Change to spouse visa
Olivier Paumier
I am currently in Japan with a work visa that will expire in
september, the 13th. As I am married with a Japanese since last year
I'd like to change to a spouse visa.
I suppose there are a few people in this newsgroup which are familiar
with such a procedure.
How long will it take ? If it should take too long, do I have better
first extend my current visa ?
Who can become my guarantor and can I use the letter of guarantee
printed of the MOFA home page ?
Every bit of advice is welcome (documents necessary...), if possible
I'd like to go only once to the immigration office.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Olivier
Michael Cash
Paumier) belched the alphabet and kept on going with:
>Hi everybody,
>
>I am currently in Japan with a work visa that will expire in
>september, the 13th. As I am married with a Japanese since last year
>I'd like to change to a spouse visa.
You could/should have done this last year then, don't you think?
>I suppose there are a few people in this newsgroup which are familiar
>with such a procedure.
Several.
>How long will it take ?
There is probably some difference depending where you live and how
busy your nearest immigration office is. I use the one in Takasaki. I
got a spouse visa many years ago and don't recall how long it took.
Not too terribly long, though. My most recent visa renewal was very
quick and easy. I was in the immigration office about 15 minutes. The
approval came about a week or so later.
>If it should take too long, do I have better
>first extend my current visa ?
You probably needn't worry about it, unless you think you won't be
approved for a spouse visa. Just go ahead and apply for the change of
visa. If your work visa expires before the spouse visa is approved,
you're still alright. They will stamp in your passport that you have
applied for a change of status.
>Who can become my guarantor and can I use the letter of guarantee
>printed of the MOFA home page ?
>
>Every bit of advice is welcome (documents necessary...), if possible
>I'd like to go only once to the immigration office.
Have you tried having your wife telephone the nearest immigration
office and ask for the actual, correct information? It is much more
comforting to have their information than ours.
--
Michael Cash
"There was a time, Mr. Cash, when I believed you must be the most useless
thing in the world. But that was before I read a Microsoft help file."
Prof. Ernest T. Bass
Mount Pilot College
Ed
"Olivier Paumier" <olivier...@yahoo.fr> wrote in message
news:4b02a340.03072...@posting.google.com...
Isn't this info in the FAQ?
Oh well, you'll need to bring the Japanese marriage certificate (or obtain
one), your wife's family registry, your wife, and your passport to the
immigration department. Your wife will probably be your guarantor. She'll
have to hanko a paper stating that she'll be responsible for your conduct
while in Japan (meaning that she has to pay for your plane fare to leave
Japan).
I've probably forgotten something because it's been awhile since I had to do
that. I seem to recall that it was a one time visit and I got my spousal
visa on the same day I applied.
Ed
"Michael Cash" <mike...@sunfield.ne.jp> wrote in message
news:bm15ivc0pfda391kb...@4ax.com...
> There is probably some difference depending where you live and how
> busy your nearest immigration office is. I use the one in Takasaki. I
> got a spouse visa many years ago and don't recall how long it took.
> Not too terribly long, though. My most recent visa renewal was very
> quick and easy. I was in the immigration office about 15 minutes. The
> approval came about a week or so later.
The only time I ever had to wait longer than the time I spent sitting in the
immigration office for approval was when I applied for permanent residence.
Every other time it was a simple matter of filling out forms, having all the
right paperwork and then getting my passport stamped after ten or fifteen
minutes.
That is unless you count the time I had to go to the Tokyo immigration dept.
and they asked me what my wife's birthday was (or was it our anniversary?)
and I didn't know it, nor could I get ahold of my wife on the phone, so I
had to take the train back home, ask my wife when her birthday is, then
headed back the next day with the info.
and Bob's your uncle.
Rindler Sigurd
> had to take the train back home, ask my wife when her birthday is, then
> headed back the next day with the info.
And your wife was "happy" to tell you the date???:-)
Well, I had a similar experience when they asked for the date of my marriage
after 20 years. "Winter time" and the precise year wasn't sufficient,
"February" had no effect either, but then he found a note right in his
folder to let me off the hook.
Gee... even my wife has forgotten the exact date by now...
Sigi
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Ed
"Rindler Sigurd" <srin...@da2.so-net.ne.jp> wrote in message
news:3f233aa2$1...@news.uncensored-news.com...
> so I
> > had to take the train back home, ask my wife when her birthday is, then
> > headed back the next day with the info.
>
>
> And your wife was "happy" to tell you the date???:-)
> Well, I had a similar experience when they asked for the date of my
marriage
> after 20 years. "Winter time" and the precise year wasn't sufficient,
> "February" had no effect either, but then he found a note right in his
> folder to let me off the hook.
> Gee... even my wife has forgotten the exact date by now...
I recently had an adult class with about 20 students, most of whom were
married. I asked each one what the date of their anniversary is.
The women were almost 100%. The men were exactly 100% in the opposite
direction. You get one guess which gender couldn't remember their
anniversary.
And no, my wife wasn't happy. It meant another day spent in Tokyo, and
another 20,000 yen spent on train and cab fares. I think she would have been
much more upset about my poor memory if she didn't have 20,000 wasted yen
and a wasted day on her mind.
Rindler Sigurd
> another 20,000 yen spent on train and cab fares. I think she would have
been
> much more upset about my poor memory if she didn't have 20,000 wasted yen
> and a wasted day on her mind.
>
>
20,000 yen? Where do you live, and isn't there another immigration office
closer to your place?
The new immigration office in Tokyo sucks. A friend was there last week and
reported around 500 visitors!
GHill18299
Go to immigration, get the (few) forms needed. One entails you write a short
history of your courting period. You will probably need to supply a
non-returnable picture or two showing the two of you together on a date or
trip. Other than that, it's dirt simple. Mine came in less than 2 weeks.
Ed
> > And no, my wife wasn't happy. It meant another day spent in Tokyo, and
> > another 20,000 yen spent on train and cab fares. I think she would have
> been
> > much more upset about my poor memory if she didn't have 20,000 wasted
yen
> > and a wasted day on her mind.
> >
> >
>
> 20,000 yen? Where do you live, and isn't there another immigration office
> closer to your place?
I live in Nagano, and at the time there wasn't an immigration department
here.
> The new immigration office in Tokyo sucks. A friend was there last week
and
> reported around 500 visitors!
The old one sucked, too.
Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson
> Your wife can serve as guarantor, or her father. Anyone with a paycheck.
Heh, my wife doesn't even have a paycheque (well, she does, mine...)
but she worked out fine as a guarantor.
> Go to immigration, get the (few) forms needed. One entails you write a short
> history of your courting period. You will probably need to supply a
> non-returnable picture or two showing the two of you together on a date or
> trip. Other than that, it's dirt simple. Mine came in less than 2 weeks.
We didn't need the photo (or they forgot to tick the box saying
"please supply photo") and the dating stuff was simple "How did you
meet?", "Have you told your parents?", etc. I've heard they might be a
bit stricter if you were a dekichatta kekkon.
Ken
Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson
>
> That is unless you count the time I had to go to the Tokyo immigration dept.
> and they asked me what my wife's birthday was (or was it our anniversary?)
> and I didn't know it, nor could I get ahold of my wife on the phone, so I
> had to take the train back home, ask my wife when her birthday is, then
> headed back the next day with the info.
Perhaps this was a trick question - an oyaji test, if you remembered
the date it sounds just too much like you actually care about her...
Ken
Ed
"Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson" <ken_ni...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:6afefaef.03072...@posting.google.com...
We have two official anniversary dates. The one where we actually got
married which involved visits to the US embassy to get married and some
non-descript office building where we registered the marriage in Japan so we
could get a Japanese marriage certificate, and the other anniversary is when
the ceremony was held.
Between the two of them, birthdates of my children, how old they are, trying
to remember what day of the week it is and my wife's birthday, I can't
remember any of it.
Jon up in Tohoku
> I am currently in Japan with a work visa that will expire in
> september, the 13th. As I am married with a Japanese since last year
In this country I don't think it should be a problem as long as you can get
all the little pieces of paper they need. As long as you can complete the
treasure hunt they set out for you, no worries.
For me, the only thing that took any time was the marriage letter from the
embassy.
The first part of my application without that letter wart in 3 weeks ago,
and the letter last week, at which point they said it will take two more
weeks. So I am expecting it within a month.
Having said that they told me that I should be married for 3 years before
applying, cause it would be easier. We have been married for 2.5 years, so I
gave it a whirl anyway.
I will let you know if I get my visa.
Good luck to you, and happy treasure hunting.
Jon
Ryan Ginstrom
> The new immigration office in Tokyo sucks. A friend was there last week
and
> reported around 500 visitors!
I went to the Naha immigration office a couple weeks ago, and counted 3
visitors, including myself.
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom