certificate of eligibility?

[megumi888]

hi guys... Konichiwa, I want to ask how many days/months have to take to receive a certificate of eligibility? I am marrying a Japanese man, and before applying for a spousal visa the Japanese spouse of a foreigner need to apply for a certificate of eligibility, how many days/months does it take?
please help.. thanks

 

[Mrjones]

Depends how fast your husband delivers needed documents for Japan imigration byreo.

 

[Mike Cash]

Recently they are getting more strict. I hate to say this, but I believe they may be particularly more strict in the case of Filipinas. As you may know, there are many "Filipina clubs" in Japan and a few years ago they changed the policy/law regarding which clubs can sponsor workers for visas and how many they can sponsor. People on spouse visas don't fall under those restrictions, so I suspect that some clubs may be having their Japanese male employees engage in fraudulent marriages in order to get around the restrictions. Whether that is the case or not, there is greater scrutiny and suspicion lately.

I am doing a cut-n-paste of a recent post by the famous Debito regarding this, as it contains information which I think may be useful and interesting to you:

1) IMMIGRATION BUREAU ASKS VERY PERSONAL QUESTIONS OF J SPOUSES FOR VISAS

This comes first because the news is freshest. According to friend
and Legal Scrivener Akira, the following is a new innovation in Tokyo
Immigration (Nyuukoku Kanri Kyoku), which will be or has since been
adopted nationwide as visa-granting policy.

On the Nyuukan section of the Ministry of Justice Website:

http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-1.html

the application procedures for Status of Residence for longer-term
visas (i.e. anything over three months) now require three documents
(section reading "shinseisho youshiki"):

1) An application for Certificate of Eligibility (zairyuu shikaku
nintei shoumeisho koufu shinseisho)
(same as before, form contents depending on what kind of visa you want)
http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-1-1.html

2) A Guarantor, through a Letter of Guarantee (mimoto hoshousho)
http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-1-23.pdf (Japanese)
http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-1-24.pdf (laughably
unprofessional English)
This is new--this was not required of all long-term visas before.

And, newest of all,
3) an eight-page "Shitsumon Sho" (Question Sheet) in Japanese only,
given to the Japanese spouse of the foreign applicant.
http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-1-25.pdf

This Shitsumon Sho is now required (according to footnote four in the
quadrant reading "shinseisho youshiki") for 1) all Japanese spouses,
2) all Japanese spouses of Permanent Residents, and 3) all Japanese
spouses of Nikkei who are applying for a visa.

Opening with a wavy-underlined statement (like an FBI warning before
a video) stating (all translations mine), "Bear in mind that any part
of this form adjudged as contravening the truth may incur
disadvantages when being considered by officials," this form in
fascinating in its intrusiveness:

Section One asks that the applicant state his name and nationality,
and the spouse do the same. Home address and home and work phone.
Living together or not.

Fine. Then it asks whether you rent or own, the space of your abode
(in LDK), and how much you pay in rent per month.

Section Two asks for your love story, from meeting until marriage.
It gives you nearly a page (attach more if you need) to write down
the date you met, where you met, whether or not you were introduced,
and your whole love life (kekkon ni itatta kei'i, ikisatsu) until you
got married.

(It avoids asking about your favorite positions. Still, it
specifically notes that anything else of reference, such as photos,
letters, proof of international phone calls etc. are welcome.)

Section Three is for those who were introduced. It asks for the
introducer's name, nationality, birth date, address, phone number,
alien registration number, date of introduction, place, and style of
meeting (photo, phone, date, email, something else?). It also asks
you to fill out a box on how deep each of your relationships go with
the introducer. Be detailed, it demands.

But wait, there's more...

Section Four gets into the linguistics of your relationship. It asks
what language you speak together, what your native tongues are, how
well you understand each other (with four possible boxes to check),
and how the foreigner learned his or her Japanese (again, be
specific--there are four lines provided).

And there are four more lines provided to explain what you do when
you don't understand each other linguistically. If you use an
interpreter, you are to give the interpreter's name, nationality, and
address.

Section Four asks about your marriage from a legal standpoint:

If you married in Japan, who were your witnesses? (You need two to
sign the Kekkon Todoke in Japan). Give their name, sex, address, and
phone numbers.

Section Five asks about the fanfare. If you held a wedding ceremony
or a party (doesn't indicate where--I guess that includes overseas
bashes too), give the date and address. How many people
attended--give a number. Who came? Choose from the appropriate
seven types of family members: Father, mother, older brother, older
sister...

Section Six asks for your wedding histories. Is this your first
marriage or a remarriage? If a remarriage, from when until when?
Give dates. Two check boxes are provided to distinguish between
dissolution through death or through divorce.

Section Seven asks how many times your foreign client, sorry, spouse,
traveled to Japan and for how long. Give dates and reasons.
Section Eight asks how many times you Japanese spouse went to the
foreigner's home country. Same data, please, except there are two
specific sections devoted to how many times you've crossed the border
since you met, then how many times since you married.

Sections Nine and Ten the only sections I can see as really
germane--if you've ever been expelled from Japan for a visa violation
or some such. Give full details.

But we're not done yet. Section Eleven wants you to fill out your
entire family tree, with names, ages, addresses, and phone numbers in
both Japan and the foreigner's country. A separate chart is provided
for the happy international couple to give the names, birth dates,
and addresses of their children. Create for us an entire Koseki
listing.

Finally, Section Twelve asks who in both your families knew about
your marriage. Again, circle the appropriate types of family members.

Sign and date. And we'll reiterate the FBI warning just at the very
bottom again just in case you would even think of lying.

-------------------------------

So much for the sanctity of the privacy of marriage. I think I'll
stop by Immigration and ask a few questions why they need this kind
of information. After all--what matters what language they speak at
home?

It goes beyond remembering the color of your spouse's toothbrush...
into voyeurism. I'm sure any Japanese couple would balk at having to
reveal this much intimate detail, so why is it being demanded from
international couples in Japan?

Because it can be, of course. We're Immigration, so sod you. After
all, we can take away any foreigner's rights at will...

Again, see for yourself at http://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/IMMIGRATION/16-1-25.pdf

Perhaps now my naturalizing doesn't seem so crazy after all. Too bad
for all those long-suffering spouses who now have to provide the
government with a pipeline into their private life just because they
had the ill judgment to marry a foreigner. I smell an article here.

Where next falls the shadow:

 

[megumi888]

thanks yes but of course i would like to know when can he get it(the certificate)once he passed the documents needed?
thanks Mrjones....

 

[MajideSaiaku]

Just when you think Japanese immigration and customs cant get any more complicated, you descover something new.

 

[justinod]

hey, I am not clear on your question...
I just got married here in Japan to a Japanese national. The certificate of eligibility that I had to get was regarding my eligibility to marry (not married, etc). My fiance didn't have to get any document regarding her eligibility to marry but did need to go to the city office and get a copy of her household papers. These show that she is still a part of her family's household (once married, regardless of divorce, she would not be on her family's household papers). That is how a Japanese national proves their eligibility to marry. Hope it helps.

 

[NekoMama7]

I remember reading that the normal wait time for Certificate of Eligibility being approved is between 1 - 3 months, provided you do not have any issues.

Just make sure that you have all your papers ready. As Mike Cash mentioned, your wait time may get longer due to your nationality, but as long as your marriage is legit, you shouldn't worry.

Good luck!

 

[carol17]

Help Certificate of Eligiblity

I was deported in Japan to Philippines due to illegal staying...
I married a japanese guy here in the Phil.
I was trying to ask the COE but i was denied
What are my penalties? How long will it take for me to get one.... i am pregnant now....
thanks for the helps

 

[Glenski]

Your passport should list the date of your blacklisting. What does it say?

Illegal staying could mean several things, and depending on circumstances, you might be blacklisted/prohibited for 1 year or 5 years.

 

[carol17]

what if i was put in saiban or i was put on court?? i used illegal passport 2

 

[Glenski]

Please answer the question. What does it say on your passport about blacklisting date?

 

[Mayumi305]

Hi Guys! I am planning to apply for an eligibility certificate for my 2 sons who are currently living in the Philippines. They've never been to Japan. They're now 18 and 21 years old. By the way, I am Japanese and was married to a Filipino. Have been separated for 13 years now. I am now officially divorced to my ex-husband and have my sons registered in my family registry or Kosekitohon. I have a Japanese live-in partner though who I stay together with at home and he owns the house. For now, marriage is not in the list of our priorities but he is in full support of this application. With these infos, I want to know:

1) If I can be granted approval even without a job. (I used to work but for like 5 months now, have temporarily stopped due to back problems). Will my partner be asked for supporting papers like bank statements or employment certificiate, etc, even if we are not married?

2) If my sons happen to reach Japan with approved C.O.E., can they continue their studies in the Philippines and just visit back Japan again on their summer vacations?

Need some advice. Thanks.

 

[jamie88]

hi there,

Good day!

I`m a Filipina, I was married last august 2011 in a japanese man and I`m waiting for my spouse visa approval this time. What I need to know is, if what are the step by step procedure of processing my kids papers so that they can live with us here in Japan. My husband willing to adopt them. Their ages are 4 and 3 years old.

any advice are greatly appreciated!!!

thanks;

jamie from yokosuka

 

[Glenski]

Mayumi,
If you are Japanese, you can very easily get answers to your questions by calling the immigration office.

Be careful about what COE you ask for for your children. They may not be considered "children" by immigration's standards after a certain age. If they get a COE (then status which allows them to stay in Japan), then they will need a reentry permit to leave the country without voiding that status.

 

[nyouyaku]

I am wondering how did the two of you meet?