Working Holiday Visa Extension denied?

7 comments

1. Question :Did you have heard directly from them during your application process that it was possible?
   I mean except on their website.

   Plus, give us your nationality because it depends a lot on it. From France, WHV is a 1year visa Not Extensible. I’ve never heard that you were in any case able to extend it. Actually it was written the opposite: It cannot, in any case, be extended

2. Did they say why it was impossible to extend it?

3. Not a direct answer to your question, but

   1. Were you given a reason why you couldn’t extend your WHV?
   2. Who told you that information? Immigration?
   3. When “they” told you it was impossible, how did it play out? Were you inquiring at the office, and they told you you weren’t allowed? Or did you try to submit an application for renewal/extension of your visa, and they refused to accept it?

   I’m assuming you’re Canadian based on your post history. Yeah, in theory [the WHV can be extended for another 6 months](https://www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/working_holiday_visa.html), so I think it’s best to ask for clarification on why you weren’t allowed.

4. It wholly depends on your country but assuming you’re from a country that does extensions, unless you majorly screwed up your application, the immigration officer is probably in the wrong (heck, we’re all human) and you should file an appeal. That is unless they didn’t let you file your application, because if that’s the case, then just try again and hope you don’t get the same person.

   I’ve had this happen before because I have a bit of a weird visa that isn’t seen very often in my neck of the woods. I nearly got deported when I moved to a new area because they didn’t believe I should have this visa (even though it was accepted by another office) until I explained to them very thoroughly and got the head of the Immigration Office in to talk to him.

5. If it’s impossible how did you fill in an application form? Aren’t they usually specific forms for each type of visa?

6. Most likely a misunderstandig.
   Working holiday visa agreements are slightly different between countries. Most get a 1 year visa from beginning, but some get 6 months and can extend for another 6. 1 year is usually the max for everyone.

   However now during the pandemic it was possible to extend visas if you could “prove you can’t go home” or something vague like that. I know of people who extended their already 1 year WHV for additional 6 months. Some of them even more than once, allowing them to stay for 2 years or longer. I even know of people extending tourist visas for 3 months at a time and getting permission to do a few hours of work to cover their basic expenses. It was a wild time in the last 2 years.

   Probably they now got a memo at the immigration office that WHV can’t be extended anymore under this exceptional rule. The person you talked to either is new or can’t remember that 2 years ago there were people who extended their 6 months WHV to 1 year. They just got the memo that the extension was an exception and is not allowed anymore.

   I would try to go again and see if you get another person. If they tell you the same, say you want to talk to their supervisor. Also prepare the official page about the WHV for Canadians on your phone or printed and highlight the extension part. Better to show them the Japanese version of the embassy website, but they should understand and accept the English one as well. 😉

7. I extended mine twice but that was a fair while ago before Japan’s increasingly xenophobic lurch rightwards. Just go and try again.