How to enter Japan smoothly.
The next important question that you should have in your mind is
What I felt is that this trip has been entirely last minute and I was required to constantly be on the game for these administrative work. Well, that is part and parcel of growing up yeah.
So here are some tips to get through the applications and procedures smoothy.
1. Bring your A-game.
The process is the longest, most gruelling process ever. I started application in December 2017 and only settled all the administrative things today (May 2018) and I already am in Japan. So you definitely need to bring on your A-game. You need resilience and be street smart. To handle Visa issues in a different country, using a different language is really no joke. (thankfully we had a wonderful coordinator that helped us along the way).
But be prepared to make decisions, fork out money on the spot (because you have to) and most importantly READ THE DOCUMENTS BEFORE SIGNING. Yes, it may seem like "duh, this is common sense", but really there were times where I was ready to give up because I absolutely dislike disorganised things, especially when it's related to important things like Visa issues. But hang in there, you have to! Because in the end, it will pay off.
And, TRUST ONLY YOURSELF. What I have learnt is that you have to have your head in the game. Don't just leave it to the professors, coordinators, friends or others to do it for you. You have to take the initiative (and even chase when needed), if not you will end up facing the situation like me (where I entered Japan with the wrong Visa and had to pay a hefty 4000 yen to correct that mistake)
2. Submit your applications and chase.
I pride myself that I always submit my applications on time, but it doesn't matter if you submit on time, you must chase for things to be done. For example, we received our "enrolment package" from the university and they only gave us around 2-3 days to get all the admin work done. One of the papers required a full body medical check up, and you know blood tests results don't appear the very next day. They take at least 3-5 work days. So both Kian Jie and myself chased the nurses and doctors for our results.
We made a huge din at the clinic because they had some issues with their equipment. So we hounded them. I felt sorry. But if you don't chase, the coordinators will chase you and everything will be delayed.
So moral of the story: Ensure that things are done efficiently. Send gentle reminders and check on the status of your application.
3. Be responsible for your own administrative work.
What I mean is that ensure you have enough passport photos on hand and make sure that your passport is valid. This will really ensure that your application goes smoothly when you have all the right administrative work which reduces any time wasted.
And when you reach Japan, make sure you bring all important documents with you in your hand-carry. Because I was in Japan for 46 days, the immigration officer had to see proof that I was a student in the university of Fukui and my return ticket. So it is always good to be prepared with these on hand to get through immigration.
These are just three simple tips, but these will really make life easier for you.
Trust me, you will not want to be running around Japan/Fukui to get to immigration two days in a row just because Visa was not done properly due to the late submission of documents. It's not worth it.
Cheers!
More tips to come :)
"How can the application process and procedures go smoothly."
What I felt is that this trip has been entirely last minute and I was required to constantly be on the game for these administrative work. Well, that is part and parcel of growing up yeah.
So here are some tips to get through the applications and procedures smoothy.
1. Bring your A-game.
The process is the longest, most gruelling process ever. I started application in December 2017 and only settled all the administrative things today (May 2018) and I already am in Japan. So you definitely need to bring on your A-game. You need resilience and be street smart. To handle Visa issues in a different country, using a different language is really no joke. (thankfully we had a wonderful coordinator that helped us along the way).
But be prepared to make decisions, fork out money on the spot (because you have to) and most importantly READ THE DOCUMENTS BEFORE SIGNING. Yes, it may seem like "duh, this is common sense", but really there were times where I was ready to give up because I absolutely dislike disorganised things, especially when it's related to important things like Visa issues. But hang in there, you have to! Because in the end, it will pay off.
And, TRUST ONLY YOURSELF. What I have learnt is that you have to have your head in the game. Don't just leave it to the professors, coordinators, friends or others to do it for you. You have to take the initiative (and even chase when needed), if not you will end up facing the situation like me (where I entered Japan with the wrong Visa and had to pay a hefty 4000 yen to correct that mistake)
2. Submit your applications and chase.
I pride myself that I always submit my applications on time, but it doesn't matter if you submit on time, you must chase for things to be done. For example, we received our "enrolment package" from the university and they only gave us around 2-3 days to get all the admin work done. One of the papers required a full body medical check up, and you know blood tests results don't appear the very next day. They take at least 3-5 work days. So both Kian Jie and myself chased the nurses and doctors for our results.
We made a huge din at the clinic because they had some issues with their equipment. So we hounded them. I felt sorry. But if you don't chase, the coordinators will chase you and everything will be delayed.
So moral of the story: Ensure that things are done efficiently. Send gentle reminders and check on the status of your application.
3. Be responsible for your own administrative work.
What I mean is that ensure you have enough passport photos on hand and make sure that your passport is valid. This will really ensure that your application goes smoothly when you have all the right administrative work which reduces any time wasted.
And when you reach Japan, make sure you bring all important documents with you in your hand-carry. Because I was in Japan for 46 days, the immigration officer had to see proof that I was a student in the university of Fukui and my return ticket. So it is always good to be prepared with these on hand to get through immigration.
These are just three simple tips, but these will really make life easier for you.
Trust me, you will not want to be running around Japan/Fukui to get to immigration two days in a row just because Visa was not done properly due to the late submission of documents. It's not worth it.
Cheers!
More tips to come :)
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