Thorough explanation of the basics of the spouse of Japanese National visa! 3 Steps to Application and Screening Points

How do I get a spouse visa?

Is this a visa I must get even if I already have another one?

Many people may have these questions when they decide to get married internationally to a partner living abroad.

A spouse visa is a visa required for foreign nationals to live together in the spouse's country.

The procedures are complicated, and the strict screening process makes it difficult for everyone to obtain one.

Depending on the application process and the two people's circumstances, obtaining a spouse visa may be challenging. Therefore, after acquiring basic knowledge of the spouse visa, if you find it tough to apply independently, it is advisable to ask a professional such as an administrative scrivener (行政書士) to assist you.

This article explains the basic knowledge that those who wish to obtain a spouse visa should know.

By reading to the end, you will know exactly how to obtain a spouse visa.

1.What is a spouse visa? Basic knowledge to keep in mind

First, we will provide the basic knowledge you need to obtain a spouse visa.

Let's look at each in more detail

1-1. What is a spouse visa?

A spouse visa is a status of residence required for foreign nationals to live together in the country of their spouse.

The official name of the spouse visa in Japan is "Spouse or Child of Japanese National", sometimes commonly referred to as a "marriage visa."

Let's look at an example to get an idea of what a spouse visa looks like.

When a Japanese man and a woman of foreign nationality get married, the wife-to-be is officially allowed to stay in Japan by obtaining a Japanese spouse visa.

1-2. Period of stay with a spouse visa

The period of stay in Japan on a spouse visa is one of the following

When an applicant applies for a spouse visa, the Immigration and Residency Management Agency, a specialized agency, checks various information such as the applicant's family structure and household income to determine the period of stay.

Therefore, even if the same spouse visa is obtained, the period of stay will vary from person to person.

In order to extend the period of stay, you must go through the process of renewing your spouse visa.

In addition, in order to obtain permanent resident status, the couple must have been married for at least three years and must have stayed in Japan for at least one consecutive year.

1-3. Costs for issuing a spouse visa

There are no fees or other costs associated with the issuance of a spouse visa, with the exception of renewal or switching from another visa.

However, the spouse visa procedure is difficult, and many people ask professionals such as administrative scriveners to apply on their behalf.

In such cases, a request fee to be paid to the administrative scrivener is required.

1-4. Difference between a work visa and a student visa

The Japanese spouse visa is more privileged in many ways than other visa statuses, such as the work visa and college student visa.

The following table compares the characteristics of spouse, work, and college student visas.

It can be seen that the spouse visa provides more flexibility in living in Japan than the other visas.

Therefore, even if you have already obtained another visa, it is recommended that you switch to a spouse visa if you intend to marry a Japanese national.

2. How to apply for a spouse visa

There are two main ways to apply for a spouse visa: by yourself or ask a professional for assistance.

This section describes the application process in the following order, if you wish to do the entire procedure yourself.

2-1. What is required for application

First, you will need to prepare the necessary documents to apply for a spouse visa.

Check out the following list, categorized by "items to be prepared by both spouses," "items to be prepared by the foreign spouse," and "items to be prepared by the Japanese spouse.

In addition to the above, additional documents may be requested during the screening process.

For more information, please see this article, which also details how to obtain the documents.

2-2. Application Process

Once you have all the necessary items, it is time to begin the application process.

The process of applying for a spouse visa is the following three steps.

We will discuss exactly what to do in each step.

2-2-1. Submission of Required Documents

First, submit the documents mentioned in "2-1. Necessary documents for application" to the "Immigration and Residency Management Agency" that has jurisdiction over the area where the Japanese spouse resides.

Check the official website of the Immigration and Immigration Control Agency for the administrative office in your area and apply at the counter.

In addition to the documents you have prepared, you may be asked to submit additional documents, so it is recommended that you start preparing about a month in advance to allow plenty of time.

2-2-2. Examination by the Immigration and Immigration Control Agency

The Immigration Office will then review the contents of the submitted documents.

The examination will check the following main points.

In particular, the number of who obtain a spouse visa only for the purpose of obtaining a Japanese visa is increasing every year, and the Immigration and Immigration Control Agency's scrutiny is very severe.

Even if a couple wants to get married for legitimate reasons, there is a good chance that they will not be granted permission if their documents are incomplete or suspicious.

2-2-3. Notification of Results

Three weeks to two months after the application is submitted, the applicant will be notified of the results of the review.

Once permission is successfully granted, the applicant residing abroad will come to Japan with the "Certificate of Eligibility" that was mailed to him/her.

A spouse visa is issued by the Immigration Office and the procedure is successfully completed.

If permission is not granted, there is no appeal to the Immigration and Residence Management Agency, and the documents must be prepared again from the beginning.

2-3. Application fees

The cost of applying for a spouse visa varies greatly depending on whether you apply on your own or hire a professional to do it for you.

When requesting an administrative scrivener to apply on your behalf, the price will vary depending on how much you do yourself and how much you ask of the professionals, as shown in the fee breakdown below.

Price quotes by request type

・3.It is recommended to leave the spouse visa procedure to professionals instead of doing it yourself.

Although there is little or no cost for the spouse visa process if you do it on your own, this article recommends that you ask an administrative scrivener, a professional in this field, to handle the process on your behalf.

This is because applying for a spouse visa is a very difficult process that even professionals cannot easily handle.

While many people try to do it themselves to keep costs down, it is often more complicated than expected and they end up falling behind in the process.

Even if you manage to finish submitting the documents, if they do not pass the screening, you are back to square one.

The market cost of requesting an administrative scrivener to apply for a spouse visa on your behalf is high, ranging from approximately 50,000 to 150,000 yen.

However, if you are going to ask a professional to do it for you after you have made mistakes, such as failing to get permission from an application you have already submitted, it would be wise to leave it to the professionals from the beginning, even if you have to pay a high fee.

4.How to Renew a Spouse Visa

Once a person is able to obtain a spouse visa, they must go through the renewal process when the permitted period of stay is about to expire.

Here are the steps for renewing a spouse visa in the following order.

4-1. What is required for renewal

First, you will need to prepare the documents required to renew your spouse visa, which are listed below.

Although the number of documents to be prepared is less than for the initial application, additional documents may be requested during the screening process.

To learn more, please see this article on general spouse visa renewal.

4-2. Renewal Process

The renewal process is below:

The three steps are almost the same as for a regular spouse visa application.

If permission is granted by the Immigration and Residency Management Agency, the period of stay will be renewed successfully.

The review process takes 2 weeks~1 month, which is somewhat shorter than the initial application process.

4-3. Cost for renewal

The estimated costs for renewing a spouse visa are as follows

• ・If you do everything yourself: about 6,000-7,000 yen (cost of issuing documents + fees)
• ・When requesting an administrative scrivener: 15,000-60,000 yen (varies depending on the extent of the request)

Although a fee is required compared to issuing a spouse visa for the first time, the fee for a professional visa is lower because fewer documents are required to be prepared.

Price quotes by request type

4-4. Notes on renewal

When renewing a spouse visa, it is important to submit the necessary documents as soon as possible.

Application for renewal can be made 3 months prior to the expiration of the period of stay.

If you miss the deadline by even one day, you will become an illegal overstayer and will be forced to leave the country and will not be allowed to enter Japan for a certain period of time.

Also, just because you were approved the first time does not necessarily mean you will be approved for renewal.

We recommend that you prepare well in advance to ensure that your spouse visa can be renewed without any issues.

5.Key points of the examination criteria for a spouse visa

The following is an explanation of the key points of the criteria for the spouse visa, in the order listed below.

Please check carefully to ensure that you pass the strict screening process and successfully obtain a spouse visa.

5-1. What are the criteria for a spouse visa?

When applying for a spouse visa, a major point of examination is whether or not the marriage is a sham.

The Immigration and Residence Management Agency has established the following examination criteria for the "application for issuance of a certificate of eligibility" required for the issuance of a spouse visa.

The applicant's activities are not false.

The applicant's activities and status must meet the criteria set forth in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.

In other words, in the case of a spouse visa, the main criterion for examination is that "the marital relationship with the partner is not a false one.

5-2. Cases that may not be screened

If the applicant deviates from the criteria established by the Immigration and Immigration Control Agency, the application will not be approved and will be "rejected".

Specifically, the following cases are considered likely to be disapproved

■Large age difference between husband and wife

In these cases, in order to reduce the probability of disapproval, a separate document must be prepared to show that the marriage is official.

5-3. What happens if I fail the screening?

If the application is not approved and is rejected, the applicant must investigate the cause of the rejection, reformulate the documents, and reapply.

The following two points are at issue here.

Although it is possible to inquire with the Immigration and Immigration Control Agency about the cause of the disapproval, they cannot give you advice on how to make it easier to obtain a permit.

If the resubmitted documents are at variance with previous applications, or if the applicant's situation is far outside the screening criteria in the first place, the reapplication may not be approved and the effort may have been wasted.

If you are concerned about your application, consulting with a professional from the beginning would be more efficient.

6. What to do in such a case? Q&A on Spouse Visa by Situation

Finally, "What should I do in a case like this?" Q&A on individual cases such as "What should I do in such a case?

Check out any that are similar to your situation.

6-1. Q. If you already live in Japan and have another visa

・ Apply for "permission for change of status of residence" to obtain a spouse visa

If you already have other visas, such as a work visa or a student visa, you should go through the process of switching to a spouse visa.

Summary of Procedures for Change of Status of Residence

Switching from other visas to a spouse visa has advantages such as eliminating restrictions on working hours and making it easier to obtain permanent residence.

6-2. Q. If your income is low and you are worried about being approved

・ Add "proof of non-bankruptcy of household finances" documents to the application.

If the couple's income is low, the application may not be approved on the grounds that there are concerns about the stability and continuity of the marriage.

In these cases, it is necessary to prove that the family will be able to continue living without financial ruin after the marriage.

There are two specific methods

However, it is important to keep in mind that both methods only "reduce the risk of disapproval" and that the factor of low income is likely to work against you in the screening process.

6-3. Q. If something comes up during the documentation process that I don't understand

・ Contact a specialized consultation service.

Various documents are required for the spouse visa application process.

Therefore, during the preparation stage, there is always a sense of anxiety, such as, "I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do, even though I looked it up on the Internet.

If you want to ask questions or consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about your visa application, you can use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Visa Information, the consultation service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

However, the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Visa Information" is a window that accepts clerical questions about procedures, so it is not possible to ask for advice on how to make it easier to pass the examination.

If you have a complicated question or consultation, it is better to ask an administrative scrivener who is a professional in this field.

Samurai Immigration Law Firm offers a free online consultation to diagnose whether your visa application will be approved.

If you would like a quick consultation regarding spouse visa screening, etc., please use this service.

>> Apply for a free online consultation

7. Summary

Finally, here is a review of the key points of this article.

■Basic Knowledge of Spouse Visa

What is a spouse visa: A status of residence required for foreign nationals to live together in the country of their spouse.

Differences from work and student visas: There are no restrictions on working hours or type of work, and there are fewer hurdles to becoming a permanent resident or naturalized citizen.

. Period of stay with spouse visa: 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years.

Cost for issuing a spouse visa: No fee is charged for issuance (4,000-yen fee is charged for renewal or changeover).

How to apply for a spouse visa

Application Process

STEP1. Submission of required documents

STEP2. Examination by the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Agency

STEP3. Notification of results

→You will be notified of the results in about 3 weeks to 2 months from the time of application.

→Come to Japan with the "Certificate of Eligibility" that will be mailed to you and can be issued a spouse visa.

Application fees

If done on your own: 2,000 to 3,000 yen

If you request support from an administrative scrivener: 50,000-150,000 yen

→ Fees vary depending on the extent to which they are left to professionals.

How to Renew a Spouse Visa

• ・Application for Certificate of Eligibility
• ・photographic portrait
• ・Passport (presentation only)
• ・Residence card (presentation only)
• ・official copy of the family register
• ・Resident tax payment certificate
• ・personal reference
• ・certified copy of certificate of residence

Renewal Process

STEP1. Submission of required documents

STEP2. Examination by the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Agency

STEP3. Notification of results

→You will be notified of the results in about 2 weeks to 1 month from the time of application.

Cost of renewal

If done on your own: 6,000-7,000 yen

If you request support from an administrative scrivener: 15,000-60,000 yen

Note on renewal.

Submit as soon as possible

→Renewal procedures can be completed 3 months prior to the expiration date.

→If you miss the deadline by even one day, you are in the country illegally and could be deported.

■ Key points of the examination criteria for a spouse visa

Criteria for spouse visa: Marital status is not false and official.

Cases that may not be screened out: too short a period of dating, large age difference, etc.

If you fail the examination: clarify the reason for the disapproval, redraft and resubmit the documents.

→I recommend leaving it to the professionals to make sure there are no shortcomings in the documents.

■Q&A by Situation

If you already live in Japan and have another visa: "Application for permission to change status of residence".

If your income is low and you are worried about being approved: Obtain "proof of balance" from your financial institution.

If you have any questions while preparing documents: use the consultation service "Visa Information" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

We hope the information in this article will help you obtain a spouse visa successfully.