COE processing times

Also attending university in Tokyo area and currently waiting for my CoE.

My school submitted CoE application around June 15

Today is August 16, still no word. School is scheduled to start in less than 2 weeks.

This is by far been the most nerve racking process
Being as tho I stopped working, changed flights repeatedly and had to change my accommodations upon arrival. Trying to prepare for this transition, but it�fs very difficult to make arrangements while not knowing when the CoE is arriving

Fingers crossed it comes soon.

Hope you get the CoE soon. Thankfully classes don't start for my son until the end of September.

Hope everyone gets their COE soon. Reason why probably no-one has heard anything over the past week is because of Oban. Everyone has been on mandatory leave.

Thank you so much for the information on Obon. Hopefully we will all hear something soon. Not sure when the leave is, but I googled Obon and it looks like it was the 13th through the 15th. Learning something new every day about Japan.

People who are waiting for their COE:
Do not book your flights until you get it
Many things can change and be delayed with your COE, and you may lose a lot of money and time changing and canceling flights while you wait. Wait until you get it first!

This waiting game is nerve racking. Wish the MOFA could give some kind of an indication to the universities in Tokyo when to expect the CoE. We get an autoreply from the university my son is hoping to attend when we email, because they are getting so many emails from students. Don't blame the university, as I work for one and understand how they are probably being bombarded in the study abroad office with kids needing answers.

Hi @tammydiggs

I actually received a update from my university in regards to my CoE. He said he received a call yesterday from the immigration service agency of japan and they informed him that our batch of CoEs are being �gfinalized�h. So with any luck we should be receiving them very soon. I was delighted to receive that update being as though it feels like I been waiting for a eternity lol and my school start date is rapidly approaching

I recall you saying your son�fs university starts in September so hopefully his university is next in line.

I�fll be sure to update you when my CoE is officially issued. I hope your son can receive his CoE very soon as well! :)

That is awesome. Hope things go well for you in Tokyo this Fall.

We received notice from the university this morning that the COEs are still under examination. Does anyone know if that is good? I am not sure how you tell what stage they are in with the foreign affairs ministry, so that you can guess when they might be finalized and sent to the university. They did mention if you purchase airline tickets to make sure they are flexible or refundable. Not sure if that is a good sign or bad. Thoughts anyone?

Received a notice from the university in Japan that our COEs are still "under examination" with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not sure what stage that is in the process. Still hopeful that he will be able to attend, since they mentioned purchasing flexible airline tickets. Orientation isn't until September 21st, but he has to be there in time to quarantine for 3 nights per the housing information sent to him. We are still not sure what to do about booking a flight. If anyone has received a status of "under examination" status regarding their coe at any point in the process and have received your coe, please let me know how long it took to receive your coe after you were told that it was "under examination". Thank you.

I think they just mention the general delay of paperwork. there is a possibility that your coming to Japan may be delayed. please make your flight plan flexible.

what university ?
if that is a famous and respected one, you will have no problem for getting the COE. just prepare for being delayed.

by the way, your COE will be issued from immigration office, ministry of justice, not ministry of foreign affairs.

probably, the university administrative staffs also are worrying and are embarrassed, as same as you.

as same as all transportations in Japan are "on time", university staffs are prepared for the case of not "on time" in advance. they just announce you that the schedule is now tight, because of the delaying of COE. (they say the delaying is not my fault.) it does not mean that you can't enter your university.

Interesting. Thanks for the comments. The university is a desirable university for international students. I think they get several hundred in a normal year. Thankfully, our university is allowing him to start classes next week and if/when he gets the CoE to go and apply for the Visa they will help us switch him over to global studies without ramifications. It has just been hard, because he didn't want to be forced to take another gap semester.

Hello everyone, a bit of context:

I discovered the site after having applied for a language school in Osaka at the beginning of June. At the time, even before sending my file to immigration, the officials told me that the answer for the coe would arrive around August 20. My file was sent to immigration on June 9th.

From July, I looked at the forum once a week, and what surprised me was that there were all kinds of cases: those who obtained the coe in 30 days, those who after three months or more still had nothing etc.

On August 4, the school officials sent us a calendar for the start of the school year in October with various information, and again specifying that the coe would arrive around August 20.

Today is August 19 and the officials have sent us copies of the coe. They will send us the originals by post after payment of the tuition fees.

In short, I do not know how they knew since June for the date of August 20, but in my case the deadlines were respected minus one day.

I wish good luck to all those who are waiting and thank you for reading me to the end.

I believe that CoE will issue before your studies will start. I believe that there are so many applications and reviewing all of rhem is not easy. But, I believe that it is not their interest to prolong too, as there are other applicants also waiting for their CoE. I know how it is difficult to wait for that; but be patient and try not to think much about that. Yoh will be stressed for nothing. Those who apply for the first time ror CoE, if your documents prepared well by you and your university, you should get visa without problem. Have a nice day!

COE
following my post in page 3:

COE was submitted in Nagoya regional immigration services bureau, June 14, 2022 (my school is in Aichi)
and today, August 22, 2022 my language school received my COE !

i'm happy, thank you for this topic !
hopefully you will receive it soon!

Hi @tammydiggs

I posted last week about my CoE being
�hfinalized�h well it�fs the august 22 and still no word, No CoE. My classes start next Monday on the August 29th and at this point it�fs probably safe to say I won�ft be in Japan by then.
By the time I actually get the CoE in my hand I still have to mail everything to my local Japanese consulate because they have no available time slots for in person appointments.
So if there is no additional delays once I get my CoE then I�fm probably looking at the 1st or 2nd week of September (depending on when I get my CoE) before I can actually get to japan. Well into my semester.

This process has been so stressful because it�fs extremely difficult to plan or make arrangements because it�fs impossible to know when anything is coming.

Hopefully this information Can help you get a better idea of what to possibly expect. I really hope your sons process is quicker than mine and he doesn�ft get his CoE at the last minute.

I still plan on updating you when My CoE is issued so you can know exactly how long it took.
your son is also attending school in the Tokyo area as well therefore it could theoretically take a similar amount of time.

Sorry you still have no word on your CoE. Praying it will come soon. We have been concerned too that there will not be available in person appointments at our embassy when we receive our CoE. My son is starting classes today at our home university just in case he doesn't get to go to Japan. He really can't take a gap semester at this time. Thankfully, our study abroad office will work with him to get everything changed back to study abroad should everything come in time. Keep me posted.

@Demdem, congrats on receiving your CoE. Best of luck on your time in Japan.

@TonkatsuDJ, if you don't mind me asking, what embassy in the states do not have any available appointments? That will be our next hurdle.