Improve your grades or get better pay in a new position? You choose.I studied at a private school for three years and got a job. I work at an advertising agency. In October 2017, my boss gave me an offer to move from a dependent visa to a working visa. This is because I am doing well at the company and there is a need for English speakers in the agency. My salary will be higher when I get a working visa. Also, the company wants me to communicate with clients in English since they have more opportunities in the future if they can communicate with foreign clients.

Nagano has many beautiful places to go and things to do, and is one of the best options for international visitors looking for a chance to experience Japan. Nagano is not just one city, but it has two major cities: Shimotakai, the capital of Nagano prefecture, and Shinshu shukyo which is found at the foot of Mount Hotaka. It is popular among honeymoon couples and people who are looking for a place where they can live in a more rural setting. The big problem with getting a spouse visa in Japan is that you have to assign them a job with an employer that will sponsor their visa. If you believe that you can help in finding employment, then there are several ways to approach the situation. For starters, you should be able to provide the only papers your spouse needs: the essentials such as marriage certificate or family record certificate (koseki zaimei shomeisho).

Let me start of this guide by giving you a little bit of history, specifically the history regarding Japanese immigration. One of the things that I always find interesting is how the rules have changed over time and while they are starting to loosen up, there are still some pretty strict laws in place that control immigration.

Dependent Visa To Working Visa In Japan

The Japan Spouse (Dependents) Visa

Japan Visa Services

The Spouse (Dependents) Visa is for an Applicant who will come to Japan as the spouse, unmarried child, or other dependents of a foreigner.

Note that this visa type is sometimes referred to as the Japan Family Stay Visa.

The Spouse (Dependents) Visa allows the Applicant to carry on normal daily activities in Japan but does not allow the Applicant to work. However, once the Spouse (Dependents) Visa has been formally granted, it may be possible for the Applicant to apply for permission to work part time.

Requirement that spouses be legally married

Japan recognizes only legal marriages. As a result, spouses who are in a common law or de facto relationship will not be able to utilize this SOR.

Same sex partners

Japanese society as a whole is tolerant of gay and lesbian same sex relationships. However, it is generally difficult to sponsor a same sex spouse under the Spouse (Dependents) SOR.

The Following article contains Japan Visas for Same Sex Couples

SEVEN STEPS TO OBTAIN A JAPAN SPOUSE (DEPENDENTS) VISA

In order to obtain a Spouse (Dependents) Visa to live in Japan, an Applicant will need to complete the following seven steps:

Step 1

Confirm that the Applicant satisfies the preliminary requirements for obtaining a Japan Spouse (Dependents) Visa.

The initial point to confirm prior to applying for a Spouse (Dependents) Visa is that the Applicant should be the Spouse (Dependents) of a person residing in Japan with one of the following status of residence:

1. Professor
2. Artist
3. Religious activities
4. Journalist
5. Investor business manager
6. Legal / Accounting services
7. Medical services
8. Researcher
9. Instructor
10. Engineer
11. Specialist in humanities / International services
12. Intra-company transferee
13. Entertainer
14. Skilled Labor
15. Spouse (Dependents)
16. College student
17. Pre-College student
18. Trainee

Step 2

Confirm that the proposed activities in Japan are consistent with those permitted for the holder of a Japan Spouse (Dependents) Visa.

Once the preliminary items in Step 1 have been confirmed, the actual activities the Applicant will undertake in Japan need to be considered.

The permitted activities for the holder of a Spouse (Dependents) Visa are daily activities on the part of a spouse or unmarried minor who is supported in Japan by a foreigner with one of the status listed in Step 1 above.

Step 3

Assemble the documents required to support a Japan Spouse (Dependents) Visa application.

Once an Applicant has confirmed that her proposed activities in Japan are consistent with those outlined above in Step 2, supporting documentation needs to be prepared.

In the case of a Spouse (Dependents) Visa, the authorities require the following documents:

1. Documents that certify the personal relationship between the Applicant and the supporting person already in Japan.
2. Copies of the registration certificate or passport of the supporting person already in Japan.
3. Documents certifying the profession and the income of the supporting person already in Japan.

Although not technically required, our experience is that providing Japanese translations enhances the quality of an application. This may minimize delays in obtaining final approval.

Japan Visa’s certified immigration professionals are able to assist in the preparation and translation of all documentation required for a Spouse (Dependents) Visa.

Step 4

Submit an application for a Japan Spouse (Dependents) Visa Certificate of Eligibility (“COE”).

Once the Applicant’s activities have been confirmed and the appropriate documents assembled per steps 2 and 3 above, the next step in most cases will be to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (abbreviated as “COE”).

A COE is a document issued by the Japanese immigration authorities. It certifies an Applicant’s eligibility to undertake specific employment in Japan – in this case, the job associated with the Spouse (Dependents) Visa application.

An application for a Spouse (Dependents) Visa COE must be submitted in person at a regional immigration office in Japan. The COE application cannot be submitted by mail or at a Japanese embassy outside Japan.

Where the Applicant is not personally available (for example because she is not in Japan or due to a busy schedule) Japanese law allows a certified immigration specialist to submit a Spouse (Dependents) Visa COE application on behalf of the Applicant.

Japan Visa’s certified immigration specialists are able to handle all the procedures associated with preparing and submitting an application for a Spouse (Dependents) Visa COE.

Step 5

Await Approval of the Spouse (Dependents) Visa COE.

The processing time for a Spouse (Dependents) Visa COE is generally four to six weeks.

Once approved, a notice is sent to an address in Japan advising that the COE is ready for collection at the regional immigration office where the COE application was originally submitted.

Where Japan Visa’s certified immigration professionals are handling the Spouse (Dependents) Visa application, the notification from the immigration authorities is sent to our office. Japan Visa then collects the COE from the regional immigration office and either forwards it to the Applicant or prepares a change of status application (see Step 6 below).

Step 6

Obtain Spouse (Dependents) Status of Residence (SOR).

Once an Applicant has the Spouse (Dependents) Visa COE in hand, the next step is for her to exchange the COE for Spouse (Dependents) “Status of Residence” (usually abbreviated as “SOR”).

Technically speaking, it is the Spouse (Dependents) SOR that will form the basis of the Applicant actually living and working in Japan.

There are two methods for converting the COE to Spouse (Dependents) SOR:

1. Exchange the Spouse (Dependents) COE at a Japanese embassy or Consul outside Japan.

This is the traditional route for obtaining Spouse (Dependents) SOR.

The Applicant first exchanges the Spouse (Dependents) Visa COE for a Spouse (Dependents) Visa at a Japanese embassy or consul outside Japan. The process generally takes two to three business days.

The Applicant then travels to Japan and is granted Spouse (Dependents) SOR at the port of entry.

2. Undertake a Change of Status to Spouse (Dependents) SOR in Japan.

In some cases, an alternative may be for the holder of a Spouse (Dependents) COE to enter Japan under the Japan Visa Waiver Program or some other form of short-term entry. The Applicant then applies for Spouse (Dependents) SOR via a change of status at a regional immigration office in Japan.

A change of status takes approximately two weeks. During that time, it is not possible for the Applicant to travel outside Japan.

Where the change of status route is utilized, Japan Visa’s certified immigration professionals can undertake the necessary procedures at the regional immigration office in Japan.