FAQ Archives - Ohara & Furukawa

January 8, 2018

Visa to Enter Japan

There are only four criteria for someone to be granted a visa to enter Japan. However, satisfying some requirements is easier than others. First, the applicant must have a valid passport. Second, the applicant must have accurately completed all necessary documents for the visa application. Third, the activities that the applicant plans to engage in while in Japan must be legitimate and meet the requirements of the visa. Finally, certain people defined in the Immigration Control Act (such as those with a dangerous infectious disease) can be denied a visa to enter Japan.

December 13, 2017

What should be included in a Letter of Guarantee for a Japanese visa?

A letter of guarantee required by some Japanese visa applications is a relatively simple one page document. It should contain the relevant information of the foreign national and the guarantor but it should also describe their relationship, whether this be friends, relatives or coworkers. In the letter, the guarantor should promise to provide logistical support for the foreign national as well as transportation fee for the trip back to his or her home country. Finally, the guarantor must also swear that the foreign national will abide by Japanese law while staying in Japan.

November 24, 2017

What are the requirements for maintaining a spousal visa in Japan?

The only major requirement for keeping a spousal visa in Japan is to continue to stay married to a Japanese national. In general, spousal visas do not apply to couples who divorce or where one spouse has died, although it may be possible to switch to a long term visa in some cases. It is important to note that, even if the couple is legally married, they must also meet a certain standard of marital behavior and marriages that seem fraudulent risk the possibility of having a renewal visa rejected.

November 2, 2017

Is it possible to visit someone at an immigration detention center in Japan?

Immigration detention centers are not prisons but they are facilities designed around the careful monitoring of individuals who have broken Japanese immigration laws. As such, there are strict rules about visiting someone who is currently being held at a detention facility. Each facility has a different set of rules but the general policies are similar. To meet a detainee you should bring proper identification, such as a foreign residence card or passport, and visit the detention center during the center’s office hours. The Osaka detention center is open from 9 to 12 and 1 to 4 on weekdays, although these […]