Spouse Visa

MMM · (#1 (**permalink**))

This was asked of me, but I didn't have a good answer, but maybe someone here does.

Can a person get a spouse visa for Japan if their spouse is a Japanese citizen, but they don't live in Japan on a permanent basis?

What is the process to initiate the spouse visa? Can it be done at a consulate or embassy outside of Japan?

Tsuwabuki · (#2 (**permalink**))

Spouse ("applicant") of a Japanese national:

Documents certifying that the applicant is the spouse of the Japanese national (marriage certificate etc.) and his or her resident card.

Documents certifying the profession and the income of the applicant or his or her spouse.

A letter of guarantee by a person living in Japan.

The application for this visa can be carried out in Japan or abroad although application would generally be from within Japan. It is possible to change to this visa from other visa types (on completion of the standard application process). If the child of a Japanese national, the Japanese parent does not have to be in Japan, but a guarantor in Japan is necessary. In the case of a spousal visa, it is unlikely to be awarded if the Japanese spouse is not resident in Japan. The visa is for a maximum of 3 years. There are no restrictions on activities (i.e. you can legally work on this visa).

MMM · (#3 (**permalink**))

So the spouse does not have to be the guarantor in Japan...

Tsuwabuki · (#4 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMM

So the spouse does not have to be the guarantor in Japan...

Think that's just for a dependent child.

I don't think there is a spouse visa. Just a dependent (of sorts) visa. Could be a spouse or a child, but the visa is the same for either. Calling it a "spouse" visa is just a colloquialism.

Here, this explains it in detail:

Hanami Web - Spouse Visa

Nyororin · (#5 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMM

So the spouse does not have to be the guarantor in Japan...

The guarantor for my first spouse visa was my husband`s father. All that was required was a Japanese resident with sufficient income.

MMM · (#6 (**permalink**))

Aha, it's an dependent visa...and the spouse's parent living in Japan can be the guarantor, even if the spouse cannot.

Thank you for the information.

sarasi · (#7 (**permalink**))

Does the couple involved plan to live in Japan in the near future? If not, I kind of doubt that the visa would be granted. The purpose of a spouse visa is to allow the spouse of a Japanese national to reside with them in Japan. Japan Immigration tends to be very suspicious of married couples who don't live together, so I think they would probably have a lot of questions for someone applying for a spouse visa in order to go to Japan when the Japanese spouse does not currently live in Japan, or plan to in the near future.

If the person applying could convince Immigration that they were both about to move to Japan it might work I suppose.

sarasi · (#8 (**permalink**))

The name of the visa, incidentally, is "Spouse or Child of a Japanese national"- that's what it says in my passport! A dependent visa is for the spouse of child of a non-Japanese resident in Japan.

MMM · (#9 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarasi

Does the couple involved plan to live in Japan in the near future? If not, I kind of doubt that the visa would be granted. The purpose of a spouse visa is to allow the spouse of a Japanese national to reside with them in Japan. Japan Immigration tends to be very suspicious of married couples who don't live together, so I think they would probably have a lot of questions for someone applying for a spouse visa in order to go to Japan when the Japanese spouse does not currently live in Japan, or plan to in the near future.

If the person applying could convince Immigration that they were both about to move to Japan it might work I suppose.

No, but intend on doing extended visits that could be longer than 90 days, and the idea that the husband would have to leave seemed silly if he could get a one-year spouse visa (or dependent visa...or however you want to call it).

They live together, but their permanent residence is in the US. The wife does have an address in Japan (her parents' house), and her parents could be guarantors.

sarasi · (#10 (**permalink**))

It could be worth a try, but as I said above, the spouse visa is for someone who wishes to reside in Japan with their Japanese spouse, so if it is any way obvious to officials that the person wishes to use it just for extended visits to Japan when the spouse is not there, I would say there is a strong possibility of it not being granted. Can a Japanese person living outside Japan get a juuminhyou, I wonder?