Changing status of residence

So, this is going to be a long story. However, trawling the internet desperately for answers isn't really bearing any fruit, so I thought that the best thing to do would be to post on some forums to see if anyone has been through a similar experience and can tell me the steps they took and the result.

I'm living in the UK, and my boyfriend is Japanese living in Osaka. We met through language exchange online (not a dating app, but an app that's only purpose is language exchange). We started talking in September 2020 and we became a couple in August 2021. We have practically exchanged messages every day since September 2020, and since becoming a couple have more or less engaged in a 3-4 hour long video call via skype on a weekly/bi-weekly basis.

I am currently in the process of applying for a job with an eikaiwa, and I have previous TEFL experience, etc. I have passed the first two stages of the application and the next stage is the 2nd interview, which is the final stage before an offer of employment. I am fairly confident that there is a good chance I will get a job offer, and then I don't need to worry about any of this.

However, upon failure I am considering entering Japan on a 'Working Holiday Visa'. This is where things get complicated. Me and my boyfriend have discussed and agreed that we would live together from my arrival in Japan, and ideally (after confirming that our relationship is as stable and wonderful as we think that it is, being long distance and all) we have discussed considering marriage after 1 year.

My question is, is changing my status of residence from 'Working Holiday' to 'Spouse of a Japanese National' actually possible? I have read that changing from a 'Working Holiday' to anything else can be quite difficult, as Japan's Immigration Bureau are quite strict on the matter. I will try and list all my concerns, as that way the formatting of my questions will be easier for people to understand.

1) is changing my status of residence from 'Working Holiday' to 'Spouse of a Japanese National' possible?

2) If it is possible, is it possible to apply for the change of status of residence close to the expiry of my current working holiday status? Will applying close to the 12-month validity period likely increase the chances of the change being declined by immigration?

3) Because we met through online language exchange, and will have lived together for a period of only around 1 year at the time of application, are we likely to face problems with the residence change being accepted?

4) Myself and my boyfriend are concerned about the size and cost of a 'proper wedding'. From information I could gather online, for the 'Spouse of a Japanese National' residency to be accepted, immigration need proof that the marriage is genuine and not a 'fake'. One of the ways in which this is proven is through a legitimate wedding reception or hirouen. We won't have the ability to save a ridiculous amount of money within a year or so to hold a big wedding, and it was never my personal wish to hold a big wedding in the first place. So, if our wedding is modest and we invite only our immediate family and a few friends, is this likely to negatively affect our application?

Maybe I am being way too pessimistic about this situation, but the information I have been able to find out online has only served to make me paranoid about our application being denied unless we can somehow have a big wedding, at a time when my working holiday visa still has plenty of time left on it, which just is not realistic or doable in the slightest.

Any information, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, that you can offer me at this point is greatly appreciated. Me and my boyfriend are just really concerned about the process, and that due to our situation with meeting online and not being able to save up money for a big wedding/etc, that our application is likely to be denied if we apply close to the working holiday status expiry date. This would be the only choice we have, as getting married earlier than 1 year just isn't realistic for the previously given reasons.

Thank you to anyone who read this far.
Katarina

First of all I wish you all the success with the job application.

1. Actually I am not sure. I have heard in the past that (a) no; because �gworking holiday�h (WH) status is once-in-a-lifetime, very special visa granted specifically for the purpose of allowing young people to travel extensively overseas while giving them a way to earn pocket money along the way to help with travel expenses, you are expected to return �ghome�h when it finishes, but (b) also have heard about a person who changed from WH to one of the �gwork�h (employer-sponsored) status with the same employer where he used to work part-time during the WH status, though this was some years ago, and I don�ft know the exact background to their story.
(And the immigration authority of Japan did change their policy several years ago about changing status from �gtemporary visitor�h to anything long-time, while staying in Japan.)

2. Provided it is possible, you can certainly apply toward the end of the status that is currently valid. (But do not wait till the last day to get married and apply for the change. Also never overstay even by one day.) You are allowed to stay (once they accept the application) for two months, I believe, or until the immigration reaches a conclusion (This is �gprovided�h they accept it).

3. This is where you simply need to show that the relationship is �greal�h and not �gfake.�h So records of chats/conversations in the past would help.

4. I have NEVER heard of this. Of course, wedding banquets involving a lot of friends/relatives are less easy to fake, so having such an occasion and having photographic evidence of it might add to showing that the relationship is �ggenuine,�h but nowadays many young local couples are opting (or have to) not to hold big ceremonies or banquets. End of story.

Note that for WH visa, the number of spots per year seems to be limited, and there is a set timing for application as well. I am not sure how long it takes.

I am just answering based on what I know – myself Japanese, married to a continental European, currently living in Japan. I have helped a few of my friends/acquaintances with resident status related questions.
My husband and I got married in the UK, and later moved back to Japan, my husband was initially on work visa, then (later – due to somewhat complicated circumstances) changed from the initial employer-sponsored work resident status to �gspouse of Japanese.�h (And hey, we never had any wedding banquet – just the wedding procedure in a British marriage hall – just one photo as evidence, though we were already married for about 4 years by the time we applied for the change to �gspouse�h status for my husband.)

I suggest that you might consider contacting an immigration lawyer for professional advice if you end up coming to Japan on �gworking holiday�h visa; they might know some information that non-professionals simply would not know. Best wishes.

Well that was certainly a very long post. I happen to have a bit of time at work today so I thought I'd chip in with my two cents on this matter, I apologize beforehand because I have no experience with Working Holiday Visas as my home country does not have such an agreement with Japan. I will however provide some input based on my own experience with the ' Spouse of a Japanese National ' visa and related visa/residence renewal procedures as best I can.


1) Sorry I have no idea about this, I don't see why not though but you might want to check around further as the intention of a ' Working Holiday Visa ' seems to lean more towards the holiday aspect.


2) Again, sorry no idea about WH Visas, but you will get a notification postcard from immigration a few months before the expiry of your residence card. (I think it's a few months, been a while since I've had to renew mine.) You can only apply to renew your visa when you get the notification, as far as I know. Do not overstay. Not even for 1 day. Just do not do it.


3) How old is your boyfriend, what is his job and what is his annual income? Yes all this matters if you are applying for a Spousal visa and immigration will ask for proper documentation. Living together helps but the fact that you've only known each other for year and only online does not help the situation. You'd have to prove that the relationship is real.


4) If you apply for a Spousal visa, immigration will ask for photos of the both of you to prove that your relationship is real. What better than to show photos of your wedding ceremony with family and relatives there? That's just my opinion and what me and my wife did when we applied for my Spousal visa.


My personal advice would be to try and get a proper Working Visa and forget about the Working Holiday Visa as it seems a bit finicky. Plus once you get an actual Working Visa you'd have more options and more flexibility somewhat. Also, and perhaps most importantly, please actually meet, interact and live together with your boyfriend in person. Lots of little mannerisms are lost in translation when things go online and this can make or break a relationship. Marriage is a huge milestone in someone's life!

Finally, good luck to the both of you and with that job application!

Slightly different perspective, I do not think that a year together is a short time and many people meet and marry much faster than that. Having evidence together (photos and the like) is obviously important as well as records of things like holidays together and staying at the same hotel/room (yes, it sounds trivial, but those are some of the items they might look for).
One point I would make is that if you apply for a spouse visa close to the expiration of your WH/work visa, that is likely to be a red flag item for Immigration. They are all too aware of people using the spouse route to stay in the country.
Wedding banquets? Might be trendy, but more of a western thing, and I doubt you would be doing a Shinto/Buddhist ceremony. Practically, marriage in Japan is paperwork at a city office.

Hmm interesting you said that! Every Japanese person I've known who's gotten married has had a wedding ceremony (Shinto or Western cathedral style) and a banquet/party of sorts, maybe it's a regional thing in Japan? I'm from SE Asia and we holding wedding banquets/parties is quite the norm so I highly doubt it's just a western thing!

Hello Katarina :)

Don't worry about the wedding ceremony, even if you don't hold one, it won't have any impact on your application.

My husand and I, also didn't have a wedding ceremony because of Corona. We were even separated for 1 1/2 years, when he submitted our marriage documents to the city office in Tokyo. Before, we were living together for one year in Japan, but when the pandemic started, I had to go back to my home country.

We applied for the COE for my spouse visa in the end of March and after exactly 4 weeks we got the COE. Instead of photos of a wedding ceremony, we provided many other pictures (e.g. during traveling, together with his family and also with my family, screenshots of video calls during the time being separated etc.). Furthermore, we wrote them some statements, explaining why we didn't held a wedding ceremony and that we are planning to do this in 2023, when the worldwide situation will be (hopefully) better.

After we submitted everything, they didn't ask for any other proofs. So, it should be totally fine for you guys as well. :)

Wish you all the best!