Spouse visa and living apart temporarily

Hi guys,

I have simple question. I am living more than 11 years in Japan with engineer and spouse visa history. I am continuously working as engineer. Now I am on spouse visa. Now I am living apart from my family just for temporary contract job. My job will finish on 27th March 2015. Now my spouse visa extension application is in process.
I got call immigration saying that long visa will be little bit difficult in this case but they will not reject. They asked me why you are not living together. I told I just went for temporary job and I will come back to my family on 28th March. I also submitted the job contract copy too. Then they told that they will think over appplication and
take decision. Will I be able to get 3 years visa in this case? I hope to get postacard by this week. I hope this will be helpful to other too.

We obvious can't know what immigration will do, but if they give you less than 3 years it only means that they want to hear from you again soon to see how your situation has evolved. You say "temporary contract job", how long is it?

Thanks firas,

my latest job contract is from 1st Dec 2014 to 27 March 2015. I till go back to my family after that. There are many fake marriages, so gunuine people suffer. The immgration officer told he dont doubt looking at my all past and present record. My address and juminhyo is same as my wife`s native place. Only I moved temporarily till 27th March 2015. I have proper reason too.
I dont understand sometime, why people with overstay record(i.e.criminal attitude) living together with wife get long visa and PR too. My all docs are as per their requirement, now it only depends on mood and decision of Immigration officer.

I was thinking of asking you the same question - how long the "temporary" contract is.

I would say if it is only three or four months, it "should" be no problem. So if you currently already have a 3-year "spouse" status, you are likely to get another 3-year.

But even if they gave you 1 year, it only means they want to verify once again, soon, rather than 3 years later, that you are back with your wife as you say you would. Once they give you 3 years, the next opportunity they can see your address will be three years later.

Best wishes.

One year visas are a pain, certainly, but in the end it just means an extra day you have to go in next year.

If you've been in Japan 11 years now though, permanent residency may be a good solution to your problems.

Thank AK and Hamigura,

As I mentioned aboove, the contract is till 27th March 2015. My tax and other record is fine.
I always wander about immigration rules for spouse visa. Have you seen the recent india news happened with innocent Japanese girl. That news is also flashed on Japanese TV and newspapers too.
Those offenders are are married to Japanese. Japam immigration says about spouse visa that it is "Isshoni sumu visa desu".
Now those offenders are also staying together with their Japanese wife in India. Will Japan immigration neglect their bad act when they come to Japan? Even if those offenders come to Japan, what they can do for Japan? Anyway they will be punished for more than 20 years and cannot come out.
I wjust want to express my feelings.

I dont understand sometime, why people with overstay record(i.e.criminal attitude) living together with wife get long visa and PR too. My all docs are as per their requirement, now it only depends on mood and decision of Immigration officer.

I can understand your frustration with the system, but it's nowhere close to the situation where they just hassle normal people and let the criminals in with free ride. Everyone is scrutinized carefully and you are putting up potential red flags that need to be addressed.

A criminal record is just a small part of the overall consideration for residency. And having a record does not automatically disqualify you from a visa in the future, especially if you have served any punishments that were assigned.

In the same vein, being married to a Japanese spouse does not automatically entitle you to a spouse visa. Your marriage still has to be genuine, and there will be legitimate situations like yours that will set off red flags. You'll still get your visa, and it's really just a minor difference between a 1 year and a 3 year visa, except the minimal time and expense to renew your visa each time. Have you talked to your company about this? Many will handle the renewal for you.

Will Japan immigration neglect their bad act when they come to Japan?

Major crimes like these carry much more weight than a simple overstay, and obviously will be taken into consideration. In the unlikely chance that this even becomes an issue I would presume that they would be denied visas to enter the country.

Thanks ylls
I really appreciate your comment and info.
My company can give me engineer visa anytime. But I was just wandering about spouse visa span. But the officer told that if you kive together then there will issue 3 years visa for sure.

-Will Japan immigration neglect their bad act when they come to Japan?

--Major crimes like these carry much more weight than a simple overstay, and obviously will be taken into consideration. In the unlikely chance that this even becomes an issue I would presume that they would be denied visas to enter the country.

You are right.Those Japanese married Indian guys raped another Japanese tourist for 3 weeks and sold the lady too in India. Such person should be denied visa anywhere. I wander whether this immigration will give them PR because Japanese spouse dont need good character. Anyway, they will not come out of jail at least 20 years.

Good luck with your visa application. Once it is approved you may want to consider immediately applying for PR. That'll take care of your future visa worries.

I wander whether this immigration will give them PR because Japanese spouse dont need good character. Anyway, they will not come out of jail at least 20 years.

Without residence they wouldn't even qualify to apply for PR, but beyond that I don't think its worth spending any more time on hypothetical situations that are unlikely to occur in the first place.

I got 1 year visa. The immigration officer told that once you come back after march and stay with your wife and kid, then they can give 3 or 5 years visa in next extension. I told them I did not do anything bad, paying tax, good conduct.Its really strange. An illeterate cook get long visa and PR too, why not for me? I am a important person for their country.

Now my compay is going to make me permanent from Aprail, they offer me very good salary. Now next time I will show shinkansen pass to them and prove that I am commuting everyday and living with my family. I can reach my wife`s place within 2 hours by Shinkansen.

Is it necessary to have the work pleace in same district where your wife live in case of spouse visa? I will consult with the lawyer too. I posted reply so that it should be helpful for others too.

Do you really think you're in a good position to call other people "illiterate"? You sound like a spoiled brat to me, and if I were an immigration official I would give you only 6-month extensions until you learn good manners.

You've been told by people here and immigration officials, that if you don't live with your wife, you won't get a long term spouse status.
It's a big warning sign that it is either a failing marriage, a fake one, or maintaining a marriage of convenience. They know that many people in this situation get the long time status and then divorce and try to pick up another wife before the 3 years is up. Clearly your situation is different, but they are not going to give out a longer status to people living apart, especially if you have an attitude problem with them.

And their argument is - why should this be a problem for you? If it's genuine marriage, then you can easily renew each time as you'll still be married (your work is largely irreverent for a spouse status). It's really very little hassle or expense and if visiting 2 extra times and paying 3x the very small fee in a three year period outweighs the distant job that you have, then the job probably isn't worth it. If it really matters so much about those two extra visits, then get a three year working status based on you and your work, rather than your marriage.

Dear Firas,

Please forgive me if hurted. My intension is not that. OK. You are misunderstood. You taken the words in different way. Sorry once again.

Here they follow they rules. even if you are a immigration officer, you cannot do by your will. You have to give the visa if the person fit into their rules.

Dear Shippy,

Thanks for the kind comment. My marriage is true. I gave them all enough proofs of real marriage. I have a kid too. I will change to engineer visa now. I had got 3 years visa 2 times in past. Once I get long engineer visa I can apply PR too. Immgration person told that you have 2 choices either enginner or spouse visa, there is no problem. Will there be any problem if I apply for PR on 3 years engineer visa?

guest40,

Since your marriage is true, I believe you will have no problem simply renewing your Souse status next time. So, just live with that, and in one year's time, show that you are still married, and you are very likely to get a longer period.

Immigration wants to make sure that you come back next year, again with Spouse renewal, with you and your wife living together, because that is the basis for a Spouse status.

Why do you want to take the trouble of changing to Engineer status now? If you want to change, you will need to get a lot of papers from your employer now to change. (And it can potentially look like your focus is to work, not to live in Japan with your wife.) And if you go that way, you will need to either re-apply or at least report a change IF you start working for a new employer for example.

Thanks AK,

You are right. I told immigraion that I will be back to my family after March. So living together at the time of extension is a main condition. If I get longer visa in next spouse extension, then I will not change status. Just because of job I had to go here and there. I go back to my family next month end.

One of my friend suggested me become FUYO(dependent)of my wife for sometime(6 months to 1 year). My wife has good income. I can show that I am taking care of a kid and wife. I can have some income of less than 130 man. I have good saving at present. Is it good idea?

Why would you bother? You have a 1 year spouse visa. So you have to go again next year... big deal. I do too. It is what it is. Either apply again next year for the visa, and they'll probably give you 3 years, or apply for permanent residency so you don't have to go anymore at all.

Anything you do from now, besides those two options, mean you have to keep going back to immigration again and again ANYWAY. What is it saving you? Not money. Not time.

It sounds to me like you're making a big deal out of nothing.

OP
The immigration already told/explain their reason why separate address will probably affect your visa status period. It is the rule and Japanese are straight.
Also person you talk to on the application window and person who will go through your paper application are diffeent person. The person who make decision will be based on the paper you submitted so he will notice the separate address.

Anyway just stick with the one year spouse status and reapply once you are in better condition. Good luck.
I went through 1+1+3+PR.

Hi scarreddragon, borneo_ngelaban,

Thanks for the kind reply. Your comments are helpful. My address is same as my wife`s. Just for the job I moved to other place for temporary purpose. So I did not changed my address. My work place is 250km far away from my family but we have same address(juminhyo).

I think following option.
I have to quit my present job and find new job nearby my wife`s place(ken/district). OR I will show shinkansen pass to them and continue my present job. Will this workout?
They just hang me because my work is in other district. I am already living and working more than 11 years with good record.

guest40,

You are confusing me. Please be calm and think calmly. You don't have to jump up and change status or change jobs only because you got one year on Spouse status. One year status IS valid for one year. No need to panic now.

I thought you said your current job is just "temporary." So in the March of 2015, you will be back living with your wife, and that will continue, correct? Then you should have no problem whatsoever renewing your Spouse status in 2016.

If your job sends you away far from your wife again next year, then you might have to renew one year once again, but so what's the problem? :) As long as your marriage is genuine, you have nothing to worry about.