immigration kept marriage license

When we applied for the Certificate of Eligibilty to receive a dependent visa they requested our original Marriage Certificate. After the process was complete and the visa issued we were not given the Marriage license back. Do they send it in the mail?? We are having a baby soon and need it for her birth certificate :/ Please help. Thanks!!!

I'm not exactly sure as to whether this is the case for dependent visas, but when the Japanese government (immigration, consulate, embassy, etc.) asks for an "original" document, they normally mean an official copy of the document, as opposed to a generic photocopied one. For example, when I applied to get my Japanese passport, I was asked to submit my "original" family register, which just meant I had to go request an official copy of it from my hometown's city hall rather than scanning my family register at Kinko's and turning the copy in.

The government will keep whatever documents you turn in to them, so unfortunately, you most likely won't be getting your marriage certificate back.

Were you married overseas or in Japan? If in Japan, it is a very simple matter to get another certificate from the city/ward office where you registered the marriage. Those marriage certificates are definitely not a "one time only" thing- I've had to submit several of them to various agencies including Immigration since we got married. You can get several at a time from the ward office if you need them.

If the certificate is not from Japan, then your only two options as far as I can see would be either to contact Immigration to ask about the possibility of having it returned, or to apply in your home country for a new one.

Some documents Immigration does return- for example when I came over here originally on a working visa I had to provide my original degree certificate. I got that back no problems.

Thanks for the help- I wasn't aware that we shouldn't have given the original. I'll try to call the immigration office that kept it. Otherwise, I'll try to request a copy from the county where it was issued. Hope it works :/

Marriage license, not marriage certificate? Does it mean your are not married yet?