Job Discussion Forums

ocyrion · Joined: 20 Oct 2004 Posts: 20 Location: Chiba, Japan

Hi all,

I obtained a spouse visa for Japan recently, however, I am planning to return to Australia with my wife (who is Japanese). I plan to re-enter a year or two later on a re-entry permit.

I have a couple of questions:

If I buy a one-way ticket do I forfeit my visa regardless of having a re-entry permit? Or do I have to buy a return ticket to prevent the visa from being cancelled?

My wife told me we have to pay city/resident's tax for the year we worked before we left ... This seems crazy. Ie, we are supposed to be paying for 2006's working year in 2007. So, when we come back to Japan in say, 2008 or 2009, we will have to pay 2006's local tax? Is this true?

Last one - should I surrender my alien registration card at the airport?

Thanks!

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

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I left Japan a few years ago, not planning to come back. (But here I still am...) anyway I was only 6 months into my visa and didn't want to burn any bridges, so I kept my alien registration card and didn't tell them I was leaving permanently. I left on a one-way ticket- no questions. Immigration does not generally know what kind of ticket you have. I always paid all my taxes but didn't arrange to pay the city tax from the previous year before I left.

Within 6 months I decided to come back to Japan, found a job and registered with my new city office. As they share information with the office you transferred from, I soon received a bill from my old city office for the unpaid tax, plus late penalties of around 10%. I imagine those penalties would build up quite a lot over 2 years or so.

Basically, as long as your spouse visa/ ARC doesn't expire and you pay your bills, there shouldn't be any difference between you leaving for 2 weeks or 2 years.

japanman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Posts: 281 Location: England

I left Japan for around a year during a three year visa and managed to get exemption from my city tax whilst I was away. They told me that you don't need to pay if you're not in Japan. Maybe it varies from city to city or just that the person didn't know this.

ocyrion · Joined: 20 Oct 2004 Posts: 20 Location: Chiba, Japan

Good, thanks for the replies. The main objection with the city tax is that I was told by my previous company that you aren't taxed in the first year - maybe I misunderstood.

Furthermore, I might return after my ARC expires in 2009.

I guess much of this is academic anyway, since they only gave me a one year visa!