If you have been staying in Japan holding a RESIDENCE CARD, you are allowed to stay in Japan and engage in the activity based on the VISA STATUS until the date of expiry stated on your RESIDENCE CARD.

In case you want to continue to stay in Japan to engage in the same activity allowed under VISA STATUS granted, you can extend the period of stay by applying EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY (VISA RENEWAL) before the expiry date of your current visa status.

If you fail to submit the application before your current visa status has been expired, your visa status will be invalid any more and your status will be considered as “illegally overstaying” in Japan.

Contents
  1. WHEN and WHERE TO APPLY
  2. BASIC REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
  3. APPLICATION FEE
  4. PROCESS of APPLICATION
  5. IN CASE OF DENIAL
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WHEN and WHERE TO APPLY

When to Apply

You may apply for EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY from 3 months before the expiry date of your current visa status. Once you submit the application, you can keep staying in Japan under your current visa status until the EXCEPTION/SPECIAL PERIOD ends >> EXCEPTION/SPECIAL PERIOD

The Immigration Office may accept your application earlier than that (earlier than 3 months before the expiry date of your visa status) if you have reasonable grounds.

Where to Apply

Your application have to be filed at the Immigration Office which have jurisdiction over your residence address.

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BASIC REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Required documents are different depending on for what VISA STATUS you wish to extend.

Basically, you will need to provide documents to prove;

  • you will keep engaging in the activity allowed under the VISA STATUS,
  • you have paid taxes properly regularly and have no overdue taxes,
  • you are financially stable enough to continue to make living in Japan.

you, as a work-type visa holder, have changed your job circumstance (e.g. change of employer) during the period of stay before the renewal application, you will need to provide the documents to certify your current employment and the employer – mostly it would be similar documents required for Change of Visa Status.

Jump to your VISA STATUS from LIST of VISA STATUS and check the required documents;

>> LIST of VISA STATUS

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APPLICATION FEE

The Immigration Office charges 4,000 yen for the application fee (Immigration tax).
You will pay it when you pick up new Residence Card for VISA STATUS granted after approval of the application. In case you hire Immigration Lawyer, their fee and some actual expenses (for some certificates, postage, travel etc.) would be charged in addition to the application fee.

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PROCESS of APPLICATION

Standard Processing Period

2 – 4 weeks after submission of the application.
Processing period may be different depending on the case, timing of application and congestion of application at the Immigration Office. Sometimes, it will be over a month. The Immigration Office cannot tell you anything about the schedule of screening and/or date of decision.

Basic Process

  1. Check the required documents for the application.
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  2. Prepare and collect necessary documents; In case you hire an Immigration Lawyer, he/she will assist the whole process on behalf of you and your visa sponsor after confirming whether you satisfy the requirement. In case you obtain Permission to engage in other activity (Shikakugai-katudo Kyoka), you should prepare for it to submit along with the renewal application.
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  3. You and visa sponsor sign the application form and submit documents to the Immigration Office which has jurisdiction over your residence address.
    NOTE: You, as the applicant, has to be in Japan at the time of submission of the application. You can leave and go back to Japan for travel etc. during the processing period of application.
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    Processing period at the Immigration Office: 2 – 4 weeks
    Additional documents might be requested by the Immigration Office, processing period will get longer in that case.
    Note that the screening period will be different depending on the case, the seasonal reason, congestion of the application as well as the office/branch of the Immigration Office.
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  4. Approved: Notice of Approval (usually a postcard) will be sent to your residence address (or Immigration Lawyer in case you hire one).
    * Denied: jump to IN CASE OF DENIAL below.
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  5. Go to pick up your new Residence Card to the Immigration Office by the date stated in the Notice of Approval (in case you hire a immigration lawyer, he/she will go to pick it up for you). You need to present the original of your current Residence Card and Passport at the Immigration Office counter. Also, you need to pay Immigration Tax by the revenue stamp – put the revenue stamp on the payment statement and hand it in at the counter.
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  6. After you receive new Residence Card, your VISA STATUS is valid until the date of expiry stated on the renewed RESIDENCE CARD.

NOTE

  • You need to be in Japan at the time of submission of your application since you need to present the original of your passport and current Residence Card.
  • You need to be in Japan when you pick up your new Residence Card after approval of the application. You need to present the original of passport and current Residence Card when you pick up your new card.
  • You can travel outside Japan during the screening of the application. However, you will need to pick up your new Residence Card no later than 2 months after the expiry date of your current visa status.
  • You must inform the Immigration Office about any change of the items in the application form and supplemental documents.
  • Immigration Office cannot tell you when the screening of your application will be completed.
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IN CASE OF DENIAL

If your application for EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY is denied, the Notice of Denial will be sent to you or your visa sponsor (or Immigration Lawyer if you or your visa sponsor hired one for the case) instead of the Notice of Approval.

You should go to the Immigration Office with the Notice of Denial to ask the reason of the denial (Immigration Lawyer can be accompanied by you or the Immigration Office can tell directly to the Immigration Lawyer alone in some case). The Immigration Office would advise you what the major issue is. If the reason is not critical and it can be resolved, you can try the re-application as soon as possible by the date of expiry of your current visa status. If the reason is critical and it cannot be solved, you should consider whether you can find a way or you will leave Japan.

IN CASE YOUR CURRENT VISA IS ALREADY EXPIRED AT THE TIME OF DENIAL

When you go to the Immigration Office with the Notice of Denial, the Immigration Office will void the expired Residence Card and grant you a visa status called DESIGNATED ACTIVITIES for DEPARTURE to prepare for leaving Japan. The duration of the visa is generally 30 days or 31 days, you will not get overstayed until the expiration date.

In case you have 31 days of DESIGNATED ACTIVITIES for DEPARTURE or longer, you have a chance to apply for CHANGE of VISA STATUS by the date of expiry if you find a visa status which is suitable for your circumstances.

In case you have up to 30 days of DESIGNATED ACTIVITIES for DEPARTURE, there is no way but you leave Japan.

In case you leave Japan, you need to take necessary procedures for leaving Japan (e.g. at city/ward office, Nenkin/Pension Office, bank etc.). If you left Japan without doing necessary reports or fail to pay remaining taxes etc., it may cause a problem when you apply for COE again in the future.

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