[New Corona] For foreigners who cannot renew their visa or whose visa expires

Recently, we have received many inquiries from foreigners who are unable to renew their visas or are worried about their visas expiring because they are unable to enter Japan by their current period of stay due to the effects of the new coronavirus. Masu.
In this article, we will answer frequently asked questions in a Q&A format.

This article deals with visa renewal applications for foreigners who have visas that are not permanent residents (eg, technical / human knowledge / international business visas, student visas, Japanese spouses, etc.) Visas, business management visas, resident visas, specific activity visas, skill visas, skill training visas, etc.).
For permanent residents,[New Corona] What if a foreigner with a permanent resident visa cannot enter the country by the deemed re-entry deadline?Please see the article.

Frequently Asked Questions Q & A

What if my visa expires without being able to re-enter Japan?

As a premise of how to deal with this situation, in order to apply for permission to extend the period of stay (application for visa renewal), the person applying for the visa must be in Japan. Therefore, those who cannot enter Japan by the current period of stay will not be able to apply for visa renewal.
If you are a foreigner whose period of stay has expired and you want the same visa as before because the company you work for or your marital status remains the same, please apply for "certification" again (Applying for Certificate of Eligibility).

Is it difficult to apply for a visa once it has expired?

In this case, special measures have been taken to ease the submission of documents for certification applications. This means that fewer documents are required than usual and the examination process is simplified. The reason for this is that the effects of the new coronavirus are spreading all over the world, and the visa applicant cannot be held responsible for this.

What documents are required when applying for the same visa as the expired visa?

In principle, you can apply for a visa with only the following three points.

• ・ Application for issuance of Certificate of Eligibility
• ・ Reason written by the company or dependents
• ・ A copy of the previous residence card

There are different types of reason books, one for those who work for a company and the other for those who are married to a Japanese person.
In addition, you can apply for this certification even if you have a current period of stay but the period is less than one month and you are unlikely to be able to enter Japan by the period of stay. ..
However, depending on the type of visa you have and the situation of the person, you may be required to submit documents other than these three points.
For example, if you have a "business / management" visa, you can use the company's most recent financial statements, and if you have a "Japanese spouse, etc." visa, you can use the tax certificate / tax payment certificate of the Japanese marriage partner.

Do I need a representative when applying for a visa?

If you are unable to enter Japan by the expiration date of your stay, you will not be able to complete the procedures yourself, so you will need an agent to apply for the above.
Even if you are requesting an administrative scrivener to prepare documents and intercede the application to the immigration office, you will still need an agent.
[Examples of people who can be agents]

• ・ For work visas Company representatives, recruiters, etc.
• ・ For international students, such as school representatives
• ・ Japanese spouse, etc. Relatives in Japan

How long does the visa review period take?

It may seem difficult to apply for certification again, but it has been announced that there are only a few required documents and the review period generally takes about two weeks.

For questions regarding visa renewal applications, please contact Climb
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