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Procedures Concerning the Extension of Your Term of Residence at the 11th Hour of Expiration
I am working in Japan as a cook with a ‘Skilled Labor’ visa. I was too busy to apply for an extension, and my visa will expire in a few days. I thought the company would do it for me. I don’t think I can get the extension approval in such a short time, even if I could apply before the expiration. Will I be in trouble for overstaying?
First of all, you must apply for permission to extend your resident status before your visa expires. Basically, since it takes about two to three weeks for permission to be granted, the chances of you receiving it before your visa expires is slim. However, if your application for permission is accepted before your current visa expires, then you are allowed to stay in Japan during the procedure, and you don’t have to worry about overstaying.
For the future, it is advisable that you start the procedure as early as possible. For your information, for those who have visas with more than six-month left, the Immigration office will start accepting applications as early as two months before your visa’s expiration date.
(From June Issue 2010)
Advisor: TATEDA Jun (Immigration Lawyer)
