My husband and I are starting the process to move to Japan and I am trying to understand my options. My husband is a Japanese citizen, but has not lived in Japan since he was 8years old. We both currently live together in America (married for 5 years). My husband’s dad’s side of the family lives in Japan still, but I am trying to avoid using them as a guarantor if possible.
As I see it I have two options: spouse visa or some other type of visa and eventually transfer to a spouse visa.
My confusion with the spouse visa is if I can get it without using my in-laws as a guarantor when my husband nor I currently live in Japan?
For other visa options I’m considering teaching English for a year or so until my husband can be my guarantor for a spouse visa. I have a bachelors degree so that is not a concern.
Does anyone have similar experience or advice?
by Few-Pie5944
3 comments
Quickest and best will be spouse visa. Marrying a Japanese national, or PR, gets you this. This visa also is unrestricted for work limitations, so you can work freely without having to have a company sponsor you.
This is the best approach and gives you most flexibility to job shop in Japan also.
Spouse visa, there is absolutely no reason on earth you should be considering anything else.
As to the rest, the “hard part” here is your certificate of eligibility, literally call your closest embassy, your husband has probably interacted with them multiple times since you’ve known him and probably should do this step(you can, but he’s the citizen) to ask them. This is literally what the government website says:
>[If a Japanese spouse of a visa applicant cannot apply for the Certificate of Eligibility in Japan because the Japanese spouse is already living together in a foreign country, or for any other reason, please consult in advance with the embassy or consulate where the application will be made.](https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/long/visa10.html)
Again I want to stress that this IS TECHNICALLY NOT NECESSARY and you and your husband can literally get on a plane tonight if you have all of your paperwork ready and apply once you arrive in Japan if you absolutely wanted to. His family may need to provide some information about themselves if you’re planning on residing with them, but the only thing they would be doing otherwise is providing your application with more financial stability. Still if MOFA is telling you to call the embassy, I’d call the embassy and ask them what they recommend for you.
You need to have *someone* in Japan, but it doesn’t need to be your in-laws. Does your husband have any siblings or extended family or friends that would be willing to help? Worst case your husband could go to Japan ahead of you to establish residency and then submit the applications using himself.
I wouldn’t recommend getting a teaching gig just for the visa. While I could not care less about the companies, it’s not fair to the students to inflict yourself upon them if you don’t actually want to be there.