Moving to Japan with a toddler (4 years old)

My husband and I got a job as an ALT and just applied our visa applications with COE. We are expected to move to Japan by next month with our toddler. Do you have any idea if we can still enroll her to preschool or daycare?

Also, is it possible to bring her to Japan with a tourist visa and change it to dependent visa when we get there using Change of Status application?

Thank you very much!

Do you have any idea if we can still enroll her to preschool or daycare?

Absolutely! You will need to contact your city hall to start the application process, and also individual hoikuen (daycares) or yochien (preschools) in order to see which might have space for her. Depending on the city's supply and demand, there may be waiting lists for some or all schools. Some cities/towns will have absolutely no problems with space, while big cities like Tokyo can be a nightmare to get child care in. Since it is really dependent on each individual city, you'll probably need to wait until you get there unless you have a contact there now who can start asking around on your behalf.

Also, is it possible to bring her to Japan with a tourist visa and change it to dependent visa when we get there using Change of Status application?

Yes it is; you would simply go into your closest immigration office and apply for it. However, I'd suggest if you're able to do so, to see if it's possible to get it done ahead of time. It would save you some running around and bureaucracy at a stressful time for your family, as you get used to living in a new country. And although I can't imagine a situation where they would deny your dependent 4 year old the status change, it IS possible that it COULD be denied. I don't say that to stress you out, but rather to illustrate that if it can be approved ahead of time along with the parents' COE applications, that is just easier on everyone. But yes, it can definitely be done after you enter Japan.

Thank you for your response Murny. We just got a call from the embassy and they asked us to withdraw the application of our daughter as tourist. :( They told us that we need to have her COE first before going to Japan with us. But we need to go to Japan first to apply for her COE personally. Such heartbreaking news. I really don't understand why they won't consider our application for her. Like both of us will be working there, and she's 4 years old. They told us that if we are thinking of doing a status change, they won't allow it. I didn't even mention that to them.sigh

"My husband and I got a job as an ALT and just applied our visa applications with COE."
when your husband (or you) applied his (or your) COE, he (or you) had to apply your child's COE as his (or your) dependent. I think it is a rule.
also, if your child enters Japan as a tourist, she can't enroll pubic education (or services) because she is not a resident of Japan.

Thanks for your reply Ken. The thing is we are both outside Japan, living and working overseas with our toddler. We have the COE for employment already and submitted it in the embassy in exchange for our visas. We were told to pick it up next week.

We were just hoping that we can go to Japan together. Hence, the visa application as tourist for our little one and hoping to change her status in Japan. I believe, we don't have any choice but for my husband to go to Japan first and apply for the COE. Also, I am worried about the waiting time for the COE and my work visa might expire (3 mos validity). Anyway, life goes on. Let's see by then.

I didn't realize you were from Thailand when I gave you the answer that it was fine to bring your daughter on a tourist visa; it's fine if you're from a visa-waiver country, but obviously you aren't. (BTW, for future questions, that's actually pretty important information to have in your post!) As the embassy told you, you'll need to apply for your daughter's COE before she's able to enter the country. You might be able to talk with them and see if they would be able to do it quickly, given the circumstances.

Yet although it may seem rough for your husband to go over first, it might actually work in your favor. He can find out about availability at local hoikuen/yochien and perhaps even begin the application process, so when you both arrive, she can enter hoikuen/yochien right away. As @ken pointed out, she wouldn't be able to enter on a tourist status because she would not be a resident, and hoikuen/yochien is only for residents. So if you had done it like you were originally planning, you wouldn't be able to work until she got her dependent residency status as you wouldn't have any child care for her, and that could take a month to several months depending on the immigration office. This way, everything will be sorted before you arrive, so it may end up being less stress on you overall.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck and hope you are able to get your daughter's COE quickly :)

Thailand is a visa waiver country. https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html

It may raise some eyebrows, though, if you try to make your daughter enter visa-free while you enter on long-term visas. Your daughter could end up being denied entry (since she's obviously not coming for tourism) and you would be denied entry as well since they can't send her back alone.

@... oh you're right, but only for 15 days though, which is probably why OP put in an application to apply for a tourist visa for her daughter in order to extend that time period. It's definitely possible that if OP tried to bring her anyway she could get denied entry, but that's completely up to the immigration officer at the airport. I suppose OP COULD try, and just clearly explain the situation and hope for the best.

If you did do so though, you'd want to go to immigration ASAP to put in the change of status application. When you submit the application it might take a few months (and as I said you would be ineligible for hoikuen/yochien during that time), but your daughter would get a stamp on her passport that extends the period of time she can stay in Japan up to 2 months.

But honestly, that seems more stressful for everyone than just applying for your daughter's COE now from your home.

Do the correct process and get a COE for your daughter. Yes it is frustrating process now. But if you have done the correct process when you applied for yours and your husbands COE. Then you wouldn't be in this situation now. And you cannot reverse time. So just do what you gotta do. Do attempt shortcuts that could end in more difficulties.

Thank you very much everyone. Yes we will. :)