Job Discussion Forums

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

After being engaged to my Japanese fiance FOREVER, we finally made it official and got married a few days ago.

Right now we are both in the states. He is here legally, sponsored by his company through an h1b visa. We are probably going back to Japan after his working visa expires in January. From Japan can we process the paperwork that is neccesary for him to get his U.S. permanent residency?

And when I go to Japan, do I enter the country as usual, and then apply for a spouse visa? If not, do I have to leave Japan after 90 days? Or does our marriage give me the right to stay in Japan, even if I'm not working. ( I don't mind being shufu/gakusei for a while) Wink

Again, I'm sorry this is off topic.

If you could lead me to a web site, that would be great. Thanks! Surprised

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

Congradulations!

I can't offer advice, but how would the first post of a thread be off-topic? Confused

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

Thanks Wolf! Very Happy

I mean off topic because it's not teaching ESL related.

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

Lynn,
Congratulations. I, too, am an American married to a Japanese. I have, however, not left Japan since the wedding.

I would suggest contacting your US embassy for details on his permanent residency. I think he has to deal with matters at the US embassy in Japan to get it.

As for yourself, you do not need a spouse visa to reenter Japan. Nor do you need it to stay. However, unless you have a work visa, you will have to leave every 90 days on your tourist visa. So, I suggest you get the spouse visa as soon as possible after you come back to Japan.

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

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

[quote="Lynn"]

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

Lynn,

My wife and I are only talking about when we'd like to move to the States. No plans have been finalized, so we have not started any paperwork on her green card.

My spouse visa was promised to come in 3 weeks but it arrived in about 10 days.

Paul has pretty much summed up how spouse visas and work go.

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

Just to make everyone just a little more baffled by the spouse visa system, I'll let everyone know that I just received my first spouse visa. It was for three years. I have no idea why I was so lucky.

Sherri · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2003 2:49 pm Post subject:

Hi Lynn
Congratulations on your marriage. I am an American married to a Japanese guy. We are going to start the visa process for him to come and live in the States in the new year when we have some time. They say the whole process takes about 6 months. Here is the link to the information you need. Also if you want some information on discussion groups /support groups for non-Japanese wives in Japan send me a PM and I'll let you know.
Sherri

http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwhvisa-7137c.html

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

Thanks everyone!
For those of you who are applying for your spouse's greencard from Japan, I envy you. It takes 2 or more years to do it here in the states.

J. · Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 327

Has anyone noticed that ALL visas can be gotten for three years now? It's an option; you just have to ask for it at the Immigration office when you make your application. According to my students, we can thank Mr. Koizumi for making this change and others, such as allowing the local offices to process the visas instead of having to send them away to a bigger centre. This means that the processing time has been reduced considerably. For example, I went to get my employment visa stamp changed from an old passport, which had expired, to a new one, and they did it in a few minutes. Before I would have had to leave it and it would have been sent by mail in about 10 days or so. In this respect , at least, kudos to Mr. Koizumi for lowering the stress of constantly renewing yearly work visas!!!!!

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

This is just an update.

My Japanese husband got his greencard. It only took 33 days Exclamation

It would have taken 2.5 years or more had we done it from New York City. If anyone has any questions, send me a PM or post them here.

Speed · Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 152 Location: Shikoku Land

Super Duper Congratulations Lynn on getting hitched!

You just mentioned that your hubby just got his green card. Good for him.

It took my friend 4 years to get his J-wife her green card in/from San Diego. The huge volume of applications + the immigration office losing some of her documents held things up. Confused

It only took me about 6 months to get my wifey her green card in Japan. Much easier than in the US. One stipulation: she had to travel to the US within 6 months of receiving her green card or else it would become invalid.

Total cost of getting the green card cost about $1000. (application fee, visa proc. fee, health exam, records, certificates, etc...

Anyway for the happy stuff: Omedetou on your love love wedding!! I hope you can find your way back to the land of 'wa'. May all your ups and downs come between the bedsheets.
Very Happy

Ciao Lynn!

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Congratulations. May you both be favoured with the future of your choice.

Sherri · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:12 pm Post subject:

By "greencard" do you mean the immigrant visa for US spouses? We were just approved the I-130 and now we are assembling the documents for the second part of the appplication. I hope we can be out of here by August.

Any tips fr the interview?