In Japan, most visa applications that are immediately re-submitted after a denial will not be accepted by the Japanese immigration department. This is because, if the applicant immediately reapplies, the circumstances that led to the denial of the first visa application are not likely to have changed. Reviewing the same application for a second time would simply lead to the same result. Therefore, applicants who have had their visa application denied generally wait for 6 months before reapplying.
While this 6 month wait period ensures that applications without any significant changes will not waste the immigration department’s resources, it is not fair for applications who have had a meaningful change in their circumstances within 6 months of their first visa denial. For applications that have had a significant change that improves their chances of being granted a visa, it is important to discuss their situation with an attorney and the local Japanese embassy or consulate.
If you have a question about visas in Japan, please contact our office for a legal consultation.