Last month, we informed that the screening time of all types of applications at the Immigration Office has been getting longer and longer.
On 16 Oct 2024, the Immigration Office officially announced that they cannot tell you about the current status of ongoing screening of applications. Applicants must simply wait until they receive a notice or request from the Immigration Office.
Here’s the announcement:
- (IN JAPANESE) 在留諸申請を行っている皆さまへのお知らせ (You can select several languages including English by using multi-language panel on that page.)
The Immigration Office publishes the “Average Processing Period” every month. However, this number is the average for all offices in Japan, such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and other local branches. Since the Tokyo Immigration Office and its branches handle around 4 – 5 times more applications than Osaka and Nagoya, waiting time in Tokyo is usually much longer.
Delays are mostly due to the large number of applications and limited staff. To help the process go as smoothly as possible, the most important thing we can do is submit well-prepared and consistent documents.
There’s nothing you can do but wait during the screening period.
If you applied online, you can check your application status on the Immigration Office’s website. However, most of the time, the status will stay as “Under Review (審査中)” for a long time. It will not change until you get an email asking for additional documents or giving the result.
What is the worst, sometimes they forget to turn the online status from “Under Review (審査中)” to “Pending Completion (追完待ち)” when they request you the additional documents by email. You can only upload documents when the status shows “Pending Completion (追完待ち)”. If this happens, you must call the Immigration Office to open the status (though it is often difficult to get through by phone). Another option is to send the documents by postal mail.
Don’t be surprised – we, as an Immigration professional, don’t receive any special treatment. There are no priority lines or exclusive phone numbers – everyone is treated equally.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.