Switching from Engineer visa to Child of Japanese National timeline/experience?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in the process of moving to Tokyo and could really use some advice.

My future employer applied for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in April 2025 under the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa. As of today, I still haven’t received a result just “under review.”

For context, I currently live in Belgium. My father is Japanese, but I’ve never had Japanese nationality.

Initially, I applied for the Engineer visa because someone at the Tokyo immigration office told me that was the correct route. However, after speaking with a lawyer, I was told I may be eligible for a Child of a Japanese National visa since my father has officially recognized me in his koseki.

Now I’m unsure what to do. Switching would mean withdrawing the current COE application and starting over, which feels risky after waiting so long.

So my questions are:

Does anyone have experience applying for the Child of a Japanese National visa?

What was your timeline like?

Has anyone switched visa types mid-process like this?

Any advice or shared experiences would really help me decide my next step.

Thanks in advance!