33,950 with most wages well below that. They hit a record high for average wages in 2022 of ¥311,800 - about $2,1…

> go extinct

Wouldn't this be more of a Ship of Theseus scenario than outright extinction?

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

#149

Most aren't aware of the situation Japan is in today because of the world we all grew up in, where Japan was at one point nearly the largest economy in the world. Japan has been in between a recession and stagnation for 30 years. Their GDP was higher 31 years ago than it is today. [1] Their GDP/capita is $33,950 with most wages well below that. They hit a record high for average wages in 2022 of ¥311,800 - about $2,1…

Yeah I also find it weird because "To be eligible for the new status, applicants must have an annual income equivalent to 10 million yen ($68,000) or more" which means the newly created Digital Nomad class needs to have 2x the average GDP/capita in income?

What's wrong with only wanting high earners to come to your country? Japan knows that high earners are definitely going to spend more and probably cause less trouble than lower earners.

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

#150
post #119
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was in Thailand about 7 or 8 years ago they just recently raided a co-working coffee and jailed the 'nomads' over night (as far as I remember) there was also regular talks about what to tell and not tell border patrol and official visa places. Most people I met just paid taxes 'at home' or were generally lost in limbo financially but there always was an awareness about this being illegal.

You need to finish that story. Those people were released after it was made clear that they were not working for Thai companies. It was not about them working in Thailand while on a tourist visa. It was about not taking local jobs.

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