Quote:
Originally Posted by Tsuwabuki
You can tell Korea you're doing a visa run for Japan, or tell Japan you're doing a visa run for Korea, but I wouldn't do it without the proper documentation. If you're just getting tourist visas in both countries, I would tell the Japanese immigration official that there is one or two more things in the country you want to see that you didn't get to see while you were there.
However, if that is the case, you will need one of the following:
1) return ticket
2) itinerary showing what you plan to do in Japan, and when you plan to leave, and by what means. Travel agencies can do this for you, even if you plan to wait to purchase the return ticket.
3) Massive amounts of cash showing you will not be a burden for your estimated time in Japan
4) Some other proof of intent to leave
I lived in Korea for six months and maintained residency, officially, while working on my visa process for Japan. I came in and out fairly easily due to Korean residency requirements- lose your job, you lose your residency. My job in Korea had been bilking the Korean IRS and did not want it known, so they never reported the fact that I quit. As far as Japanese immigration was concerned, I had residency in Korea, which proved I had little intent to remain in Japan, so number four. This wasn't true, but I never told the officials that it was. It was a case of the officials seeing what they wanted to see.
Nyororin, it had changed, but according to MOFA, companies had begun to abuse the status change by having people work on tourist visas while waiting for the COE. This is why in July 2008, they returned to their original policy.
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I actually thought it was possible for the immigration officers to look up and see any pending applications in process. If I say what you told me to say, and they look on the computer and see I have a COE in process, I could end up in deep deep trouble.