"Michael Cash" <mikecash@sunfield.ne.jp> wrote in message

> They said to go ahead and find a job and start working anyway. Yes, it
> would technically be illegal, but since the eventual issuance of a
> visa was pretty much a sure thing and I had a family to provide for in
> the meantime, it was a "shikata ga nai" situation. So, with their
> blessing, I found a job and went to work. On a tourist visa.
> Immigration can very much be a YMMV proposition.

I don't know what YMMV means, but they make the rules and are the only ones
that can allow you not to follow them. Several of my acquaintances also
beneficiated of "favors", but always like you, because it was a "shikata ga
nai" situation due to a mistake.

> >These days they check eikaiwai employers more often and are able to visit
> >schools to see the people "waiting for a visa" are not already teaching
and
> >they check the bank accounts of both the school and candidate for a visa.
>
> Do they actually do that?

They did it a few month ago...for teachers employed by a little organisation
funded by my country's tax money (as if they couldn't pay themselves on the
benefits they do !). I don't know all the details probably the Immig. gave a
few days to the teachers to leave, and I've heard from the organisation's
staff that the "punishment" of the employer had not yet been decided.
You know, all those people were so sure that their relation network
protected them from everything. They have gone a step too far and probably
the Japanese administration was pissed off.
McNova had problems in their times (over 10yr ago), since then, they have
obeyed the rules very carefully. Certainly the big chains no longer try
little illegallities, they know that's cheaper to follow the rules, they
make the teachers wait for their visas.

The small schools, that's another story...I've worked for several ones whose
bosses also said they had "enough high-placed relations to do what they
wanted". Let's wait and see.
My understanding was the "simplification" of visa procedures was done to let
more time to let more time to Immigration staff to deal with that sort of
client.

Anyway, the teacher is always the most punished as after deportation they
cannot come back to Japan during years.

> There was a case recently of a Chinese woman who was in Japan on a
> student visa. She was caught working more than 20 hours per week and
> ordered deported. She filed a civil suit requesting that her deportion
> be stayed and that she be freed from detention pending an appeal of
> her deportation order. In a very unusual ruling, the court displayed
> some common sense and granted her request.

She is lucky, or she was the first that new how to adress correctly her
request.

> I e-mailed The Dave

I suppose that girl is not waiting anything from him.

CC