Job Discussion Forums

[woz]

Unfortunately, I just realised my visa expires tomorrow, I thought it was valid for another month. I know, stupid mistake!

Thing is, I cannot go to Immi until next week, working a lot and don't have the time to go, nor would I be able to swing a day off.

I will be applying for a self sponsor visa this time round. I know the regulations and have all documents neccessary.

Will it be a major problem if I go to Immi about 4 days after the visa has expired?

Trouble??

[Hot-Carl]

[ripslyme]

Yes, everything that Hot-Carl said. Plus:

DO NOT GO TO WORK GO TO IMMIGRATION INSTEAD

[Hot-Carl]

[Apsara]

Thirded. Your visa status takes priority over all else. If you go after your visa has expired your chances of even being able to renew your visa at all are in serious jeopardy, let alone being able to self-sponsor. Japan Immigration does not take this kind of thing lightly.

[flyer]

Yes, I fourth it

Don't cross immigration! They are number 1
I agree with the others above
you have no choice

[Glenski]

I'm sure your boss will be happy to hear that you lost your visa to work for him just because you didn't take the day off that you should have earlier.

Go now or leave Japan tomorrow. Those are the choices you have other than being detained and potentially deported, fined, and blacklisted from returning here.

[Apsara]

They do not *necessarily* detain people who overstay their visas by a few days (I saw a poster saying exactly that at the Tokyo Immigration office when I was there last Friday), but it is possible, and it does not help at all with future renewals to have overstayed at any point.

Fines and banning certainly don't seem to be unusual. Having to make profound apologies (in writing) is pretty much guaranteed.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Yes, everything ripslyme and Hot-Carl said. Plus



!!!!!!! DO NOT GO TO WORK !!!!!!!!! GO TO IMMIGRATION INSTEAD !!!!!!!!

[Cool Teacher]

No dicussion! No ifs buts maybes and what if I...?s! You go to immigration and do not pass go and do not collect 200 dolars!

[woz]

My boss is a nightmare, so thought it maybe possible to get by until my day off next week, hence the question. Taking a day off, I will never hear the end of it.

Thanks for your replies and yes, going to Immi in the morning.

[cornishmuppet]

A friend of mine overstayed by a couple of weeks a few years ago. The moment she realised she sold all her big stuff to a recycle shop, packed a suitcase, told her boss she probably wouldn't be back and rushed off to the Immigration Head Office in Tokyo fully expecting to be herded on to a plane. She wasn't, I think for no other reason than that they understood that it happens and she'd never done it before. Its quite possible she had a letter from her employer saying she'd been a model employee for the previous two years, but I'm not sure about that. On her return she had to go the recycle shop and buy back her stuff. I'm not sure if they cut her a deal or not.

They will probably be understanding. They have enough illegals and purposeful overstays to worry about without punishing what they will likely realise was an honest mistake. On the otherhand, as others have mentioned, they are fully in their rights to through the book at you and kick you out, fine you, imprison you, whatever. It could come right down to whether the guy at the counter is having a good day or not.

They stamp your passport with the date you apply for a renewal, so if tomorrow is the last day you'll most likely be fine anyway. Leave it until next week and you're stepping into very dangerous waters.

Out of interest, is there any particular reason why you're self sponsoring? It sounds like you work in a permanent enough job that you struggle to take time off, so is there any particular reason why they aren't sponsoring you? And if you're quitting anyway, why the concern over taking time off?

Anyway, whatever happens, good luck with it. I hope it works out.

[wayne432]

I knew a person who accidentally forgot to extend his visa.

When he went to immigration to see about getting it renewed, they told him that they needed to review his case and that he needed to report to the office every day until it was settled. Basically I think he was at immigration sitting in a room for the 9-5 hours of immigration, going home, repeat for 3-5 days. Finally they decided they would let it slide and process his visa instead.

Oh yeah, if he didn't show up properly to immigration while they were reviewing his case, he was liable to be arrested and deported.

[Glenski]

Yes, they may do little to nothing.

Then again, they may be harsh. Does anyone really want to run that risk? Seems silly, even if the mistake was an honest one. The immigration official you get might have a hangover, a cranky wife that morning, a broken tooth, severe constipation, or any other problem that makes him more irritable and unreasonable than another official, and he may take it out on anyone who overstays.

Friend of mine overstayed a spouse visa by a month. He was detained for half a day with some pretty severe, repetitive grilling, and they eventually called his wife to come in with a newborn in her arms. Not a nice thing to have happen even if one gets off.

Here's a story from 2004.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/05/10/MNGT16IQK81.DTL
Tell me that a strip-search, detainment for several days, being handcuffed and stuffed in a tiny room with several others is something you relish.

Glad to hear the OP is going to immigration.

[Cool Teacher]