Spousal Visa&CoE while both self-employed

Hello,
My situation seems a bit unique. Our family of 4 is planning a move to Japan. Both my wife (Japanese national) and I have been living and working as self-employed contractors in Canada for many years.

Our intention is to move to Japan and continue working in the same way - we will retain our existing clients/income, as it doesn't matter from where do we work.

The issue is that for the Certificate of Eligibility, and the Spousal Visa application, it seems that one of us needs to have income IN JAPAN, or have a guarantor that has income in Japan to take on the responsibility.

As mentioned, we wanted to move together (rather than ripping our family apart for 2 years, while my wife gets a Japanese Tax record for the year). Neither of us has an official "job" in Japan, we both work online remotely for a multitude of clients. Her parents, while they can support us (although we don't need them to), they are both retired - so I am not sure if they will be eligible guarantors.

Does this mean that we can't move to Japan together even though we're financially self-sufficient, and will have to rip apart our family for 2 years until my wife has a tax record in Japan?

Any recommendations are welcome. Thanks.

You might want to retain an immigration lawyer to figure out the best approach for this. I see no harm in trying for CoE, or some expert �gmight�h have some other possibilities.

What the immigration authorities want to see is that the marriage is genuine, and that you (or your Japanese spouse) has a stable means to support yourselves. But since you both are outside Japan, there is no way to provide the �gproof�h for Japan.

If I were you, I would try applying for a CoE, have your spouse write a letter to describe your situation, state your & her profession/skills, state that she does and will continue to have income in Japan, (so will you), and the prospects are almost firm that both of you will continue to make your living this way. Attach a letter describing that, and maybe attach a bank statement showing your savings. Your wife will be the primary guarantor, and maybe you could ask her parent(s) to be the financial guarantor in the sense of providing housing (if needed, for example). If your wife, the Japanese national, states that she wants to move closer to her parents (for example), the immigration authorities cannot really deny you the rights as the spouse to be with her.

Once you are in Japan, you�fll need to sort out some tax issues – the first year I believe you don�ft really have to be concerned, but from the second year, you will be liable for local taxes, depending on what portion of your income earned outside Japan you bring into Japan. Also check for any tax treaty (offsetting income taxes paid in another country) between Japan and Canada. Best wishes.


(From a Japanese national married to a non-Japanese spouse, once had to change my spouse�fs status from employer-sponsored one to spouse of Japanese national when he got unemployed and I was a freelance worker.)

Thank you, this is helpful.
We will submit the letter, explain our income situation, and show some savings as well.
We will also have her parents say that they will provide the housing.

Should be ok :)