Job Discussion Forums

[OneJoelFifty]

I wonder if someone can help me confirm this.

I applied for my new visa around two weeks ago. I will likely be heading out of Japan before the new visa is processed. My current visa will definitely expire while I'm out of the country.

My understanding is that the re-entry permit is only needed for your current visa, as it stops that visa from being void on re-entry. So if it's expiring anyway I can leave without a permit, re-enter on a tourist visa, and change status to the new instructor's visa that will be waiting for me when I get back. Is this right?!

[Glenski]

The expiry date on your reentry permit is tied to the expiration date of your current visa. So, if your visa expires while you are outside Japan, so does the reentry permit.

[seklarwia]

According to the immigration officer when applied for an extention last month, you cannot leave the country whilst immigration is processing anything for you as they will cancel the process. So when you came back you will have to start over from scratch.

If your visa would still valid on your return (and hence your re-entry permit), perhaps that would mean only re-doing the application for the extention/change of status process. But since you will not even have a valid visa on your return, I imagine scratch would mean applying for a COE again.

When do you leave the country? Perhaps you should contact your immigration and check on your application status. My immigration only takes about a week to process visas. Perhaps yours is the same and your postcard has gotten delayed in the post or something...

Regardless you should contact immigration to check out what will happen for definate if you leave before the processing is complete. I'm pretty sure that it will mess up the process, but perhaps they will make exceptions due to the crisis situation.

[wayne432]

Depends on who you talk to I guess. I spoke to one official, and he said it was no problem to leave while in process. If you have a valid re-entry permit/visa, you can leave the country. I filed for the extension, left the country 2 days later on vacation. I came back 2 weeks later and got my notification from immigration a week after. Luck of the draw with the official if you mention it I suppose. If you don't mention it, I doubt anyone would care.

[OneJoelFifty]

Thank you both.

The new visa is a renewal of my current instructor's visa. Since writing the first message I got my postcard through the door, asking me to go to the immigration office on the 30th March. They're understandably extremely busy at the moment, I called in yesterday and there were more people than seats. And there are a lot of seats.

I'll give immigration a call, my local office doesn't speak English and my Japanese isn't good enough to understand.

[seklarwia]

Are you sure it says on March 30th?

Normally they give you a date that you must come by, not on. And your date sounds normal - they normally give you about two weeks from the date stamped at the top of the card.

If your card says ３月３０日まで then that means the deadline is March 30th and you can go tomorrow if you so wish. Make sure to file for your re-entry permit when you go if you didn't submit an application for one at the time you applied for your extension.

[Glenski]

[OneJoelFifty]

If anyone's interested, it turned out that I did need a re-entry permit.

I didn't apply for one in Mito but had the post office 3,000 Yen stamp and application form with me at the airport just in case. They told me that when I'd applied for a visa extension, it automatically extended the validity of my current visa, therefore it would still be valid when I returned to Japan, hence the need for a permit.

Also it shouldn't affect the application process.