Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Japanese spouse, how to bring them to the US
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Japan
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 2:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
rxk22 wrote:

On their Japanese passports. They get those too, till they are 20, right? The wife is afraid that if they are born in the US, that we can not give them a name in kanji. As they are foreign born and will be stuck with katakana only.


It doesn't matter if they are foreign born, they can still have kanji names registered with the Japanese authorities when you apply for their Japanese citizenship whether you register them in Japan or the US first, they will not be stuck with only being able to use katakana in Japan. Register them with a kanji name and they will have a kanji name.

I'm allowed to use a kanji name (the surname of my married name which I have registered as an alternative name) for most official matters here and I'm not Japanese, so of course Japanese citizens can use a kanji name in Japan, no matter where they were born.

As for passports, as kingkakipi says, their names will be written in romaji, just like every other Japanese person's. I'm looking at my husband's passport now, and his kanji name is nowhere to be seen, romaji only.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Mr_Monkey



Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Inflames wrote:
Mr_Monkey wrote:
With regards to your kids getting passports "until they are 20", you could just not tell the Japanese government about their US passports.

It's not ideal, but how will the Japanese govt ever find out?


Pretty much everyone born in the US (there are a very small number of exceptions) and at least the embassy people know.
Eh?

I'm sorry, I don't follow.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Inflames



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 6:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Mr_Monkey wrote:
Inflames wrote:
Mr_Monkey wrote:
With regards to your kids getting passports "until they are 20", you could just not tell the Japanese government about their US passports.

It's not ideal, but how will the Japanese govt ever find out?


Pretty much everyone born in the US (there are a very small number of exceptions) and at least the embassy people know.
Eh?

I'm sorry, I don't follow.

Pretty much any Japanese person will register their kids with the embassy. The embassy staff know that (provided the parents aren't embassy or consular staff) the kids will be American and can simply ensure that they get registered as being dual citizens. The Japanese embassy website has a part that talks about dual citizenship and points out that people born in the US automatically are US citizens (actually, if the kid leaves and comes back into the US on a Japanese passport there might be problems as the US tolerates dual citizens but doesn't recognize them [in the eyes of the US government you are only an American] so dual citizens are required to enter the US on their US passport).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Mr_Monkey



Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ah! I see - the situation is different for Britons.

Regardless, my kids enter Japan on their Japanese passport and enter the UK on their British ones. No problem!

Are the Japanese authorities going to check the citizenship status of foreign born kids when they reach the age of majority?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Inflames



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 10:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Mr_Monkey wrote:


Are the Japanese authorities going to check the citizenship status of foreign born kids when they reach the age of majority?


I believe they get sent a letter or something telling them to make a choice.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
rxk22



Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you for all your help. everyone. I appreciate it. It is a long process, but I think we will be ok, save for one question. My wife has been married before. She has her divorce form. Though it is in Japanese. I can't seem to find a form online that we can translate it into English. Should we do it ourselves? Or am I blind?


BTW I didn't realize the Green Card was multiple thousands of dollars@_@
I guess the immigration dept is in the black, eh Crying or Very sad

Edit; she wants to change her family name to mine. Should she have that finalized in Japan, before applying for her visa? Or should we do it once we are in the US?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
G Cthulhu



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
rxk22 wrote:
So, it'll be up to them, where they want to live when they grow up. Though US citizenship is super hard to get, while Japanese is not that hard at all.


What? Try the other way around. If they surrender Japanese citizenship it will very difficult for them to get it later. US citizenship would be a right as of birth and parentage based on what you've said here.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
G Cthulhu



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
rxk22 wrote:
Thank you for all your help. everyone. I appreciate it. It is a long process, but I think we will be ok, save for one question. My wife has been married before. She has her divorce form. Though it is in Japanese. I can't seem to find a form online that we can translate it into English. Should we do it ourselves? Or am I blind?


You are blind. :)

Look, seriously, take a look at some of the specific recommendations made on the thread for how to do all this. The process is simple and easy, just expensive. You keep coming back with questions that show you aren't paying any attention to the details, and dealing with USCIS is all about the details.


Quote:

BTW I didn't realize the Green Card was multiple thousands of dollars@_@
I guess the immigration dept is in the black, eh :cry:

Edit; she wants to change her family name to mine. Should she have that finalized in Japan, before applying for her visa? Or should we do it once we are in the US?


Do not, under any circumstance, go changing names if you've started the immigration process. US officials simply cannot cope with things like that changing *during* the process. It's easier to do in Japan and only involves a single visit to the local town/ward office, so if you haven't started the process then do it there.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
rxk22



Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
G Cthulhu wrote:
rxk22 wrote:
So, it'll be up to them, where they want to live when they grow up. Though US citizenship is super hard to get, while Japanese is not that hard at all.


What? Try the other way around. If they surrender Japanese citizenship it will very difficult for them to get it later. US citizenship would be a right as of birth and parentage based on what you've said here.