Renewing Your Visa While in Japan

Foreign nationals who reside in Japan and who already have a status of residence, and who wish to extend the period of their stay beyond the period of stay already granted to them while maintaining the same status of residence must extend their period of stay.

This would present a major burden to these foreign nationals, so Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act  stipulates procedures for extending periods of stay and allowing foreign nationals living in Japan to continue to remain in Japan provided that the Minister of Justice deems it appropriate to allow them to remain in Japan.

As a general rule, foreign nationals residing in Japan with a status of residence are only permitted to stay for the duration granted to them. If they are unable to achieve the intended purpose of their stay within that period, they must leave Japan, obtain a new visa, and reenter the country.

Since this places a significant burden on foreign nationals, Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act provides procedures that allow the Minister of Justice to grant an extension of stay when deemed appropriate, enabling them to continue residing in Japan.

Application Submitter

The Application for Change of Status of Residence may be submitted by any of the following parties:

1. The applicant (the foreign national wishing to remain in Japan)
2. A representative - The legal representative of the applicant
3. A proxy

Application Submission Timing and Processing Time

The application must be submitted by the final day of the period of stay (for persons with a period of stay of six months or more, the application can be submitted up to roughly three months before the end of the period of stay, however, in the event of extenuating circumstances such as the applicant being hospitalized, going on an extended business trip, etc., the application may be submitted more than three months in advance). The application must be submitted to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau with jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence. Standard application processing times are roughly two weeks to one month.

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Changing Your Visa Type