How much approximately

[Maku]

I think a visa allows for work, but if you want to stay permanently, you have to get some other kind of citizenship.
But, that might just be this country.

[popeyethehomeswinger]

let's say that you live in a one room appartment and eat only food like cup ramen and such, no car in the beginning, how much would you need ?

[jasonbvr]

Originally Posted by popeyethehomeswinger

let's say that you live in a one room appartment and eat only food like cup ramen and such, no car in the beginning, how much would you need ?

90,000 yen a month may be doable. 40-50,000 rent, 15-20,000 utilities, food with what's left.

[samokan]

100,000 lets see:

if your renting: 30,000 - ( min) for room
if you ride a train everyday , just buy a monthly pass its cheaper and you can use it in between stations , but most of the time this is company provided .
but for non-work related train: get the "kaisuu" ticket, its cheaper, like if you buy the 1000yen pre-paid you have a 200yen extra

for food , if you cook you can really save, on working days I get only to spend 2000yen on food, cause I cook my food.

then theres fone and internet which I budget around 10,000 per month.
then water and electricity usually not more than 5000yen

alone I think I can live comfortably.. just have to know to budget your money well and know where to buy food and clothes.

but that also depends upon the lifestyle that you have/want.

oh by the way, this is Osaka way of budgeting

[samokan]

Originally Posted by NekoNekoChan

Does this visa allow for permanent stay in the country? or is there more to it...

You have to live in Japan for at least 10year to get a permanent residency.
The maximum visa(working) that you can get is 3 years. But recently, they only release working visa for one year then if get lucky when you renew they will give a 3 years working visa.

Even people married to a japanese cannot be automatically get a permanent residency until they gave birth to a child.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by samokan

Even people married to a japanese cannot be automatically get a permanent residency until they gave birth to a child.

No, you can. You just have to have been married for over 5 years (in or out of Japan.)

[NekoNekoChan]

So, before you actually get citizenship, you must live there for at least ten years, or be married for 5.

Do employment visas allow you to live in japan(meaning, rent an appartment or something) And, is it true if you leave the country and re-enter, your visa get's renewed? Meaning, you could just fly out for say, a convenient family trip, and fly back and be able to stay there for another however long?

[samokan]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

No, you can. You just have to have been married for over 5 years (in or out of Japan.)

oops sorry.. I mean if less married less than what was required of applying a residency permit sorry about that... thanks for the correction Nyororin

@NekoChan
yes employment visa allows all that. I don't think visa work that way. For working visa, if you live the country without applying for a re-entry permit, the remaining terms of your visa will become void as soon as you live. But with a re-entry permit it stays valid as long as you came back within the span of time the re-entry permit allows. If not then you need to apply a new visa to enter the country again.

Basically, you don't need to go back to your specific country to renew your visa. Just go to the immigration bureau , and renew. Re-entry permit can also be applied together with your visa and its validity is the same as your visa. So if your visa is one year then your re-entry permit is also one year.

Single re-entry permit is 3000yen and multiple is 6000yen. It practical to apply for a multiple cause its cheaper, that it if you plan to travel a lot within the span of your visa.

[Nyororin]

There are two different types of re-entry permits. The single use type, and the multiple use type. The single one ends after (obviously) a single use. The multiple use one only lasts a year, no matter what type of visa you have. (A 3 year visa? Permanent residency? Oh well. You`ll need a new one every year.)
I have never had a multiple entry one. I`ve never left the country 3 or more times in a single year. And if you don`t, then it`s a total waste of money. Twice, and you`d might as well have gotten the single use one, as it costs the same anyway.
Now, if the multiple entry lasted the entire length of a visa... ie. forever with the permanent residency one, etc.... That would be nice. But it doesn`t.

I also want to correct what I said about the permanent residency. You can technically get it if you`ve lived in Japan continuously for 5 of more years. *Technically*, as in that`s what you need for the application. That doesn`t mean they`ll grant it to you - although I have heard of it happening. As for after you`re married - if you`ve been married for 5 years, even if most of that time was spent outside of Japan, you can apply.

You never get it automatically, even if you`ve been married for 20 years and have 10 kids. You HAVE to apply just like everyone else.

Also - more in regards to living costs. It is very possible to live on very little... However, you do need to keep in mind that you can`t START with very little. Apartments require deposits, utilities require hook-up fees (the phone line being the worst of it), etc etc. You can`t walk up with 100,000 and expect to survive the first month if you don`t already have all of this lined up.

[samokan]

I have a 3 year visa and a multiple entry re-entry permit valid until the end of my visa. I think that's the max it can get. I am not sure though..

yeah permanent residency have to be applied.

5 years? Is it only applicable for those married to Japanese nationals? Cause I know some people who are single and they were required to live here for at least 10years. One was even denied and the reason was he did not reach 10years yet. After about 8 months I guess, he re-applied and was granted.