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Brooks
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:31 am Post subject: spouse visa |
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my work visa will expire in September of 2006.
But I got married in August to a Japanese national.
Do I have to go soon to immigration, and do the change of status form, or can I wait?
I plan on being in Japan for some time, so I wonder if putting off my trip to the immigration office is unwise.
So if I submit the change of status form, do I lose my work visa and get a spouse visa instead?
I have heard of people who have the spouse visa for only one year at a time, which they have to keep renewing. |
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guest of Japan

Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:46 am Post subject: |
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You can wait. You don't have to use the spouse visa. The duration of the visa is going to be luck of the draw. I got 3 years the first time, a friend of mine got back to back 1 year visas. Changing to a spouse visa will enable you to do work outside of teaching and take you out of the world of employer whims. The bad news is that divorce or the death of your spouse means you are no longer in the country legally. |
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canuck

Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 6:34 am Post subject: |
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guest of Japan wrote: |
The bad news is that divorce or the death of your spouse means you are no longer in the country legally. |
What about if you're married with a 3 year visa, and something goes wrong and you get a divorce. Couldn't you just get your employer to sponsor you, and just change your spouse visa back to a working visa? Or do you get booted from the country? |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:05 am Post subject: |
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canuck wrote: |
guest of Japan wrote: |
The bad news is that divorce or the death of your spouse means you are no longer in the country legally. |
What about if you're married with a 3 year visa, and something goes wrong and you get a divorce. Couldn't you just get your employer to sponsor you, and just change your spouse visa back to a working visa? Or do you get booted from the country? |
I saw a post on gaijinpot of someone who was in that situation and immigration was refusing to process his visa as a work visa is inherently more unstable than a spouse visa being married to a Japanese. It was seen as a step down by immigration.
With no work visa in place technically your visa could expire and be deported, if you get a divorce. Also if your spouse dies you no longer have a spouse and would need to get another visa to stay in the country. Tough bikkies if you dont ahve a degree and cant get a work visa. |
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Glenski

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:36 am Post subject: |
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So if I submit the change of status form, do I lose my work visa and get a spouse visa instead? |
Yes, you cannot hold two visas at the same time.
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What about if you're married with a 3 year visa, and something goes wrong and you get a divorce. Couldn't you just get your employer to sponsor you, and just change your spouse visa back to a working visa? |
Since you have a valid work visa now, it follows that you met the requirements (minimum = bachelor's degree). So, if you get divorced and lose your spouse visa, you would have to get another kind of valid work visa again. Probably not a problem unless you are unemployed at the time of your divorce. You probably wouldn't get booted right away, because you'd likely have time to sign the divorce papers and could use that same time to get sponsored for the work visa. |
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ronin

Joined: 22 Feb 2003 Posts: 50 Location: canada
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:24 am Post subject: |
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Do you realize that when your wife finds out the fantasy of getting married to a westerner isn't all what it's cracked up to be, and that she would rather have a rich Japanese guy support her? Just wait a year or two when the Sugoi factor of being trendy by marrying a "westerner" wares off. Bro we are like trends they will get sick of you and baboom divorce. But if you can support her like a Japanese man can then you are doing well. This is why I would never marry a Japanese woman. Sorry I had a bad day today at work I had to vent good luck with everything, please ignore me LOL sorry bro. |
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