If the title doesn’t make sense, here is some background explanation:
I came to Japan as a student under a student visa. I was able to get a job that was able to sponsor me with humanities working visa. The company went to the immigration office for me to change my visa and my residency card.
* **I** **received a new residency card with my new visa status**.
* **But on my passport, I still have my student visa (no void or canceled stamp) and my landing permission sticker with the canceled stamp.**
My main concern is that I’m flying to America soon, but afraid TSA/visa inspector(?) will stop me because my passport doesn’t have a working visa sticker.
Is this normal? What should I do?
5 comments
The visa is for entering Japan. You don’t need visa to stay in Japan, only your residence card.
Your initial sticker is just permission to enter the country. You now have status of residence. Your residence card is your permission to be here, not what’s in your passport. You don’t need a new sticker. Hope that helps.
Your visa is your residence card. Your student visa is one of a very few number of stickers you can actually get in your passport, most people just have the landing permit sticker.
A “visa” is actually just a one-time thing you use to enter the country the first time.
The first time you enter the country, that visa is voided, and in turn you get a “status of residence”, of which the zairyu card is the proof. You don’t have a visa anymore.
If you exit the country with a valid status of residence, you must get a re-entry permit to re-enter (very simple paper to fill out at the airport).
People often mix “visa” and “status of residence”, but those are different things.
tldr: you’re good.
They used to put a sticker in your passport, but no longer for most visas. Can’t remember when that happened, seems recent, but I’ve been here ages and time has become meaningless.