I’m applying for a change of status to Spouse of Japanese National, and I wanted to ask people who have gone through this.
Can a spousal visa still be rejected even if the marriage is completely legitimate?
My wife and I have been married for about a year, we live together, and everything is normal. A coworker of mine recently applied and told me that immigration will be “super suspicious” unless I submit a bunch of photos along with it. I’m not sure if that’s really true or if he’s just trying to scare me.
From what I understand, spousal visas get rejected mostly for paperwork issues, inconsistencies, or if the marriage looks questionable. But I’m wondering if there’s anything I might not be thinking about as I prepare the documents.
My biggest concern is national pension payments. I haven’t paid for many years (financial reasons + didn't think I would stay in Japan this long). I’m paying now since my dispatch company contributes. I know I can only backpay 3 years(?), so I plan to pay the remaining ~100,000 yen I owe and then ask about possible exemptions for the older years. So, it goes from non-payment to exemption.
Does anyone know how strict immigration is about pension history for a change to spousal visa? With the law changes coming in 2027, I’m also wondering how far back they actually check.
by AdUnfair558