Wow, I've lived in Japan for 4 years on a spousal visa and recently got my permanent visa. I just asked my wife and we didn't have to go through a lot of the difficult stuff that you did. I'm really kind of surprised. My wife says that we got lucky though, but if they had asked for the extra info like pictures and things that we would have had to provide it. Good video for people who haven't gone through the process. Nice work.
We did all that 13 years ago for Fumi's Oz spouse visa, it took 2 years lol...she's still a Japanese citizen, so although she can't vote, she can reside in either country for as long as she likes which is pretty cool : )
I think meeting people online is very common these days...so you shouldn't feel embarrassed, well maybe just a little bit...haha just joking! ;) who cares how you met anyway as long as you're happy!! :D
You didn't mention, after three years of continuous residence in Japan (five if not married to a Japanese National) you will be eligible to apply for Japanese citizenship, however because Japan does not recognize dual citizenship, if you are accepted, you will be expected to give up your existing citizenship. If nothing else, at least you will no longer have to continually reapply to extend your existing visa.
@John3285 Thanks!! Yes there are a lot of things i didnt mention. At the time i was trying to keep it narrowed down to just that one visa (coz it was a group project) but, there is also the permanent resident visa which you can apply for after a certain amount of time and that one also does not need to be renewed and you may keep your foreign citizenship (just cant vote in japan), i believe. the video response to this video talks about that. THanks again!! :)
@John3285 That is not entirely correct. You should check this. An immigration Lawyer in Tokyo told me that after 10 years on a marriage visa you can apply for Permanent Residency (still cant vote). After 20 years you can petition for Naturalization (then you can vote and if you commit a crime etc. you wont be deported).
@MeriiKiyo Oh my that is awful!!!! I remember how horrible that separation feeling is. I experienced it before marriage and that was awful enough. cant imagine being a newly wed and facing it!! Hope you never have to be apart again!!!
SO you actually managed to marry a guy, wow I thought the male representatives of their species had given up on love and sex and that sorta annoying business :D. Just kidding :p, though I hear that's some serious stuff. Anyway I'm Happy for you and I wish you all the best in your new life in Japan!
@NqkoisitamBG hahaha I married the exception to the rule in so many ways HA!!! he acts more Western than i do in a lot of ways. maybe coz he went to highschool in the usa and college in china. when we married he had spent a good part of his life abroad! and has visited just about EVERYWHERE> makes me so jealous >;(
@Emo0Yaoi0Kage but it's embarassingggggg hahahahaha (we met on an online site designed for meeting folks. the name of the site is too horrible embarrassing to write, but they would probably pay us to be spokes people for it hahahaha)
@5arah1 Please research SPOUSE OF PERMANENT RESIDENT VISA in google. apparently it exists and is similar to the spouse of japanese national visa. but I have not researched it much myself :)
@gateauxQ oh but it is so embarrassing and we told a different story to his distant family coz of it being embarrassing hahahaha (met online....on a site designed for meeting) LOL. I might could do the 2nd part though!
@ProjectVanBand that is the truth, not the fake story. fake story is that we met in highschool. LOLOLOL hope his family doesnt learn english and doesnt find this page HAHA
Funny, I needed nothing. Serious, I went to the Japanese embassy in London, showed my marriage certificate plus birth certificates of both our kids and 5 min later I had my 3 year Japanese visa without paying the usual fee as the Netherlands has some sort of arrangement with Japan where a visa is free of charge.
@puckman It is usually very easy if you are from a favored and trusted country, have been married awhile, and esp if you have kids. It is shocking that you got it in 5 mins and without charge! nice!
I've got a question for you since you've been married for 6 years. Is it true that after 4 years of being married you can apply for permanent residence and even if you divorce you'll be able to keep the permanent resident status?
Also, do you know what happens if you cannot live at the same address as your spouse/husband due to the location of your workplace? (Like for example.. you have your letters and stuff registered to the same address as your husband/spouse but you have a 2nd apartment)
@getoutofmyband Many of the people who have commented here and have the resident visa say that you must be married for 10 years. I will be looking into that soon myself. I did not study other visas as I was only supposed to do this one for this project. But i do know that after you DO get the resident visa you keep it for life, regardless of marriage status. Please check out the video response above to hear from a guy who has the resident visa!
@getoutofmyband I know they dislike for you to live apart but if it were for a legitimate reason and you could prove it, it would probably be ok. You would want to document all your time together in pictures or anything possible for extra proof. I doubt they would check unless you are from an unfavored country or have unfavorable circumstances surrounding your marriage, but it never hurts to have extra backup. Best bet would be to call and ask just in case!
@getoutofmyband I just read on one page that it is 10 years to get the residency visa, but if you have a marriage visa for more than 3 years you can apply. i should have applied already then if that is the case. I am not sure how accurate or up to date the info is, but i do remember my lawyer suggesting it after 3 years. truth be told last time i renewed i was in a huge rush and didnt have time to try for residency. will next time.
ok here a question , what would happen , let's say you marry a japanese person , and you both buy a house , car, business or what ever, then you partner passes away can you stay or is it,, ok sell your stuff and get lost. thanks
@sleepup7931 Honestly i cant find any real data on this so far, but I am assuming that if you had roots (house, business etc) you could probably get some sort of visa as a special case. or if you had been married 10 years (or maybe even less depending on situation) then you could get a lifetime visa (resident visa). i am guessing that it is a gray area that is decided case by case. but im not sure! I guess one would have to just call and ask to find out coz info isnt online :(
Curious: did you get your visa in Tokyo? Some of this depends on who the immigration officer is and where you do it, too. My spouse visa was a snap. As soon as I had all the documents ready, we went and the only proof we submitted outside of the essay were a few photos over a time period and a housing contract. I got my visa three weeks later. My renewal took three days! I've never been visited, either.
@morethansushiLJ Yep, Tokyo, and i can see how it would matter about place too. We didnt get visited but ive read about a lot who have. We had a lot of hassle the first time coz we had JUST gotten married, so that matters too. ALso, it depends on country. folks from the usa or other favored countries should have a pretty easy time, esp if they:ve been married awhile or have kids. renewals and everything since has been easy for us. i think it was the short marriage time.
It's terrible that they put so many conditions on a spouse visa, I'm so glad that in Europe all you need is the marriage certificate and you get a visa for life, you would think in a country with an aging population they would be happy with legal immigration and try to make it as easy as possible to get young people in. USA was hard to get a visa when I was married to US citizen, you hear about illegal immigrants getting green cards and asylum seekers and it just makes no sense, no sense at all
@RealistReviewer Wow that is nice!!! I think they are trying to stop all the people who marry just for the visa, but it really makes things hard for legitimate marriages. I know just what you mean!! When we got my husband's greencard for the USA it was sooo shockingly hard!! They treated us like criminals! Even though I am a citizen with a perfect record...sigh. now when i hear about the greencards for illegals it angers me.....after all the hassle and insult we endured!
my mom had to go through the same stuff too when she married my american stepdad. we are from asia btw, i think they spent thousands of dollars just to do all that. must be alot of stress. gambatte ne~!^_^
@luciambp Uhhh!... that's a good question. Having Japanese kids.... I wonder if they will just kick me out our let me stay there. I'm still in the US but this stuff I need to know before we make our move.
@luciambp Honestly I am not sure, but i have thought about it, since it could apply to me. I am assuming that it is a gray area that is decided case by case. It would probably be decided based on age of any kids, time in japan, assets held, income and ability to support oneself, and such. You could probably get some sort of visa that way, as a special case perhaps. also you could stay for sure till your current visa expires. i cant find any specific info tho...
@GengoNoTabi It was nothing compared to getting my husband's USA greencard! Now THAT was a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE experience. I shudder at the sound of the USA EMBASSY in TOKYO.....*shudder*. Visa-acquiring is not fun...sigh.
Good info! I remember having to go through that... and I didn't have the spousal visa long when they told me I should just go ahead and apply for the permanent residence visa! Guess they got tired of seeing my pretty face... :) I was lucky in that the immigration place was small enough so that they came to recognize you... it must not be so easy for those in Tokyo or Nagoya.....
@LaJYankee Wow really? Was it hard to get the permanent resident visa? I'm a bit afraid of the language test that I *think* they give. cant get a solid answer on that though....I was thinking about applying next time.
@ProjectVanBand not at all just needed a few dozen more docs than for the spousal visa... :)... you do the same thing... apply for it at the same time you apply for your spousal visa renewal... if you've been here for 10 yrs or more constantly...shouldn't be a problem...
Wow, I've lived in Japan for 4 years on a spousal visa and recently got my permanent visa. I just asked my wife and we didn't have to go through a lot of the difficult stuff that you did. I'm really kind of surprised. My wife says that we got lucky though, but if they had asked for the extra info like pictures and things that we would have had to provide it. Good video for people who haven't gone through the process. Nice work.
JapanHDVideo 2 weeks ago
I will never give up! Anyone know if a single Japanese woman? Nana Tanamura is very much acceptable!
inuyashavsnaruto 1 month ago
We did all that 13 years ago for Fumi's Oz spouse visa, it took 2 years lol...she's still a Japanese citizen, so although she can't vote, she can reside in either country for as long as she likes which is pretty cool : )
MicknFumi 1 month ago
Get me a japanese wife and i will blah blh blah nevermind.
pandpinjapan 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I think meeting people online is very common these days...so you shouldn't feel embarrassed, well maybe just a little bit...haha just joking! ;) who cares how you met anyway as long as you're happy!! :D
userytl 1 month ago
Hahaaha!!! Screw the system!!! Dang! Hmmm... Funny video though!
edtomorrow 1 month ago
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userytl 1 month ago
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userytl 1 month ago
You didn't mention, after three years of continuous residence in Japan (five if not married to a Japanese National) you will be eligible to apply for Japanese citizenship, however because Japan does not recognize dual citizenship, if you are accepted, you will be expected to give up your existing citizenship. If nothing else, at least you will no longer have to continually reapply to extend your existing visa.
John3285 1 month ago
@John3285 Thanks!! Yes there are a lot of things i didnt mention. At the time i was trying to keep it narrowed down to just that one visa (coz it was a group project) but, there is also the permanent resident visa which you can apply for after a certain amount of time and that one also does not need to be renewed and you may keep your foreign citizenship (just cant vote in japan), i believe. the video response to this video talks about that. THanks again!! :)
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@John3285 That is not entirely correct. You should check this. An immigration Lawyer in Tokyo told me that after 10 years on a marriage visa you can apply for Permanent Residency (still cant vote). After 20 years you can petition for Naturalization (then you can vote and if you commit a crime etc. you wont be deported).
IbarakiStyle 4 weeks ago
It's a pain for visas, but well worth it in the end. Green card and citizenship in USA is a real pain. I know all about that. hehe
dreamofasiagirl 1 month ago
@dreamofasiagirl yes!! it was such a huge pain!!! the usa was the worst....ugh!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
2 days after I got married my visa expired and I had to go back to the US for almost 3 months. Talk about a nightmare!
MeriiKiyo 1 month ago
@MeriiKiyo Oh my that is awful!!!! I remember how horrible that separation feeling is. I experienced it before marriage and that was awful enough. cant imagine being a newly wed and facing it!! Hope you never have to be apart again!!!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@ProjectVanBand Thanks :)
MeriiKiyo 1 month ago
@MeriiKiyo how come, aren't you somehow bound to a permenant residence until you get the visa from your mariage?
Giroutte 1 month ago
@Giroutte In my case (and this particular country), marriage means nothing. It only makes it slightly easier to obtain a permanent resident visa.
MeriiKiyo 1 month ago
@MeriiKiyo That's a real shame :(
Giroutte 1 month ago
SO you actually managed to marry a guy, wow I thought the male representatives of their species had given up on love and sex and that sorta annoying business :D. Just kidding :p, though I hear that's some serious stuff. Anyway I'm Happy for you and I wish you all the best in your new life in Japan!
NqkoisitamBG 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
@NqkoisitamBG hahaha I married the exception to the rule in so many ways HA!!! he acts more Western than i do in a lot of ways. maybe coz he went to highschool in the usa and college in china. when we married he had spent a good part of his life abroad! and has visited just about EVERYWHERE> makes me so jealous >;(
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
You should totally do a video about you and your hubby how you met and stuff
Emo0Yaoi0Kage 1 month ago
@Emo0Yaoi0Kage but it's embarassingggggg hahahahaha (we met on an online site designed for meeting folks. the name of the site is too horrible embarrassing to write, but they would probably pay us to be spokes people for it hahahaha)
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
I wish someone on here in the community knew about getting married to a permanent resident. Not a national.
5arah1 1 month ago
@5arah1 Please research SPOUSE OF PERMANENT RESIDENT VISA in google. apparently it exists and is similar to the spouse of japanese national visa. but I have not researched it much myself :)
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
You should make a video about how you guys met, and how your husband's family reacted to you, how your family reacted to him etc :)
gateauxQ 1 month ago
@gateauxQ oh but it is so embarrassing and we told a different story to his distant family coz of it being embarrassing hahahaha (met online....on a site designed for meeting) LOL. I might could do the 2nd part though!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@ProjectVanBand that is the truth, not the fake story. fake story is that we met in highschool. LOLOLOL hope his family doesnt learn english and doesnt find this page HAHA
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@ProjectVanBand Wow it's that embarassing?? Then you MUST tell us! I'm dying of curiosity now
gateauxQ 1 month ago
Funny, I needed nothing. Serious, I went to the Japanese embassy in London, showed my marriage certificate plus birth certificates of both our kids and 5 min later I had my 3 year Japanese visa without paying the usual fee as the Netherlands has some sort of arrangement with Japan where a visa is free of charge.
puckman 1 month ago
@puckman It is usually very easy if you are from a favored and trusted country, have been married awhile, and esp if you have kids. It is shocking that you got it in 5 mins and without charge! nice!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
I've got a question for you since you've been married for 6 years. Is it true that after 4 years of being married you can apply for permanent residence and even if you divorce you'll be able to keep the permanent resident status?
Also, do you know what happens if you cannot live at the same address as your spouse/husband due to the location of your workplace? (Like for example.. you have your letters and stuff registered to the same address as your husband/spouse but you have a 2nd apartment)
getoutofmyband 1 month ago
@getoutofmyband Many of the people who have commented here and have the resident visa say that you must be married for 10 years. I will be looking into that soon myself. I did not study other visas as I was only supposed to do this one for this project. But i do know that after you DO get the resident visa you keep it for life, regardless of marriage status. Please check out the video response above to hear from a guy who has the resident visa!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@getoutofmyband I know they dislike for you to live apart but if it were for a legitimate reason and you could prove it, it would probably be ok. You would want to document all your time together in pictures or anything possible for extra proof. I doubt they would check unless you are from an unfavored country or have unfavorable circumstances surrounding your marriage, but it never hurts to have extra backup. Best bet would be to call and ask just in case!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@getoutofmyband I just read on one page that it is 10 years to get the residency visa, but if you have a marriage visa for more than 3 years you can apply. i should have applied already then if that is the case. I am not sure how accurate or up to date the info is, but i do remember my lawyer suggesting it after 3 years. truth be told last time i renewed i was in a huge rush and didnt have time to try for residency. will next time.
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@ProjectVanBand Thank you so much for all the information, your video and the replies have been very helpful. :)
getoutofmyband 1 month ago
ok here a question , what would happen , let's say you marry a japanese person , and you both buy a house , car, business or what ever, then you partner passes away can you stay or is it,, ok sell your stuff and get lost. thanks
sleepup7931 1 month ago in playlist Japan Vlogs
@sleepup7931 Honestly i cant find any real data on this so far, but I am assuming that if you had roots (house, business etc) you could probably get some sort of visa as a special case. or if you had been married 10 years (or maybe even less depending on situation) then you could get a lifetime visa (resident visa). i am guessing that it is a gray area that is decided case by case. but im not sure! I guess one would have to just call and ask to find out coz info isnt online :(
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@ProjectVanBand thank you for the quick response.
sleepup7931 1 month ago
Curious: did you get your visa in Tokyo? Some of this depends on who the immigration officer is and where you do it, too. My spouse visa was a snap. As soon as I had all the documents ready, we went and the only proof we submitted outside of the essay were a few photos over a time period and a housing contract. I got my visa three weeks later. My renewal took three days! I've never been visited, either.
morethansushiLJ 1 month ago
@morethansushiLJ Yep, Tokyo, and i can see how it would matter about place too. We didnt get visited but ive read about a lot who have. We had a lot of hassle the first time coz we had JUST gotten married, so that matters too. ALso, it depends on country. folks from the usa or other favored countries should have a pretty easy time, esp if they:ve been married awhile or have kids. renewals and everything since has been easy for us. i think it was the short marriage time.
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
It's terrible that they put so many conditions on a spouse visa, I'm so glad that in Europe all you need is the marriage certificate and you get a visa for life, you would think in a country with an aging population they would be happy with legal immigration and try to make it as easy as possible to get young people in. USA was hard to get a visa when I was married to US citizen, you hear about illegal immigrants getting green cards and asylum seekers and it just makes no sense, no sense at all
RealistReviewer 1 month ago
@RealistReviewer Wow that is nice!!! I think they are trying to stop all the people who marry just for the visa, but it really makes things hard for legitimate marriages. I know just what you mean!! When we got my husband's greencard for the USA it was sooo shockingly hard!! They treated us like criminals! Even though I am a citizen with a perfect record...sigh. now when i hear about the greencards for illegals it angers me.....after all the hassle and insult we endured!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
my mom had to go through the same stuff too when she married my american stepdad. we are from asia btw, i think they spent thousands of dollars just to do all that. must be alot of stress. gambatte ne~!^_^
lilacs6lolita 1 month ago
@lilacs6lolita It really is a hassle! and expensive for sure....Getting his USA greencard was the worst!!!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
And what if foreigen women became a widow? What then?
luciambp 1 month ago
@luciambp Uhhh!... that's a good question. Having Japanese kids.... I wonder if they will just kick me out our let me stay there. I'm still in the US but this stuff I need to know before we make our move.
Laura17T 1 month ago
@luciambp Honestly I am not sure, but i have thought about it, since it could apply to me. I am assuming that it is a gray area that is decided case by case. It would probably be decided based on age of any kids, time in japan, assets held, income and ability to support oneself, and such. You could probably get some sort of visa that way, as a special case perhaps. also you could stay for sure till your current visa expires. i cant find any specific info tho...
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
Wow! I never would have guessed that you had to validate your marriage over and over again. That's kind of a shame.
GengoNoTabi 1 month ago
@GengoNoTabi It was nothing compared to getting my husband's USA greencard! Now THAT was a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE experience. I shudder at the sound of the USA EMBASSY in TOKYO.....*shudder*. Visa-acquiring is not fun...sigh.
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
Good info! I remember having to go through that... and I didn't have the spousal visa long when they told me I should just go ahead and apply for the permanent residence visa! Guess they got tired of seeing my pretty face... :) I was lucky in that the immigration place was small enough so that they came to recognize you... it must not be so easy for those in Tokyo or Nagoya.....
LaJYankee 1 month ago
@LaJYankee Wow really? Was it hard to get the permanent resident visa? I'm a bit afraid of the language test that I *think* they give. cant get a solid answer on that though....I was thinking about applying next time.
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
@ProjectVanBand not at all just needed a few dozen more docs than for the spousal visa... :)... you do the same thing... apply for it at the same time you apply for your spousal visa renewal... if you've been here for 10 yrs or more constantly...shouldn't be a problem...
LaJYankee 1 month ago
@LaJYankee I see! Ive held a spouse visa for 7 years, so i guess i need to wait another 3 then! thanks!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago
@ProjectVanBand oh yeah... never had a language test... unless they have one now... *shudder*
LaJYankee 1 month ago
@LaJYankee YAY!!! i hope it hasnt changed! thanks again!
ProjectVanBand 1 month ago