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VISA Q and A on FM COCOLO 76.5 MHz Visas in the United States On Aired Data: June 5, 2001 |
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Summary of the Aired Program |
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Client: His current job has nothing to do with food or restaurants. Case:His American friend and himself are planning to start a Ramen (noodle) restaurant in California, and he is planning to be the chef there. Therefore he would like to know what type of visa he needs, if he has a chance in obtaining it, and how long would it take for the visa to be issued? The appropriate visa to work as a chef would be the H-1B visa. This visa is normally issued to Sushi chefs and other Japanese cuisine chefs. Unlike the Japanese Engineer status, which requires 10 years of experience, this visa does not state a specific amount of experience but probably they consider a certain amount of experience. Proof that you have worked for a certain period of time in a restaurant in Japan may be useful. We are not sure how our client’s case will work out, but considering that he has not worked at a Ramen restaurant in Japan, it may be quite difficult. But it may be easier for him if the Ramen restaurant already has a franchise in the States. We cannot give any information on the specific duration to get the permission, but you should expect 6 to 7 weeks. The visa to become the owner of the shop would be the E-2 Visa. To obtain this visa, you would have to have a large amount of foundation money to start your restaurant. As our client has mentioned that he will run the business with his friend, he would obviously have to pay at least 50percent of the foundation money. We have once heard a rumor that a person had to have US$200,000 ready to start a Japanese restaurant in the States. Also, he would have to consider hiring employees. Although we are not sure if there are any restrictions as to who to hire, to give you an idea, under the Japanese Law you would need at least 2 full time employees. Please keep in mind that we are not experts of the United States law. We are just guessing from the Japanese law. So for further details please consult with an expert on the United States Law. |
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