Job Discussion Forums

skirmish · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 81

Does anyone know the penalty for overstaying your visa?
Like is there a charge per day?
What would be likely to happen if I was a month over?
Cheers

BurnChurch · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 34

BY ANY MEANS.
DO NOT OVERSTAY.
IF YOU DO AS SOON AS YOU GO TO THE AIRPORT TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY OR IF YOU GO TO IMMIGRATION YOU WILL BE HELD IN JAIL FOR DAYS.
I WILL TRY TO FIND THE LINK WHERE THEY EXPLAIN THAT.
YOU CAN CHAT TO ME AND I CAN GIVE YOU SOME ADVISE AND GOOD TIPS SO YOU CAN "extend" YOUR STAY.
BUT BROTHER. YOU OVERSTAY-THAT`S JAIL.
PERIOD

[email protected]

kitano · Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

Whatever you do do not overstay! One acquaintance did and she was shocked when they immediately chucked her in jail until her deportation. Don`t do it.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

The penalty can be severe. It depends on immigration and your attitude and lengthy of overstay. It could be 23 days in jail without a lawyer to help, 3 million yen in fines, deportation at your expense, plus being blacklisted from returning to Japan for 5-10years.

Read this for more background.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/05/10/MNGT16IQK81.DTL

If you have already overstayed, you might get off a bit easier.
4,150 foreigners turn themselves in after change in visa rule

Saturday, January 8, 2005 at 07:00 JST
TOKYO � The number of foreigners who have turned themselves in to immigration offices in December for overstaying their visas following changes in regulations on Dec 2 totaled about 4,150, the Justice Ministry said Friday.
The new rules allow those who overstay their visas to turn themselves in to the authorities and immediately leave the country without being detained in exchange for lighter punishment � a one-year ban on reentry instead of a five-year ban. Filipinos accounted for the largest proportion at 1,107, followed by Chinese at 1,050 and South Koreans at 511. (Kyodo News)

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Indeed... What the others have said. I'd also like to add, that I personally know of a few overstayers who were CAUGHT..... It's a bad situation. One guy was in detention for several months! (No joke). And the other was a couple of weeks.

If you have overstayed and wish to go home, under NO circumstances should you turn yourself into the police!!! No! Never! Do not do this! Go to your local IMMIGRATION OFFICE, tell them that your visa has expired and that YOU WANT TO GO HOME.

Proper procedure for them is to interview you several times (but you still get to return to your apt. where you live). And on the final interview they give you a date by which you must leave the country and buy a flight ticket.

If you turn yourself into police, you will spend your time in detention and get escorted, handcuffed, right to the plane home.

Doglover · Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 305 Location: Kansai

Zzonkmiles · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309

Don't do it. If there's any law you want to flaunt or break in Japan, this is NOT the one you want to mess with. Seriously, jail time, hefty fines, a ban on re-entry to Japan, and not having access to a lawyer during your detainment are NOT worth whatever you plan on doing for that extra month here. Either finish what you want to do a month early or apply for a new visa, if you have the time. Even overstaying a day or two can land you in some scalding hot water here. DON'T DO IT.

Hopefully this point has been made perfectly clear to you by now. Exclamation

BurnChurch · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 34

One question man!

Are you already overstaying? Question

If you are. You still have choices. Just avoid Police-Immigration Officers. at all cost.
Your embassy may assist you as the other friend stated up there.
I do not even think that getting married would help. I have no idea!

Doglover · Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 305 Location: Kansai

BurnChurch · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 34

My friend Doglover.
You are right, last week I got a email from someone ofering me 45 million dollars if I just pay the taxes to get money out of Cote de Ivoire.
They wanted my phone number and my bank account.
Of course I gave them my number and the account number.
(That was Mcdonalds account number and their customer service number).
I hope Ronald mcdonald gets a good monet settlement, fly down to Nigeria or wherever and get shot in the face.

Thank you.

Sour Grape · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 241

My visa expires on March 16. I have been down to the visa place for a renewal, and it seemed to be no problem. But no postcard so far (three weeks later). If I don't hear from them soon, should I be booking a flight out? I realise I could phone them, but I have visions of being passed from one person to another for hours, hearing a lot of "so desu ne"'s and nobody actually taking responsibility.

Your comments would be appreciated.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

they are just busy. Give it another week.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

skirmish · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 81

Cheers for the info
I definately wont be doing it!

Sour Grape · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 241