I have been searching here for some situations where people (foreigners) living in Japan included a letter to their visa extension application to get a longer period of stay. I have been in Japan for 7 years and work as a BOEdirect-hired ALT. I have been getting consecutive 1 year periods of stay and would want to get longer than this next time. I consulted a few immigration legal assistants but was told they could not guarantee getting the desired result. There is a part in the visa application form that asks for “PURPOSE OF REQUEST.” Is it a good idea to attach a full letter listing the reasons why and my merits to get a longer period of stay? Some of my colleagues already got 3-5 years and I have been here longer than them and are working under the same contract. To this date, I am still puzzled how immigration determine one’s eligibility to get a longer visa.
7 comments
>To this date, I am still puzzled how immigration determine one’s eligibility to get a longer visa.
Don’t be, there is a monkey, there is a wall, there is a dart board. If the monkey hits the dart board that’s what you get. If the monkey hits the wall/ceiling/floor you get 1 year.
For many people, it comes down to their country of origin and circumstances. If your country only allows for a certain length from Japanese citizens, might reflect back in Japan for you. And circumstances too; ALT/eikaiwa work is very transitory so for not corporate positions, I can see immigration keeping a shorter leash.
Yeah, go ahead and write what you want to say. In some circumstances they can listen, others not so much.
Anecdotally, I heard if you could show that your taxes, health insurance, pension are all paid on time, it could increase your odds of getting a longer period of stay.
> To this date, I am still puzzled how immigration determine one’s eligibility to get a longer visa
Two white guys, same job, same income, same edu experience, same immigration location, same week applied. He got 5 years, I got 1.
Then, seishain, better than country average pay… 1 year visa’s for 2 more years.
Finally got a 3 at that point after asking why I’ve received 1s this whole time, and then at the beginning of covid finally got a 5 (and got PR 2 years later).
The whole thing is a bunch of BS, it all depends which stupid racist Taro working in immigration gets handed your file.
Request 3 years (not 5 years) and use a blue background on your photo. That seemed to please the dart throwing monkey and/or headless chicken running around until it drops enough for me
I always got 3 years (standard for JETs). Tried requesting 5 at renewal time, still got 3. I automatically got 5 when I changed to a humanities/engineer visa because the company I got a job at is large and well-known.
Doesn’t matter if you’re dispatch or direct-hire ALT. I always got 3 years even when i worked for Interac, then got 5 year spouse visa after getting married but I come from the U.K so.
I noticed a trend between my friends that there were more Filipinos / Indonesians with 1 year visa’s compared to the proper countries.