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Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/13 23:26
I am having a hard time trying to figure out a way to get my parent's marriage certificate. The clerk's office back in USA is telling me if i dont know the year they can't help at all. How important is this for the naturalization procedure? I am a little confused about why the Japanese gov. seems to consider these necessary when getting them seems impossible.

Do anyone have any experience in this? I am confused about how to proceed. It seems even if I was physically at the clerks office in USA that I still wouldn't be able to acquire them since I don't even have the year of marriage. Let alone know what county my parents divorced in. Are these papers over-looked if they aren't able to be retrieved? The country clerk back in USA was pretty adamant that the only way I could get them was with a lawyer and a court order. That seems expensive and extreme.
by Sukavi  

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/14 09:21
As these kinds of family history type of information are on the Japanese nationals' Koseki - family register - that the Japanese government seems to take it for granted that this is available and should be kept for the record.

I was surprised when we (myself Japanese and my spouse non-Japanese) reported our overseas marriage after-the-fact to the Japanese authorities that they asked for my mother-in-law's maiden name, which I never knew till then!

I don't have experience with naturalization, but possibly getting a written statement from the clerks office that it is not available might help? Best wishes.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/14 10:13
Thank you for replying. The clerk's office told me without a death certificate of both parents the information couldnt be given to me. They said the only way is to get a court order. I am not sure how strict the Japanese gov. is about these pieces of paper. To me requiring foreigners to be shoehorned into the koseki system is a little unreasonable. With almost 9 years in Japan and having more than enough documentation from the Japanese system, you would think my Father and mothers marriage certificate is moot.
I tried to find information online but I couldnt find someone that had a similar issue and all the advice about Naturalization contradicts. I have to call them and ask exactly how critical those documents of my parents are as it seems more than unreasonable to procure them.
by Sukavi rate this post as useful

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/14 11:48
To me requiring foreigners to be shoehorned into the koseki system is a little unreasonable.

Nobody is trying to "shoehorn" foreigners into the koseki system. You are seeking to become a Japanese citizen, remember? If you don't like the process, you can feel free to not apply.
by ... (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/14 12:03
Dear --Guest, thank you so much for your helpful reply. Perhaps think before you post comments to other humans like that. Shame on you.
by Sukavi rate this post as useful

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/14 14:24
@Suvaki,

I dont think guest is wrong in saying.

One of the requirements you need is overseas family documents. These include: Parent's marriage certificate, adoption papers, papers showing siblings or lack of siblings. This is a process which immigration ask you to arrange. Nothing wrong since you want to go through the naturalization process.

I believe getting the information easy or not is pending on the countries government.
Some countries information is easy to obtain than others. If the information is hard to get than the only thing you can do is talk with immigration see your options, and try.
by justmyday rate this post as useful

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/14 14:40
if you complain about naturalization procedure to Japan,
you have to know they need minimum information to create your new koseki (registration).
here is an example of minimum koseki.
http://eastbank.jp/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/clipimage_235.jpg
you have to show your father's name and your mother's name.

to register your father in your koseki, your father had to be married with your mother when you was born.
(koseki records legal father, not biological father.)
be noted that it must be proved by official documents, not by your memory.
by ken (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/14 19:37
You should talk with immigration. I'm sure there are cases where a naturalizing foreigner cannot get every document they ask for. Ideally you would, but if you can't there is probably some leeway. But unless someone else on the forum has gone through specifically the same situation, the only way you can know for sure is to speak with immigration. I've found them to be very helpful when called so I recommend that!
by Murny (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/14 19:46
You should talk with immigration.

Naturalisation applications are handled by the legal affairs bureaus, not by immigration.
by ... (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Naturalization Parents Marriage 2019/3/16 18:22
Not having the marriage certificate results in your father's name not being listed on the koseki. For Japanese people, this is tantamount to having been born out of wedlock, and the parents of your future spouse might take a dim view of that. Does that matter to you? Probably not. Your mother's name gets listed on the basis of your birth certificate.
by Paul (guest) rate this post as useful

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