Hey everyone,
I wanted to get some input or hear your experiences. Here’s my situation:
I applied for my COE on Feb 5th, 2025 and booked my flight from Canada to Japan for April 1st, assuming the COE would arrive in time so I could get my Zairyu card at the airport.
Well… my COE was issued the day after I arrived in Japan 😅
I went to the Shinagawa Immigration Office and applied to switch from a tourist visa to a spouse visa on April 4th. Since then, I haven’t received any updates.
I emailed them recently and they said if I haven’t been contacted for additional documents, that means my Zairyu card should be out soon. They also mentioned that if my 90-day tourist visa expires, I’ll be given an exceptional 2-month extension.
So now I’m wondering — should I just wait, or should I go to the Shinagawa office in person to check?
Would love to hear from anyone who’s gone through this recently — how long did it take for your switch to be approved?
by NothIIngtosay54