COE processing times

Applied as Child of Japanese Citizen (Former Japanese Citizen) on Nov. 16th at Tokyo Immigration online via lawyer.
89 days of waiting and still no word……. I have contacted them myself at the end of Dec, my lawyer contacted them at the end of Jan, and each time we are advised due to high volume of applications, the average waiting time now is 3 months or more.
My future employer in Japan is getting anxious, and it is getting very hard for me to just sit and wait in a hotel room everyday ( I had to move out of my apartment at the end of Jan.)
Hopefully we all get our COEs soon…..

Applied as Child of Japanese Citizen (Former Japanese Citizen) on Nov. 16th at Tokyo Immigration online via lawyer.
89 days of waiting and still no word……. I have contacted them myself at the end of Dec, my lawyer contacted them at the end of Jan, and each time we are advised due to high volume of applications, the average waiting time now is 3 months or more.
My future employer in Japan is getting anxious, and it is getting very hard for me to just sit and wait in a hotel room everyday ( I had to move out of my apartment at the end of Jan.)
Hopefully we all get our COEs soon…..

Thank you so much! 🙏🏻😊
Finally I just got my Coe and here is my details. It takes time, but it arrives. Our advice is not to resign from your job before receiving the CoE.

Visa type: Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int'lServices (5years)
Immigration office: Tokyo (by administrative scrivener)
Submitted: Set 22, 2023
Asked for additional documents: No
Approved: Feb 14, 2024
Total time: 145 days

Hey

Sharing my COE status

Visa type: Engineer/Specialist in Humanities
Submitted: Set 20, 2023
Asked for additional documents: No
Status: waiting
Total time: 148 days

Word of caution to those (especially in the USA) applying for their Visa after receiving their CoE.

When applying at your local Japanese Consulate, insist that you pick up your passport / visa in person at the window after the approval process, even if it's against their protocol.

In my case, the LA Japan Consulate does not allow this and requires USPS for return package for some reason as their protocol, so I went with it. My passport package was deemed lost or stolen after over 3 weeks of back and forth communication and has been a nightmare considering it's only being transported 15 miles, further delaying my flight.

At this point, I've had to file a police report with the LAPD to present to the consulate so they'll allow me to apply again / pick it up in person this time, connect with my local congressman office to schedule an urgent appointment with the passport agency, and file insurance claims against USPS.

Definitely got a few more white hairs now.

Anyway, good luck to everyone here, hope all your processes go smoothly and in Japan come Spring to see the cherry blossoms.

waiting for 149 days
shingawa tokyo
dependent
better they give any answer


call immigration still review wat d ....

@Raizo99

You and I went through the sama problems. Also waiting since July 2023. I also emailed them and their reply was about the same which I have to call the number from the application submitted document. Which also have been called numerous times by my company and the answers were the same, It's in progress, all documents have been completed, just need to wait.

@RJ (guest)

If they don't allow you to pick it up, how will you know when it's done so you can be there to pick it up in person? I def. don't want to deal with a possibility of losing my paperwork and passport...if my COE ever gets approve, that is.

@LucasBurhan

Yeah, I have no idea what else to do. We're always taught to be proactive, but at this point there is literally nothing left to do. I'll keep yall updated with any new info.

Hi Everyone! I finally got my COE so I wanted to share my details here;

Visa type: Dependent
Immigration office: Osaka
Submitted: Nov 02, 2023
Intended to enter Japan: Jan, 10 2024
Approved: Feb 05, 2024

I followed up with the immigration once as I needed to change my address. They said I just needed to wait a little longer, just wait...and now I got it!

Good luck everyone, I hope you all get good news soon.

My lawyer had just applied for COE in 27th Jan . It has been just 23days but can’t wait . It’s too hard to wait.
Visa status : engineer/ humanities/international service
Osaka immigration bureau
God please give patience to wait
please provide my COE as fast as possible 🙏

Hello, it has been a long time after my application and your experiences are helpful for my constant waiting with more patience.

Here is my experience.
Applied CoE type: Researcher
Job type: Postdoctor
Nationality: P.R.China
Highest education: PhD
Entry time: 1 time (traveled to Japan before)
Submission date: July 19th, 2023
Additional Documents: Sep. 7th, 2023
Status: Waiting (164 days after the additional documents submission and 214 days after the initial application)

Waiting is so annoying and I can't believe their working efficiency is so low. I was planning to begin my work in Japan in Dec. 2023, but things were all disrupted due to this COE application. May I could get my COE approve before March?
May God bless us.

Almost 200 days waiting for dependent visa, this can't be normal. Fear visa will be rejected despite the fact I can support my wife financially and we're not doing anything shady. Still hoping it's just a delay :(

@still waiting
200 days
more than 6 months
its a long time,

am also waitin for 150 days
very hard to wait

Applied: Oct. 17th in Shinagawa, Tokyo

Went this morning to ask if everything is alright since it’s been over four month already.
They told me it‘s ready, shipment takes another two weeks though.

I still don’t have it, but this answer made me really happy. :>

I am working in Japan since last 5 years.
and applied CoE for my newborn's dependent visa in Oct, no update till date.
My wife's VISA/re-entry permit expired in the mean time as she is in India with our baby.

Application date for newborn: Oct 26th 2023 (supposed to receive physical copy)
Application date for spouse: Dec 22nd 2023 (supposed to receive digital copy on email)


Been to Shinagawa immigration bureau 3 times till date only update I got was please wait little longer its under examination.
Not sure why CoE is taking so much time these days .

Child of a Japanese national (My wife)
Spouse of a child of a Japanese national (Me)
Child of a child of a japanese national (our son)

Date of submission: Nov 2
No additional documents requested
Utsonomiya immigration (The receipt shows the Tokyo immigration hotline though)
Still waiting

Hello Everyone,
I have few questions regarding COE.
1:) Did immigration office contact us when COE got approved, did they contact us before delivering the COE my mail. If yes , so how do they contact ? Call or email?
2:) How to get an update about COE through call, any contact number of Tokyo immigration office ? (no one is picking up the call from the number mentioned on my receipt)

What a big coincidence it is!

After I give my experience in this topic and ask a email to my agent, the next day, my agent told me that the COE just be approved. Now I paln to go to Japan in the next month. Hope all will be good!


Here is my experience:

Applied CoE type: Researcher
Job type: Postdoctor
Nationality: P.R.China
Highest education: PhD
Entry time: 1 time (traveled to Japan before)
Submission date: July 19th, 2023
Additional Documents: Sep. 7th, 2023
Status: Approved on Feb. 19th, 2024 (165 days after the additional documents submission and 215 days after the initial application)

God will bless us.

Applied for Spose visa of Japanese national on 13th of November, Shinagawa, Tokyo.
Nothing received yet, both my wife and I are abroad waiting now 100 days and really hope we can finally start our new life in Japan!
Just a rant to ventilate frustration :)

Applied for student visa (language school) on November 15 2023
COE approved on February 21 2023

Good luck to everyone waiting.