Visitor visa convert to dependant visa

Hello! My wife who is in japan on a engineering/humanitarian visa for 3 years has applied for my COE and it has been 2 months already with no updates.

I wanted to check if I would be able to travel to Japan on a tourist or a visitor visa and once the COE arrives while I'm in Japan would I be able to convert the tourist/visitor visa into a dependent visa in Japan without having to come back to my country to have it changed again?

If the COE is issued to your country, you need to go to the embassy in your country to use that COE to get your visa which gives you the permission to work in Japan. They can't send send the COE to you in Japan if you happen to be in Japan during the time it's issued. You still need to go to the embassy in your home country.

I am not fully familiar with how the immigration authorities are dealing with it lately.

I have heard that they allow family members (�gspouse�h or �gdependent�h status applicants) to apply for �gchange of resident status�h from �gtemporary status�h (visitor) to the family-based resident status while in Japan, under �gspecial circumstances.�h And �gspecial circumstances�h seem to include the situation that the applicant happens to be already in Japan, so that going back to their home country to go through the CoE to visa process would be too cumbersome.

But I also know that the immigration authorities do prefer what they consider the �gproper path,�h which is to wait it out in your home country till you get your CoE, apply for a visa in your country, and then come to Japan.


One thing you might have to keep in mind is that at times getting the CoE takes quite some time, that even if you decide to come as a �gtemporary visitor�h (I don�ft know your nationality so I don�ft know how long of a �gtemporary visitor�h stay you can get), you could run out of time (meaning the CoE doesn�ft get issued before the end of your temporary visitor stay) that you might have to go back to your country anyways.
Best wishes.

Thank you Adam and Tom. I'm from India and I am eligible for a 90 day temporary visitors visa so there's a good chance the COE would come while I'm in Japan.

I was thinking about going this route and have the temporary visitors visa change to a dependent in Japan rather than wait for the coe to come which by all accounts takes anywhere between 2-6 months from the reports in this forum.

Hope to hear your thoughts on this thank you!

Hello Ahmed,
I am in a same situation. i am already in Japan and have applied for my Wife COE 1.5 months ago. I am also checking if i can call her on Visitor/ Tourist Visa and after COE is available change to Dependent visa. But i am not able to get proper information on it.