I’m not sure if this is the best place to post this since most people are probably looking for info on coming to Japan or those living here on a longer-term basis, but…
I’m a U.S. citizen and my wife is a Japanese national. We’re planning to move to the U.S., but we’d like to remain in Japan together (if possible) while the immigration situation is sorted out for her visa since it could be a year+ before things are sorted out.
I’m doing my best to research online, but I was curious if anyone else is going through a similar situation or already did it and how you handled it.
It would be nice to not have to deal with an immigration lawyer, but I’m also thinking that might be the safest route. Anybody have any experience with that here in Japan?
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I did this about 15 years ago, and so some things may have changed, but in general, it should be about the same. We applied through the US embassy in Tokyo, did not use any lawyers nor any other “consultants.” The process, while at times cumbersome, was not that difficult. The website has all the information you need, and you can call for help anytime–embassy staff were just great with us. Walked me through everything. The people at the embassy interviewing and processing us were also very kind and helpful, and aside from how long it takes (about 6-8 months from start to finish if I remember correctly), pretty painless. My wife also found lots of info on the Internet which she used to make sure her part of the forms were filled out correctly. Some things have to be translated, but you can do them yourself, no “official” translations needed. We now live in Tokyo, but that is another story and nothing to do with green cards or immigration. 😉
I’ve done this somewhat recently (2018). From the sound of things, you are not currently a resident of Japan, and that if you are here right now, you are here as a temporary visitor. If that is the case, then really your only choice to stay here for the duration until she’s approved is for you to become a resident of Japan as the spouse of a Japanese national. Feel free to ask any detailed questions here or in DM.
Not recent but did it in 2013, no lawyer needed. Lived together in Japan for a year after applying while waiting for everything to go through. Used my savings as proof of being able to cover living expenses once in the US.
I’m currently in the same bag here. I’m curious if we will even be able to get her a resident visa for the US since my wife isn’t vaxxed. Anyways around this I wonder?
Apparently the wait is like eighteen months if you’re just applying normally. If you can get a job offer from an American company before you go, then you can use that to expedite the process down to a couple of months. I just did it this route and it took about 60 days from filing the I-130 to getting her visa in the mail. You’d have to find a company willing to be flexible with your start date, though, because if you go over before your wife, the embassy will not expedite her visa and you’ll be apart for a year plus.
My next company had an immigration lawyer help me, but honestly the information they gave was all available and clear on the government websites. Ours was a simple case though so if you expect complications (like the affidavit of support) it might be worth it. You will need to submit at least your most recent US tax return; my lawyer advised I submit the last three.
If they deem you unable to provide support, then someone else (your Mom or Dad) would also be able to do it if they were willing. It doesn’t have to be the spouse. Obviously this would require a lot of trust between you and whoever sponsors you because it’s really supposed to be you/your wife covering her expenses.
Also be aware that the whole process costs about $2000