I am Polish, 28, and planning to go to Japan on a Working Holiday visa next spring. If I find a company that wants to hire me full time, can I change my status to a work visa inside Japan, or will I need to go back to Poland and apply from there? I have a degree in electrical engineering.
I did exactly this as a French citizen. My employer sponsored me and I changed from Working Holiday (Designated Activities) to Specialist in Humanities at the Tokyo immigration bureau without leaving Japan. It took about five weeks. Whether this is allowed depends on your nationality, as some Working Holiday agreements do not permit a change of status inside Japan. Call the Immigration Services Agency information centre, or ask at your embassy before you go, and get the answer in writing if you can. With an engineering degree, the Engineer visa category should fit well.
Not a Working Holiday holder myself, but when I changed from student to work status, immigration asked for my degree certificate, the company's registration documents and financial statements, and the employment contract. Start collecting your documents early, and make sure your degree matches the job description, because that is what they look at most carefully.
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