Before your visa expires, Application for extension of period of stay

photo by dailyexcelsior

If you are a foreign national staying in Japan, you must be on some kind of status of residence. Then, your status of residence will expire by up to 5-years unless you hold you have permanent resident or diplomat visa. If you wish to keep staying in Japan after the expiry date of your visa, you must apply for extension of period of stay before your visa expires. Importantly, you must meet some conditions to be permitted to extend your period of stay in Japan and your application may be declined if you don’t. So, let’s revise what you have to know about application for extension of period of stay.

When to apply?

You must apply for extension of period of stay BEFORE the expiry date of your status of period. It is illegal to remain in Japan after the last day of your period of stay without a permit to extend your stay. If you have a status of residence valid for 6-month or longer, an application can be submitted no earlier than about 3-months prior to the end of your period of stay. However, if there is unavoidable reasons such as illness or long term business tour, your application may be accepted earlier than that upon consultation with an immigration office in your area.
Also, processing period of application for extend of period of stay is 2-weeks to 1-month. An applicant is allowed to stay in Japan for 2-months from the last day of the period of stay on their visa once the application is accepted, no matter of the date the application is made as long as it is made before visa expiry date. However, there still is a chance of delay in assessment. Therefore, it is recommended to allow plenty of time when you make an application.

Required documents and procedures

Required documents

Application form
Photo x 1 (Check Immigration Bureau if Japan website for specification)
The supporting documents to be submitted on the occasion of application
Residence card or alien registration certificate to be presented (If an agent is applying, an applicant must have a photocopy of it with him/her)
Permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted by the status of residence previously granted, to be presented (if any)
Passport or certificate of status of residence to be presented (Written reasons if it cannot be presented)
Photo ID of an agent (If agent is applying)

※Details of supporting documents to be submitted on the occasion of application vary depending on applicant’s status of residence. Check Immigration Bureau of Japan website for more information.
※Application forms can be downloaded from Immigration Bureau of Japan website.

Fee

4,000yen upon approval of permission (Payment must be made with revenue stamps)

Procedures

A successful application proceeds as follows;
Submit an application form and supporting documents at a local immigration office, and receive a docket
Receive an approval notice once your application is granted
Bring the approval notice and your passport to the local immigration office to have a stamp on your passport

What will happen if your application has been declined?

A permit to extend period of stay is granted only if there is reasonable grounds to allow the applicant to remain in Japan for further period, considering the activity the applicant engages in, his/her behavior and the need to stay longer in Japan. According to the guidelines set by Ministry of Justice, an applicant must meet the following conditions to be granted with a permit to extend period of stay.

Activities in which an applicant intends to engage must correspond to the status of residence currently granted
Applicants must conform to the landing permission criteria provided for by Ordinance of the Ministry of Justice
Applicants must have good behavior
Applicants must have sufficient assets or ability to make an independent living
Proper employment and working conditions must be met
Applicants must fulfill tax obligations
Obligations provided by the Immigration Control Act, including notification obligations, must be fulfilled

For example, if an applicant who is on student visa hasn’t meet attendance requirement, an applicant engages in a job which is not permitted under his/her status of residence or hasn’t paid tax properly, their applications are more than likely to be rejected. If your application for extension of period of stay has been declined;

You will be requested to present yourself in a local immigration office
At the citation, your intent to leave Japan will be confirmed by an immigration officer after receiving a disapproval notice for extension of period of stay
You submit an application for change of details to change your status of residence to “designated activities”
You will be granted with a “designated activity” status of residence valid for one month and allowed to remain in Japan during this period (No work is permitted during the period)

If you wish to remain in Japan beyond this period, you can possibly choose to

Apply to change your status of residence to “spouse of Japanese national”, “dependent” etc
Depart from Japan, obtain a new status of residence in overseas to re-enter Japan
Re-apply for extension of period of stay

However, it is extremely difficult to reverse the result when the application has been declined previously.

Don’t let your visa expire

The period of stay granted for your status of residence is something you must remember while staying in Japan. Remaining in Japan with expired status of residence is illegal! Also remember, you must fulfill your duties and meet your visa conditions to have a permit to extend period of stay. But you don’t need to be overly scared as your application will be granted as long as there is reasonable grounds. Just allow enough time before your application.