Overstayed your visa?
What do you do if you overstay your visa? Especially if it’s for a short period, generally by accident? To be honest, I didn’t really know. I had heard rumour of deportation at your own cost, plus being barred from entering Japan again for up to 10 years.
Thankfully it hasn’t happened to me, because the eikaiwa will keep a very close eye on visas and expiry dates of their employees. I imagine because they would get into more trouble than the actual employee because they’d be hiring us illegally. When my visa was due for renewal the eikaiwa got on my case and reminded me almost daily to renew it. Then they wanted a copy of it as proof. So, I’m okay. But there might be some who aren’t.
Shortbuscolin (linked through kissui.net), an American, recently overstayed his visa and lived to tell the tale. It seems that there isn’t much information about what to do on the internet, so hopefully his story will help some people in the future.
Two most important things to remember:
1. The visa is 90 days, not 3 months. Keep this in mind and try to avoid overstaying. But, if you do, then…
2. Go to the Japanese Immigration Bureau, not your Embassy.
There is a process that you can follow and while it will be expensive, if it was genuinely an accident that you overstayed for a short period, then the Bureau will sort you out, without too much trouble.
Don’t forget to check this post for more information on visas and hopefully a growing list of directions to Immigration offices around Japan.
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July 24th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
It would be great if you could post details of how to actually renew your visa. I couldn’t find much online and my work visa is expiring next month.
July 25th, 2006 at 12:12 am
Thank you for all these superb articles. I’m almost 21 years old, and I would love to teach in Japan–though my true love is art. I liked what I read on the AEON website, except where it said that I HAVE to live in AEON-provided housing, and no pets are allowed. My little cat is my only family. Is there another company you can recommend where I can find my own housing, or some comparable solution? I’ve just started researching this topic and the amount of info available is overwhelming.
July 25th, 2006 at 10:33 am
NEXT MONTH?! Dude, you better hurry! I wrote a bit here about getting a re-entry permit. Not quite the same. I had a working holiday visa as opposed to a work visa. What I did to renew it was pretty much the same as the re-entry permit - go to the immigration office, stand in queues, fill out forms, stand in queues, pay some cash, stand in queues then 14 working days later, stand in a queue again and hey presto! New visa.
My best advice is to go to the immigration office ASAP and look confused until somebody helps you :D
July 25th, 2006 at 11:06 am
Yes, in AEON you need to stay in their apartments, or at least, you need to pay their minimal rent even if you aren’t living in their apartment. It kinda sucks. There’s a few options around, mainly Sakura House and Leo Palace. I don’t think you’ll find many places willing to accept pets though.
But, in regards to your cat - are you sure you’d want to bring it to Japan? There’d be 3 months quarantine each for Japan and your home country. 6 months locked up alone in a cage doesn’t sound like fun for your cat. There’s plenty of stray cats in Japan that need love though ;) I’ve befriended a few. Maybe your cat should stay at home?
April 19th, 2007 at 11:47 am
I overstayed my visa and for now I have just married to a Japanese national…we are planning to apply a Spouse visa…how long do you think will it take before I can have my Spouse visa?