Dear friends.. need some advice here.. i've been told by most language schools in Japan that as a Malaysian I can apply for for a temporary tourist visa for up to 3 months to study in Japan.
Yet when i asked an immigration officer at a Japan Embassy, I got a really shocking response to the lines of " Theres no way a Malaysian can get a visa for as long as 3 months." and "Why bother to study Japanese in Japan? Just do it in Singapore!"
I was entirely baffled by this response. Is this right? Can anyone tell me if this is a fair answer? If I have proof of Acceptance by a school and a return ticket, does the Embassy have grounds to reject me based on my nationality?
Has anyone also received this type of treatment?
Any responses kindly appreciated..
2007-03-07 22:22:38 · 5 answers · asked by mya 2 in Travel ➔ Asia Pacific ➔ Japan
According to the Embassy website:
The visa-exemption arrangements between Japan and Malaysia are still effective, and Malaysian nationals who meet relevant conditions can enter into Japan without a visa for a period of stay not exceeding three (3) consecutive months.
This makes the response that I got from the immigration officer (who said i could not hope to stay 3 mths) somewhat ridiculous, no?
2007-03-07 22:40:36 · update #1
You are confusing a 3 month tourist visa and a student visa. You get the tourist visa upon landing in Japan (as long as Malaysians actually are entitled to the visa-exemption 3 months). If you want to study for three months on a tourist visa, no one will bother you about it. Just bring a good supply of money, a return ticket and don't bring winter clothes in June, etc.
If you want student visa you need to have the letter of acceptance, etc. I wouldn't accept that person's answer. It's not as if there are lot of different rules for Malaysians as opposed to any other nationality.
2007-03-08 00:06:29 · answer #1 · answered by michinoku2001 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If the regulations state that you or any Malaysian can enter Japan on a tourist visa for three consecutive months. There are no official reasons for you to be rejected. HOWEVER, if you told them that you wanted a tourist visa so you could "STUDY" Japanese, I can see a conflict of interest there. A tourist visa is specifically for touring around the country and seeing the sites. If you wanted to study Japanese, they have student visas for that. If you really said you wanted to study Japanese for three months on a tourist visa, Yes, that would give them legal grounds on which to reject you for a tourist visa because your reason was not touring Japan, it was studying Japanese. You would therefore be a risk of over staying your three months. You should have just told them that you would be touring Japan for a while. Now, they probably put you on a watch list for a period of time. If you go back applying for another tourist visa and say you want to tour, there is a chance that you could again be rejected.
If you have a sponsoring school, go for the student visa. With the support of a sponsor in Japan, they couldn't reject you.
Good luck.
2007-03-10 11:16:11 · answer #2 · answered by Looking for the truth... 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem isn't the 3 months stay. A visitor visa isn't right for studying in Japan. The permitted activities are: "Holiday, visiting relatives, participating in athletic tournaments as an amateur, business trip not involving the earning of money in Japan, attending lectures or trade fairs, academic surveys, research presentations or other similar activities during a short period of stay in Japan."
You should talk to the visa officer in the embassy about a "General Visa" as this class includes student visas.
2007-03-08 06:56:56 · answer #3 · answered by templeblot 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well take what u can get some people can't even leave certain places be happy u got 3 whole months.
2007-03-08 06:31:05 · answer #4 · answered by colodge_25 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why go there if thats their attitude
2007-03-08 06:28:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋