Japanese American marrying a Japanese

[quato]

Hypothetical situation:
Tadashi has two nationalities and two passports: Tadashi Yamada(JP) and Tom Tadashi Yamada(US). (there is no record in Japan or the USA of Tadashi(JP) and Tom(US) being the same person since he uses one passport in each country) He marries Tomoko in Japan at the local ward office and they register as Tadashi and Tomoko Yamada. Then Tomoko applies for a spousal visa at the US embassy. Will US immigration recognize the fact that Tom(USA)=Tadashi(JP)? Or will they say "No, you are married to Tadashi(JP), and not to Tom(US) so you can't get a visa?"

Do any of you know someone who got married in Japan while they were a dual citizen?

 

[Glenski]

Why should Tomoko need a spouse visa? She sounds like a Japanese citizen to me. For that matter, if Tadashi has a Japanese passport, why should he need a spouse visa, either?

 

[quato]

I mean an immigrant visa to go to the US

 

[Glenski]

Tadashi needs to merely point out that he is American, whether dual or otherwise, and Tomoko can apply for her green card.

 

[quato]

Thanks for the answer. So you're saying that the US embassy in Japan/state department in the US will recognize that Tom/Tadashi are one and the same person? I heard that the Philippines has a document called "Certificate of One and the Same Person" to make things easier but the US doesn't seem to have one. BTW At the Tokyo embassy they are very rude over the phone and refused to give any information, referring me to a visa hotline that charges $20 per call/email!

 

[Glenski]

I'm saying that because Tadashi/Tom carries a US passport, it is very likely that he will be recognized as a US citizen. Hard to say what the policy is for dual citizens in this situation. Try contacting another source for a less impolite response. You're going to have to anyway.

 

[quato]

update

So we paid the ﾂ??000 to get an email response from the us state dept and they said that the us embassy in japan most likely would recognize that Tadashi/Tom is one and the same person. Also in the us (according to the state dept) you can get married again after having gotten married in Japan.

 

[Glenski]

Why did email cost 2000 yen?

 

[orochi]

Why did email cost 2000 yen?

He could have had a V8.

 

[quato]

The email costs ﾂ??000 because the us state dept/us embassy in japan refuses to answer any questions about visas. Instead they direct you to:

The Visa Information Service, operated by TeleTech Government Solutions, LLC in partnership with Computer Science Corporation (CSC) provides an operator-assisted service between 8:00 and 18:00, Monday through Friday (except on American and Japanese holidays). Please note that this service is a user-pays service. You will need to have a valid VISA or MasterCard ready before you use this service. The fee is $18.35 per call/email.

If I paid taxes in the US I'd be even more pissed off.

 

[FrustratedDave]

I believe you will have to get married in the US under "Tom". They will not recognise your Japanese name in the US. However I would like to know your age , b/c if you still fall under the guidelines where you can legally hold dual citizenship all you will have to do is get a statutory declaration to declare that you are one and the same person and there could be a few more forms to fill out in regards to the marraige, then they should recognise your Japanese marraige. I am not a lawyer BTW.

 

[dreamer]

Sorry to dig out an old topic but...isn't dual nationality forbidden in Japan? I mean they are supposed to give you 1 or 2 years to decide which nationality you wish to keep, right?

 

[undrentide]

Sorry to dig out an old topic but...isn't dual nationality forbidden in Japan? I mean they are supposed to give you 1 or 2 years to decide which nationality you wish to keep, right?

To my knowledge if dual citizenship is not allowed in Japan.
If you have Japanese citizenship and another as well, you have to decide by the time you become 22 years old.
If you choose Japanese, you are expected to renounce another one, but since there're countries where it is impossible to do so, so it is not a set requirement (so there seem to be many who practically keep dual citizenship even after 22 years old...)

 

[NiseiBoy]

Please help!!!

To my knowledge if dual citizenship is not allowed in Japan.
If you have Japanese citizenship and another as well, you have to decide by the time you become 22 years old.
If you choose Japanese, you are expected to renounce another one, but since there're countries where it is impossible to do so, so it is not a set requirement (so there seem to be many who practically keep dual citizenship even after 22 years old...)

Just out of curiosity, what would happen or what would your status be if you did NOT choose.?? Are you considered a dual citizen?
I have some questions related to this, please advise.
I was born in the USA, born to 2 japanese citizens...I did not choose when I reached 22. Do I have dual citizenship?
Thanks in advance

 

[quato]

I`m convinced that the whole "having to choose" thing is an urban legend. I`ve never heard of a real case where someone was asked to choose, but I`ve heard of many where people weren`t.

 

[NiseiBoy]

Thanks Quato, that does seem like the case. I'm going through a bit of an obstacle because of this situation. If you can chime in on this and advise the best way to go about this, I would greatly appreciate it.
I recently got married to a Japanese citizen. She is trying to change her name in Shizuoka, Japan with the help of her mother. We sent all necessary paperwork (ie. my birth cert, marriage license, etc..) Her mother was asked if I were a Japanese citizen (because my parents were born in Japan) Instinctively, she said "no" and that I am a US citizen. She was then asked to provide proof that I chose US over Japan for citizenship...
There is no way to avoid that, simply because I don't have that proof, besides an American Passport. What should my next move be?
Some people are telling me I should go through the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles, but my fear is that they will ask for the same "proof"...what are your thoughts on this?
Any advise or suggestion is extremely helpful to me at this point in time, and I would appreciate anyone's help. Thanks in advance.

 

[undrentide]

If you have dual citizenship and wish to choose Japanese nationality, you are expected to report to Japanese government by 22 years of age, and if you do not, you might lose Japanese nationality under the Citizenship Law ﾂ（ﾂ坂?伉静絶?邸ﾂ） of Japan. However, even thow the law says you have to do it by 22 years old, you still have the right to choose, according to the source I've found (in Japanese language).
I cannot find its English version (maybe it does not exist), but I'm sure your fiancee is able to take a look and make further investigation what can be done, if you really want to take Japanese nationality.

http://www.toronto.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/nihongo/dual.htm
It's a page from the website of Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto, Canada but this should be applied to anyone who has japanese nationality when he/she was born...

国籍法 (日本) - Wikipedia
ﾂ坂?伉静絶?邸
Japanese nationality law - Wikipedia
English version (But it seems to have less information compared with the Japanese version...)

Just found another webpage by Embassy of Japan in the USA about Japanese citizenship. (again, in Japanese language.)
Embassies of Japan

 

[hsakakibara1]

Stay Put!

Since both are Japanese citizens I say they should stay put or go to a third country to reside. The US is slowly but surely getting worse by the day, prices are climbing while pays are not, there is a financial crisis, etc.

I would think very long and hard about any move here. Many come here only to be disappointed. I know Japan is going through a rough patch right now, but things in the US really sucks. So be careful! Forget all that crap you see on TV about the States being a paradise, Manhattan being a jewel of an island, etc. It is all bull crap.

Again, be careful!

 

[quato]

Embassies and Cosulates

Neither the US embassy in Japan nor the Japanese embassy in the US seems to be willing to help you if you're a dual citizen- they just tell you to act like one of the natives and use the appropriate passport/documents of the country you happen to be in. In fact the people at the US embassy in Tokyo won't talk to me unless I exit Japan and re-enter on my US passport and get a visa stamp!

Thanks Quato, that does seem like the case. I'm going through a bit of an obstacle because of this situation. If you can chime in on this and advise the best way to go about this, I would greatly appreciate it.
I recently got married to a Japanese citizen. She is trying to change her name in Shizuoka, Japan with the help of her mother. We sent all necessary paperwork (ie. my birth cert, marriage license, etc..) Her mother was asked if I were a Japanese citizen (because my parents were born in Japan) Instinctively, she said "no" and that I am a US citizen. She was then asked to provide proof that I chose US over Japan for citizenship...
There is no way to avoid that, simply because I don't have that proof, besides an American Passport. What should my next move be?
Some people are telling me I should go through the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles, but my fear is that they will ask for the same "proof"...what are your thoughts on this?
Any advise or suggestion is extremely helpful to me at this point in time, and I would appreciate anyone's help. Thanks in advance.

Did it turn out ok? You could get married twice- once in America and once in Japan. I contacted the US state dept. and after paying those greedy bastards 25 bucks for a single email they told me that it would be ok to get married in Japan first and then get married in the US (as long as it's to the same person! )