Hi all

I am a bit confused regarding all this visa and work permit malarky, I hope you can help :-)

I plan to get a 1 year non- immigrant visa on my trip home to the miserable UK next month, as apposed to getting a 3 month one. When I come back my school will arrange my work permit. My question is; If I terminate my contract in 6 months, will I be able to cancel the work permit, do a visa run and come back in on the visa which I paid for in the UK??? In other words, will the work permit invalidate my visa?

Hope you can help. thanks

You need the Visa to get the Work Permit, but not having a work permit does not invalidate the visa... just means you can't work or do some other things like get a drivers license or open a bank account (generally speaking though I've heard of exceptions).

If you are no longer employed (terminate the contract), I believe the employer is required to notify the Labor Bureau and your work permit will automatically be cancelled. But you can still do the visa run and come back in on the 1 year Visa. However if you have not been working for some time (and thus not paying taxes !), you will find it difficult to renew your Non-I Visa.

No, the only time you have a problem is if you have extended your permission to stay based on employment.

Your non immigrant visa is not locked to your work permit in the same way, if it is cancelled then your visa and current entry stamp are still valid for entry/stay.

No .. your visa will still be valid but you will have to do an immediate border-hop the day your work-permit is cancelled. The major benefit to a multi-entry non-imm is that it doesn't tie your visa to a job. (Your permission to stay over 90 days IS tied to the work permit)

No .. your visa will still be valid but you will have to do an immediate border-hop the day your work-permit is cancelled. The major benefit to a multi-entry non-imm is that it doesn't tie your visa to a job. (Your permission to stay over 90 days IS tied to the work permit)

Not correct, you only have to do this if you are on an extension of permission to stay.

If you are on a regular non immigrant B, then you only need to go to the border when your 90 day stamp is up.

No .. your visa will still be valid but you will have to do an immediate border-hop the day your work-permit is cancelled. The major benefit to a multi-entry non-imm is that it doesn't tie your visa to a job. (Your permission to stay over 90 days IS tied to the work permit)

Not so. With Non-B visa (as opposed to extension of stay based on employment) permission to stay is not invalidated by cancellation of WP. He can stay in the country until his permission to stay expires and then do border run for a new 90 entry (as long as visa is valid).

No .. your visa will still be valid but you will have to do an immediate border-hop the day your work-permit is cancelled. The major benefit to a multi-entry non-imm is that it doesn't tie your visa to a job. (Your permission to stay over 90 days IS tied to the work permit)

Not so. With Non-B visa (as opposed to extension of stay based on employment) permission to stay is not invalidated by cancellation of WP. He can stay in the country until his permission to stay expires and then do border run for a new 90 entry (as long as visa is valid).

Please note the caveat in the parentheses at the end of my post

The poster said nothing about getting an extension of stay - only a visa and a work permit.

Your statement that he would have to immediately make an exit of the country is false in that case as he can continue on the same 90 day entry.

Great news :-) Thanks people