DEPENDENT

DEPENDENT (家族滞在) is a VISA STATUS to stay in Japan with a FOR WORK type visa holders. Meaning, if you are obtaining (or are planning to apply for) the following visa status, you may bring your spouse or children to Japan under DEPENDENT visa status to live together in Japan and to support them financially during your stay in Japan.

Since DEPENDENT visa status is for spouse and child to be supported financially, this type of visa status is basically not allowed to work. However, they may engage in a part-time job within the limitation of the permission if they obtain PERMISSION to ENGAGE in OTHER ACTIVITIY (資格外活動許可).

>> PERMISSION to ENGAGE in OTHER ACTIVITIY (資格外活動許可)

Here’s the list of VISA STATUS which can bring their spouse or child as their sponsor;

Professor | Artist | Religious Activities | Journalist | Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) | Business Manager | Legal / Accounting Services | Medical Services | Researcher | Instructor | Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / Int’l Services | Intra-Company Transferee | Care Worker | Entertainer | Skilled Worker | Specified Skilled Worker 2 | Cultural Activities | Student

Here’s definition of spouse and child who can be applicable to DEPNDENT;

• Spouse: those who is legally registered as a spouse (common-law spouse, deceased or divorced spouse and same-sex spouse are not included)
• Child: legitimate child, illegitimate but acknowledged child, child legally adopted by supporter

IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH VISA PROCEDURES IN JAPAN, JUMP TO INTRODUCTORY PAGES BELOW FIRST:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Immigration Office judges your eligibility for DEPENDENT visa status comprehensively – In order to be eligible for this visa status, you need to certify blood relationship, marriage, or other family relationship by the documents. Also, supporter has to be financially stable enough to make living with the DEPENDENT.

Here’s the list of basic requirements for DEPENDENT;

Regardless of which visa status you apply for, you need to satisfy basic criteria first;
>> WHAT IS VISA STATUS?

It is required to satisfy all conditions listed below;

POINTS TO NOTE

In case of step-child

In case that the applicant is a step-child who is a child of your spouse and you are NOT a biological parent of the child and you have not legally adopted the child yet, the child is not applicable to DEPENDENT. Step-child is applicable to DESIGNATED ACTIVITIES as Exception (告示外特定活動).

In case of your parent or siblings

Basically, there is no visa status to bring your parent and siblings (except for Japanese descendents) to support and live together in Japan. Only in case that your father or mother is over 70 years old already and has sickness which requires care of someone but he/she doesn’t have any relatives in home country, there are chance to bring the parent to Japan to support his/her living. Applicable visa status in that case is DESIGNATED ACTIVITIES as Exception (告示外特定活動), not DEPENDENT.

DEPENDENT must lose visa status without Supporter

DEPENDENT visa holders will lose their visa status without their supporter who is a basis of application for DEPENDENT. If their supporter leaves Japan and loses the visa status, DEPENDENT cannot stay in Japan any more and must leave Japan with the supporter unless he/she is eligible for other visa status (e.g. visa status falls under FOR WORK etc.) and apply for CHANGE of VISA STATUS.

In case of a child born in Japan while Supporter is living in Japan

In case a child is born in Japan while Supporter is living in Japan under a visa status applicable to supporter, the new born child is applicable to DEPENDENT. You should apply for PERMISSION to ACQUIRE VISA STATUS for your new born child if you keep living in Japan together with the child since DEPENDENT visa status is not automatically given to your child.

>> PERMISSION to ACQUIRE VISA STATUS

HOW to PROCESS

In case you are currently residing outside Japan yet or you are staying in Japan as a TEMPORARY VISITOR:
>> COE APPLICATION

In case you have been living in Japan under specific status and holding RESIDENCE CARD already:
>> CHANGE of VISA STATUS

PERIOD of STAY

Each visa status has the expiration date – you can stay in Japan under the visa status during the specific period stated on Residence Card issued by Immigration Office.

Period of stay shall be decided by Immigration Office depends on the applicant’s circumstance. In case of DEPENDENT visa status, it shall be granted based on the period of stay granted under the supporter’s current VISA STATUS,

In case you wish to extend the period of stay granted, you may apply for EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY before the expiry date.
>> EXTENSION OF PERIOD OF STAY (VISA RENEWAL)

In case you would like to travel outside Japan temporarily under the visa status.
>> RE-ENTRY PERMIT

BASIC REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

The immigration office considers your eligibility for the visa status by your situation/career and by documents you provide. You are required to prepare documents which certify that the contents of the application are true and correct. The Immigration Office will request at any time if they have any questions or would like to confirm the information you provided case by case.

Specific documents are varied depending on the situation of each applicant and the host organization/company, however, the basic documents for this visa status are as follows;

In case of COE APPLICATION and CHANGE of VISA STATUS

1. Application form
2. Photo
3. [In case of CHANGE of VISA STATUS] Residence Card and Passport
4. Documents to certify relationship between Applicant and Supporter, one of the below;
   • Transcript of Family Register (戸籍謄本)
   • Certificate of Acceptance of Marriage Report (婚姻届受理証明書)
   • Marriage Certificate
   • Birth Certificate
   • Document equivalent to the above (if necessary)
5. Documents to certify Supporter’s occupation/profession and income in case that Supporter engages in the activity which generates income in Japan;
   • [In case of employee] Employment Certificate issued by the current employer
   • [In case of director, executive (役員) etc. of the company] Certificate of Company Register
   • [In case of self-employer or freelance] Tax Return Form (the latest) stamped by Tax Office or document equivalent to
   • [all] Tax/Income Certificate and Tax Payment Certificate for the latest year’s Resident Tax (直近の住民税の課税・所得証明書および納税証明書
6. Documents to certify Supporter’s occupation/profession and income in case that Supporter’s activity in Japan does NOT fall under 5 above, one of the below;
   • Certificate of Bank Balance or Bank Statement for Supporter’s bank account
   • Scholarship Certificate which can clarify the amount granted and the period of grants
   • Other documents equivalent to above to certify cabability of financial support (if necessary)

In case of EXTENTION of PERIOD of STAY

Same as the above listed in “In case of COE APPLICATION and CHANGE of VISA STATUS”.

NOTE / REMARK

• All the documents written in foreign languages need to attach the Japanese translation.
• Additional documents may be requested by the Immigration Office during the screening.
• Some documents may be exempted in case your visa sponsor is classified under specific categories as follows: 1) listed corporation, government related organization, Independent administrative institution and other organization specified in this category 2) the total amount of annual withholding tax on the latest “Records for Salary Payment and Withholding Tax (給与所得の源泉徴収票等の法定調書合計表)” counts 10 million JPY or more, 3) your visa sponsor can submit a copy of the latest “Records for Salary Payment and Withholding Tax”.
• Any certificate issued by the Japanese authorities (Tax/Income Certificate, Certificate of Residence, Certificate of Company Register etc.) has to be the one issued within 3 months before the date of application.