Employers > Hiring Process

The Canada-Japan Co-op Hiring Process

The Canada-Japan Co-op Program welcomes participation from interested companies in Japan. Many companies that have joined the Program have indicated that receiving our students provide many benefits to the company including the opportunity to:

• Engage in international cooperation and to provide an environment for cross cultural and intellectual exchange amongst Japanese employees and Canada-Japan Co-op students;
• Obtain skills from excellent young researchers and to achieve productive and useful research results in a cost effective manner;
• Learn more about Canada, its science, technology and business capabilities and to develop a network of contacts with Canadian educational institutions and private sector research; and
• Trial potential future employees. Many of our employers have found the Canada-Japan Co-op students invaluable employees and have offered full time employment opportunities upon completion of the student's academic program.

How does a Japanese company participate in The Canada-Japan Co-op Program?

For companies wishing to participate in The Canada-Japan Co-op Program, there are three ways in which to receive students:

1. Companies specify their general areas of interest, such as process control, multi-media, robotic, polymer chemistry, technical writing, marketing research etc. The Canada-Japan Co-op Program then sends the company the resumes of students who match the stated areas of interest.

2. Companies develop a specific job description relating to the project in which they would like to have a student involved. The Canada-Japan Co-op Program then circulates the job description amongst member Canada-Japan Co-op educational institutions, collects resumes of interested students and forwards them to the company for review.

3. Companies post their positions directly through the Japan Trade External Organization.

We ask participating companies to review resumes and evaluate if they would like to interview or confirm a match with the student within one month. As student resumes may be sent to more than one company, companies are requested to rank the applications, based on their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice candidates.

In all cases the participating company are presented with resumes from interested students. The Canada-Japan Co-op Program Assistant then coordinates phone or video-conferencing interview schedules around employer availability. Employers are asked to make all interview arrangements and job offers through the Canada-Japan Co-op office, and not directly with the students.

After a company has completed the ranking and interview process, The Canada-Japan Co-op Program office matches the students to the companies, and confirmation of placements is established.

When are Canada-Japan Co-op student available?

Canada-Japan Co-op students are available year round for a period of four, eight or twelve months. Canada-Japan Co-op students are able to start in January, May or September unless a Japanese employer has alternate or special requests.

Note: Companies and students wishing to reserve judgment on extending the length of the work term/internship until after the student as arrive must stipulate the longer duration (for e.g. 12 months on the initial visa application. Due to current visa restrictions, short term visas many not be extended after they have been issued and student are not eligible to stay in Japan longer than one year.

For more information about student availability please contact Jenny Kagetsu, Canada-Japan Co-op Program Director at jenny.kagetsu@ubc.ca.

How many Canada-Japan Co-op Program students may a company receive at one time?

The number of students a company may receive per year is at their discretion. While some companies receive one student per year, others prefer to receive two or three. Some companies place students in the same facility each time, while other companies place students in a number of facilities located throughout Japan.

Recommendation: Companies often find it helpful to receive one or two students per year with some cross over in duration. This way, the students themselves can help orient a new student to the company and dormitory environments thereby reducing the administrative support required of the company.

Where are the Canada-Japan Co-op Program students generally placed?

The majority of work placements are in corporate research and development facilities, however we are very interested in receiving any type of technical, business or arts full time position as we have students from a variety of disciplines who are interested in participating in the program.

Students are very flexible about their work location and work environment, be it research, development or production related, or in an urban or rural setting. However students typically want to be given a work assignment, and want to be able to accomplish some work-related goals for the company. Generally speaking, students are not very happy when placed in facilities where they can only observe activities or when given work that has no relevance or priority for the company.

Process for receiving Canada-Japan Co-op Students

Typical Work Term Conditions
Living Allowance (per month): Y125, 000-Y180, 000 (net amount after deduction of any applicable taxes)

In additional to the living allowance, the company and/or student are responsible for the following items:

ITEM	COMPANY PAYS	STUDENT PAYS
Dormitory Fee	X
Breakfast (at Dorm)		X
Lunch		X
Dinner (at Dorm)		X
Futon/bedding rental or purchase	X
Electricity charges	X
Telephone/Internet charges		X
Local commuting	X
Health Insurance		X
Return Airfare between Canada and Japan (30% of companies offer all or half of airfare costs - this is optional)		X

Note: Most employers provide the student with 5 days of paid leave during an eight month work term/internship, and up to 10 days of paid leave for an 11 month work term/internship. In some cases students, in consultation with their supervisor, may choose when they may take their vacation allotment. In other cases, the company decides for the student i.e., during Oshogatsu, Golden Week, or Obon. It is generally the case that sick days are deducted from vacation days.

Guidelines for Visa Application
The company applies for a "Cultural Activities Visa" or Bunka Katsudo visa for Canada-Japan Co-op students. The company applies for the visa in Japan and the process usually takes at least three months.

The Canada-Japan Co-op Program Assistant will advise once a match has been confirmed of the visa application process in detail and will assist in the coordination, collection and couriering of all the necessary documents from the student and the program to the company for visa application. Appropriate visa documentation are presented together at the nearest District Immigration Office to the company in Japan. A Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) is then issued to the company. The company mails the CoE to The Canada-Japan Co-op program office where a copy is taken and then forwarded on to the student for visa application in Canada.

Please note: the CoE must match exactly the information which is contained in the student's passport, such as spelling of name, birth date, birth location, order of first name and family name, etc. Even the slightest difference may cause the application to be rejected.

Once the student receives the CoE, he/she must apply for a visa by submitting the following documentation to the Japanese Consulate: a passport size photo, passport, CoE, copy of CoE, photocopy of completed Visa Application form. This process usually takes a few days.

Once the visa authorization is issued, it is valid for 3 months i.e. the student must enter Japan within 3 months of receiving the authorization. The immigration official at the Port of Entry into Japan will stamp the passport for the period specified in the application commencing at date of entry into Japan. Upon arrival in Japan, the student will need to go to the nearest district immigration office and apply for a Permit to Engage in Other Activities. This permit is required when receiving a salary or living allowance while in Japan. A copy of the Certificate of Studentship is required in order to obtain the permit. It is advisable that someone from the company go with the student, in case interpretation is required.

In addition, within three months of arrival, students should go the city hall or ward office in order to obtain a Foreigner Registration Card. Please note: the Cultural Activities Visa cannot be renewed and is not available for a period exceeding 12 months. For companies wishing to receive a student for at least 8 months, with the possibility of extending to 12 months the initial visa application must state a 12 month term. This will ensure that the student will be able to stay longer than 8 months. If the initial visa application states only 8 months, the Immigration Department, at their discretion may issue an additional 6 month visa which cannot be renewed or extended.

Intellectual Property Considerations
Participating companies often have questions related to confidentiality and intellectual property rights. The Canada-Japan Co-op Program encourages employers to develop a confidentiality agreement that can be signed by each student at the start of their work term/internship. In this way, companies can protect their research investment and ensure the results of all research efforts remain the property of the company. Our students are very familiar with the issue of intellectual property rights. During co-op work terms in Canada, students sign similar agreements, and are very careful to respect confidentiality. If an agreement example is required, a company can contact The Canada-Japan Co-op Program Assistant at coop.japan@ubc.ca and one will be forwarded for review.