1. All foreigners must decide one type of the “Status of Residence”
Under Japanese law, the system of “Status of Residence” (generally known as Visa) is adopted. Foreign nationals residing in Japan must, as a general rule, hold one of the Status of Residence (Visa) and are allowed to engage in an activity permitted under that Status of Residence (Visa). The purpose of your intended stay will determine which type of Status of Residence is required under Japanese immigration law.
>> Click here for more information on List of Status of Residence
You are allowed to hold only one type of Status of Residence (Visa), which means you cannot engage in any other activities not permitted under your Status of Residence (Visa). In case your activities will fall under more than one Status of Residence (Visa), you need to choose one type (Business Manager Visa and Spouse Visa for example). If you engage in an activity not permitted under your Status of Residence (Visa), you may be subject to deportation or penalty under Japanese immigration law.
2. Applicant will need a Sponsor for applying for COE
First thing to do when you get a Japan Visa from overseas will be application for “Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence (COE)”. Application for COE should be submitted to the Immigration office in Japan and cannot be submitted from overseas. Therefore, you are required to find a Sponsor in Japan. That means a Working Visa applicant must find a job in Japan and a Business manager Visa applicant need to find a partner in Japan.
> Click here for more information on Certificate of Eligibility
3. Must check the recent Visa requirements
Even if you have a friend who has the similar situation as you do and got a visa that you are also applying for, it would not instantly mean that you will get the Visa too. This is because the Visa requirements are subject to change and the immigration considers various factors depending on each individual. You are required to check the latest Visa requirements and prepare application documents accordingly.
4. Japanese language is a must
Application procedure will generally be conducted in Japanese and therefore your application and supporting documents have to be submitted in Japanese or with a translation thereof. The immigration may request additional documents during the process (the deadline is 1-2 weeks in most cases), and you are required to respond to it in Japanese. Even a simple mistake might be recognized as false application and your application are likely to be rejected.
5. Be honest
Acting with total honesty and integrity throughout the process is important, and if you get caught out the consequences can be serious. The immigration can issue bans under Japanese immigration law and it will reflect poorly on your character for all future attempts. You are likely to have a visa rejected for trying to hide something than disclosing it.
6. COE does not secure Visa approval
Even if you have a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), Japanese embassy or consulate may not issue a Visa in certain circumstances – for example, if there has been a change in the situation since the issue of the COE or if it is found that the COE was issued based on mistaken or false information. Once the Visa application is rejected, you are not allowed to reapply for the same purpose of visit within 6 months from the rejection.
Criteria for Visa Issuance (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)
Therefore, it is highly recommended for an applicant to review all the application documents including supporting documents in order to explain your activities in detail to the officer at Japanese embassy or consulate.
7. Get an attorney or Gyoseishoshi lawyer like us
If you want to get Japan Visa, make sure your sponsor is working with a reliable lawyer, as applying for a Japan Visa is a complicated process. If your employer is inexperienced with the Visa process or does not have an immigration lawyer to prepare the Visa application, consider recommending us.