Australian with American fiance in Japan

My fiance is based in Japan, he is in the US Military and I am an Australian Citizen, I want to move to Japan to be with him within the next few months but like a previous woman from Australia wrote I am 31 and am not eligible for a working visa and do not have any qualifications and do not wish to study, I looked through archives and could not find any relating questions previously posted.

1) Is there any other visa I can enter on other than a 90 visa such as a fiance visa?

2) would I have to go through the USA immigration as he is a US citizen?

Please can someone help, I am coming up with nothing!

Unfortunately, your searches are coming up empty because there is no fiance visa.

Since you're already engaged, why not just get married sooner? Then you can qualify for SOFA status (if the commander approves it) and move to Japan.

Your other option is to just come on a tourist visa until you get married.

You only deal with US Immigration if you are planning on moving to the US.

As mentioned, either get married sooner and come to Japan under SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) Status with him, or come to Japan for an intial 90 day temporary visitor status and get married sometime within that three months, then apply through the military for you to get SOFA status.

Other then the temporary visitor status, SOFA status is handled mainly through the US authorities.

Thanks Po, ok i get the no fiance visa, but I can only really come to Japan on a 90 Day tourist visa once and perhaps extend if I have a good enough reason without the Japanese immigration asking me questions, is there no other way????????

Thanks John, our relationship is still to young to step into marriage just yet so at the moment thats not a possiblity, Is there any other way?

Eliana,

If you are Australian, the Temporary Visitor (aka Tourist) visa is for 90 days. This cannot be extended except in extreme emergencies, so you would have to leave the country and re-enter. A lot of people do this for various reasons, but obviously Immigration is more likely to ask more probing questions if you are making repeated extended visits on a tourist visa.

our relationship is still to young to step into marriage just yet so at the moment thats not a possiblity,

But aren't you engaged to get married?

Is there any other way?

All your options have been explained here and in the other similar thead here.
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+46811

Passport holders from Australia, are allowed 90 days visa free. From my understanding for Australians no 90 day extension is possible. So you have to be up and out at 90 days. You can of course attempt a short run to Korea and return for another 90 days, however Immigration might wonder whats up with that.

Notwithstanding I hope he's not going to be stationed in Okinawa, they have imposed a new curfew were all members must stay on base at the moment. Not sure what the status of allowing non military or government workers in the base is.

thanks Dave, yes we have just gotten engaged with the understanding we will have at least one year of this engagement and not rush into marriage for the sake of having me stay here, marriage for comittment and love not for as they say a "Green Card"

Thanks Po, ok i get the no fiance visa, but I can only really come to Japan on a 90 Day tourist visa once and perhaps extend if I have a good enough reason without the Japanese immigration asking me questions, is there no other way????????

Well your options are tourist visa for 90 days, student visa, marry and qualify for SOFA status. If you are are not ready to get married and don't want to study then yes, this is the only way.

More info on immigration here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2221.html

our relationship is still to young to step into marriage just yet so at the moment thats not a possiblity

But aren't you already engaged? Doesn't that signify that your relationship has progressed to the point that you are ready to get married?

But you're already engaged and his fiance? Thats a good point to bring up. So you're engaged but not committed?

oops, sorry for just mirroring what everyone else said, I took too long to post.

Anyway, looks like your only option then will be to stay for 90 days and then attempt a visa run.

Why not consider enrolling in classes to qualify for a student visa? Otherwise what else will you be doing with your time? At least you can learn something in the process, and stay for an extended period of time. Even full time study can be only a few hours a day.

John,

Yes we are committed however we dont want to be another couple who rushes into marriage because its what we have to do to get me to stay here, and wake up oneday and realise we went to fast, marriage is a lifetime and should not be rushed..

I was going to go on a long thing about that statement there and about you to already engaged, but that would be going off topic.

Anycase whatever the reason, you'll have 90 days to think about it if you come to Japan as a temporary visitor.

What qualifications do you have?
You can't get a regular work-visa?

Thanks for not going further on the topic, i think everyone is different, I dont have any formal qualifications or degrees, I have worked in Retail and the Financial Industry to do with Retirement Funds, and am over 30 so a working visa is not applicable for me. Perhaps I might need to look into Studying something here for me to stay here under a Student Visa?

Eliana, you should keep an eye on this thread as it seems similar to your situation:

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+46811

Hi Eliana, Looks like we are having the same type of problems, who would have thought us aussies would be old in our early 30's, this makes it difficult to be able to work in Japan doesnt it? I agree with you about marriage I would not rush into marriage just to stay here, you dont want to make a decision that your not ready for, being engaged does not mean your ready right away to get married.

Good luck and if I find a way to work and live in Japan I will let you know!

Your age being over 30 is relevant only in that that you are no longer eligible for "Working HOLIDAY Visa," not for regular work-permitting (what everyone calls) working visas, which there are different types of.

But we have already established that neither of them has a degree or sufficient experience in any particular field, which effectively rules out any kind of working visa.

Sorry, Sira, I had not read Tracy's thread. But anyway I did not want anyone reading just her post to automatically think "over 30, then no chance of any work visa."

I am in an almost identical situation, except for that I already have a working visa and currently live in Japan and I am under 30y.o.

My visa will end early 2009 however, so in the near future my b/f and I have some big decisions to make, as my research hasn't come up with any other way to stay in Japan short of taking another teaching job.

From one Australian to another, I would recommend coming over to Japan on a tourist visa and just seeing what type of life you might be living if you marry into the military.....its certinly been an eye opening experience for me and it won't suit everyone.