Job Discussion Forums

[Willy_In_Japan]

I have a visa and re-entry permit that expires in October 2007. However, my passport expires in February of 2006. Obviously, I need it renewed.

Does anyone have any experience in this? What is the procedure? I am guessing you go to the Canadian embassy, apply for a passport renewal and they would arrange for the transfer of the visa? Or do you have to take your old cancelled passport to the Immigration office and go through some red tape there?

BTW, any directions to the Canadian embassy in Tokyo would be appreciated.

[bshabu]

I am not Canadian but here is there web site:

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/world/asia/japan/tokyo-en.asp

I think it will be the same as a USA passport. First you get a new passport and then you go back to the immigration office and transfer it. I THINK!

[Gordon]

It is very easy to do. You renew your passport through the Cdn embassy. You can do it by mail as well, I did. Then you take your new and expired passports to immigration and they transfer over your visa to the new passport. The transfer at the immigration office is free.
No problems.

[canuck]

I just did it. Actually, it's a pain in the butt. You need to do the paperwork. You will need addresses and information from the past 5 years, your orignal bitth certificate (I kid you not), your old passport, 9000 yen, a doctor/laywer/accountant that has known you for more than 2 years or you pay the consulate/embassy 4000 more yen. Just phone them up, tell them you want to renew your passport and they will send you the package.

[chirp]

Canuck,

My passport will also expire while I will be in Japan but I am still in Canada at the moment. Would you recommend based on your recent experience that I renew it early to avoid the hassle later on?

[wangtesol]

You know with two conflicting accounts on the ease/difficulty of renewing a passport, I think it is a great example of why these forums just add to a person's confusion. Why not just call the authorities directly instead of posting to such website forums? Not just regarding this issue, but any legal issue.

Why trust anonymous and unauthoritative sources on something so important when one can just call the person in charge. The consequences of relying on bad information for legal issues is huge.

If a person were in Canada and their health care card of driver's license were going to expire, would you post a message to a chatroom on how to renew it? I think you'd just call the government office.

I know that I used to hold some wonderful hope that there are authoritative legal voices on the Dave's ESL forums, but I found out that there aren't any.

[moot point]

Already a number of conflicting responses. Heck, it sounds like we all work for the government or something where nobody actually knows the true answer.

Anyway, here is yet another response with regards to your Japanese visa and re-entry permit.

I was told to just carry both passports with me when I travel (i.e. the new and old one). I could easily return back to Japan by showing the immigration officials my valid re-entry permit in my expired passport. It worked in the past, I don't know about now.

[chirp]

wangtesol,

As with everything I find on the Internet, I take it with a grain of salt, not as gospel.

What I personally appreciate about Dave' ESL cafe is that the discussion inspires me to look at things in new ways or to consider a possibility that hadn't occurred to me. That, and sometimes it is just plain entertaining!

I ask for suggestions here, just as I would ask a friend's opinion about which movie to see. I won't necessarily take their advice but I value their opinion.

[Gordon]

You can travel with 2 passports (one expired and the other current). You will have to until the visa is transferred over.
I would renew early if you're in canada and have less than a year remaining. It is easier in Canada AND you will get a bar code put in the passport if renewed in Canada. If you renew in Japan, then they there is no bar code. The bar code simplifies things when you go through immigration.

[canuck]

[zander7990]

actually, i found it to be easy. i had them send me the forms i needed and filled them out at home. then went to the tokyo office and handed them in and paid while they checked my IDs. in about a week, i got my new passport.

then went to the immigration office and filled out another form, handed it in, waited and then got back both passports and the visa in the new one. of course, afterwards, you still need to go to the ward office and have your alien reg. changed to your new passport number. but everything was relatively simple and no hassle.

hope this helps

[Willy_In_Japan]

Jeez, a birth certificate? You are kidding......I left mine at my Dad's house in Canada.

[craven]

Yup, they're not kiddin gabout that...I just went through one HELL of an ordeal ordering a replacement birth certificate from Canada because I lost my old one. Unless you have grounds for expedited service (ie plane tickets, wedding, funeral, etc), it takes them forever to process those things.
The good news is that if you are getting down to the wire and don't have the proper documents, the embassy can issue you a temporary one year permit. Don't know about the embassy in Tokyo, but the consulate in Osaka has been FANTASTIC every time I've dealt with them. Even did an emergency extension of 3 months for me because my BC hadn't come in time and i was about to go on vacation with less than 6 months on my passport!
Talk to the consulate...they're good folks.
ps. I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on ESLcafe...

[canuck]