Action! from Carol

Being the sponsor of my spouse visa, Jin had to take care of almost all application procedures. Finally, it's time for my action!

Having the Certificate of Eligibility obtained (Thanks to Jin’s huge efforts), it was then my turn to visit the General Consulate of Japan in Hong Kong, for issurance of the final legal paper - spouse visa label for my one-way trip to Japan.

As always, we were well-prepared for that important visit at the Consulate. We checked our friend who went through the same procedure, and decided to present in a couple for an “interview” by the officer. We were able take advantage of Jin’s business trip to HK by end of July for the visit – goodo!

Let me side track a little bit…it was only by that time I took a serious look at the Certificate of Eligibility and my cert shared the same category of Refugees!!! hahaha…it must be the collective efforts (Jin’s parents and us) that moved the officers…my application was approved in the least required time.

We made our visit on Jul 25. It was so smooth that we couldn’t even believe it. Everything was done in 10 mins (or even less!). A happy couple was told to get the passport back in 2 working days, with the following receipt presented.

On Jul 29, I successfully get my spouse visa. I am good to go now. Happy? For sure. Worries? For sure. Leaving my beloved parents and friends to start a new life. It’s gonna be some challenges, I will need a lot of courage. Haha…maybe I am really a refugee, I need Jin’s shelter!

The next step.

As written in the previous post, the most difficult step in preparing for Carol's immigration has past. Now, we can really get ready to move forward.

As for the next step, we foresee the following:
1. 25th July: Go to JP Consulate to apply for spouse visa.
2. In 5 days: Visa is ready and given.
3. Carol packs and prepares for her move.
4. Latest October: Carol moves to Japan.
5. Upon arrival, if Carol passes the passport control, she has entered Japan for good.

From this point on is just my note, but a review of what we need to do after Carol arrives Japan.
1. Within 90days after arrival: Go get alien resident card (外国人登録証明書): Gov't office (市区役所)
2. Before next departure: Go get re-entry permit (再入国許可書): Immigration Bureau (入国管理局): Expires one time single permit or 3yrs multiple permit.
3. Already done: Go to post office and apply for change of registrant: Post office
4. Whenever possible: Apply for social insurance and security (社保・年金): Through Jin's company

Other items to prepare:
- Before Arrival: Stamp (印鑑): Get in HK.
- After arrival: Mobile phone: Get in JP
- After arrival: Bank account: Get in JP.
- Credit Card - Jin's family card: Should be alright with Jin's.
- SUICA/EDY - Already has it: 無問題.

After the arrival, in order to sustain status, below needs to be considered:
・Renewal of Certificate of Eligibility: 在留資格認定証明書更新 （2009 March)
- current certificate has 1 year expiry.
- need at least three year, so need to renew once in order to apply for permanent alien.
・Permanent Alienship: 永住権
- after three years of marriage, and more than one year of residing in Japan
- this proves permanent eligibility to stay in Japan and thus does not need to be renewed.
・Re-entry Permit: 再入国許可
- expiry has two scheme: one time or three year multiple entry.
- the re-entry permit must be in line with the certificate of eligibility.
・Foreigner's Registration ID: 外国人登録証明書
- there isn't an expiry of the registration card, but there is an expiry date on the card (need to check).
- need to go to city hall government office (市区役所) for application.
・Naturalisation: 帰化申請（http://kekkon.homn.net/kika.html）
- over 20 years of age.
- has good status.
- has a way to live with his/her own work, or by his/her spouse or other family member.
- doesn't mind giving up his/her old nationality.
- has not performed terroristic operations to Japanese government.
- has married to a Japanese and lived more than three years in Japan.
- has married to a Japanese for over three years, and has lived in Japan for more than one year.
- has no problem living in Japan, both linguistically and understanding of culture.

That's it for now. It really the final countdown for Carol to move to Japan. やっとだね（＾＾ｂ

Certificate of Eligibility arrived!!!!!

Today marks a significant event of our project!!!!!

As I had written on the previous post, we have been long waiting for this certificate to be issued. If we look back, this certificate was the certificate we had been working so hard to apply for it without any flaw, errors, or mistakes. The 100 page application had resulted in an expedited issuance of this certificate.

Now, Carol can apply for the spouse visa which will only take several days, and then she is good to stay in Japan as my spouse!!!!!

I will be visiting Hong Kong once again later this month, so I will be taking this certificate and together, go to the Japan Consulate in Hong Kong to apply for the visa.

Finally, it is again good to be a junior applicant.

Discussing with a senior friend (not the age, just that she had done the transition from HK → JP recently), we found out that there are several actions we need to take:

1. Apply for Re-entry permit (再入国許可) from Immigration Bureau.

2. Alien resident ID (外国人登録証明書) from Government office 横浜中区役所.

3. Apply for resident registration at post office, so that post sent to my address under her name can come without any errors.

4. Register for social insurance (社会保険 or 国民保険) to be done through Jin's company.

Still, a long long process goes. And even on top of this, our senior had explained that the Certificate of Eligibility is only valid for one time use. The re-entry permit is the one which is required when coming back to Japan after coming with spouse visa. Essentially, below is the status:

1. First time to Japan: Certificate of Eligibility & Spouse Visa

2. x times after coming to Japan: Re-entry permit & Spouse Visa

**Note: Spouse Visa is valid for 3 year. After then, Carol may have the choice of:

a. Renewing the Spouse Visa (in which case she needs me to renew the Certificate of Eligibiilty)

b. Applying for Permanent Alien 永住権 (in which case she needs me to apply for the 永住権)

c. Naturalise to a Japanese [In fact, she should be able to apply for that even now... still haven't checked the detail yet.....]

In any case, our union will be coming shortly!!!!! Yey!!!!! Another step towards the start day of our happy happy union!!!!!

One month past...

1st of July marked the full 4 weeks since I had went to the Immigration Bureau. Indeed, the application takes much time. However, as time passes by, we are sure that the day the certificate will be issued is coming closer day by day.

During these worrying days, Carol had come to Japan for a visit. We feel more that we both are in dependence of each others' existence and closeness. We both feel extremely comfortable and safe when we are together. However, when we have any time where we cannot get a hold of each other, we feel soooo insecure.

We feel this is a very natural and healthy feeling. It is partially true since we are far away now. However, the real challenge comes in when Carol comes to Japan and we can ALWAYS be together. As long as we don't forget this feeling, we should be fine.


So, still another some time to go for the certificate to be issued, but we will just pray for it to be issued earlier!!!

Visit to the Immigration Bureau - The first step for Carol's achieving of Japanese residence.

Today marks another significant milestone.

In the previous post, we have explained that we have taken quite an effort in putting the documents together to submit them to the Immigration Bureau of Japan for application for Carol's Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書). This certificate is required for Carol to get her spouse visa and to stay long term in Japan.

So Jin went out today to the Immigration office. Since the office only opens during weekdays office hours, we all have to take leaves from office to go there. Hence, Jin cannot make any mistakes which makes any possibility to have him make an extra return trip. That is the reason why we had been soooooooooo meticulous in researching the necessary documents and filing them perfectly so that there are no doubts what so ever.

So here Jin is, in a pouring rain, at the Immigration Bureau of Japan, Yokohama District Office, holding the pack of hundred-page-document tightly and trying not to make any of the documents wet.

Immigration Bureau Yokohama District Office
(on a clear day, randomly picked from the web)

The selection of the day to visit the office was good. There was only 10 people waiting before him!!!!! (Not to mention that I had to go to another office - 横浜中区役所 - in order to fetch other necessary documents in order to complete the hundred-page-document pack) So, here Jin is, nervously waiting in line with all sorts of foreigners (外人 as they are called in Japanese) ....

• Chinese middle aged lady (おばさん) talking on phone with her friends, apologizing that she couldn't attend yesterday's function. She's now at the Immigration Bureau for...???
• Korean businessman with a wet helmet (for bike), but not wet at all, with a plastic bag (i.e. from department store like Sogo) with documents, not wet (how was he able to keep his body and bag dry?!!!), asking to renew his Certificate of Eligibility.
• A Japanese lady carrying a pile of forms to submit for Certificate of Eligibility (for many people, i.e. for labors from Middle East or South America...).
• Hispanic family (elderly father and middle aged son) asking for some certificate.
• Single middle aged Chinese man waiting by the counter, staring at the lady at the counter, wanting to handle his registration form.
• A Japanese businessman carrying 5-6 sheets of printed paper of pictures of him and his wife, assuming he is also registering for Certificate of Eligibility for his wife, but I just cannot believe how many few sheets of paper he has.
• Chinese family (group of about 5-7) aggressively coming from the lift lobby directly to the counter, talking loudly among themselves, not taking the queue slip (the sheet of paper that contains the number which will be called when its his turn), but chatting chatting chatting, and after a while returning to the elevator hall (why were they coming here in the first place?)

Very interesting. This is indeed, a mini immigration hall in the country.

So it's Jin's turn after a looooooong wait of investigating the snapshots of the various foreigners (i.e. above). Jin went to the counter, queue slip in my hand, a big pack of documents in another. The lady seems to be used to the amount of documents, and she asked if this was for the Certificate of Eligibility for Jin's wife. When Jin answered "yes", she quickly looked through what was in the batch, and explained to Jin that she will check the documents for any missing ones.

So here is Jin once again, waiting for another 3-5min eagerly, yet nervously waiting to hear the good news that the batch includes all necessary documents.....

When Jin was called, he quickly moved back to the counter. The lady smiled at him and explained that there are no missing documents, and passed him the slip of acceptance, which includes the identification number which can be referred at a later time.

So, the accomplishment of the day.....


The countdown starts from here. We both pray for the reply to come at the earliest time possible （－人－）

Preparing document for Certificate of Eligibility: All systems are GO!!!

In the past post, I have reported that Carol has been added into my 戸籍. While the legal office had done its procedure to register us as family, we have been preparing the paperwork which we will submit to apply for the Certifiicate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書）. There are quite some items, which we slowly but surely prepared in a joint project:

Required formats
1. 在留資格認定証明書交付申請書 (Application form for Certificate of Eligibility) 3pages
2. 身元保証書 (Letter of Guarantee) 1page
3. 質問書 (Questionnaire) 8pages
4. Additional information for the questionnaire (An essay which we provide detailed information from the time we met until we decided to get marry) 4pages
5. B5 size envelope with return address (of Jin) written and 430JPY stamp attached
6. 課税証明書 (Taxation Certificate) 1page
7. 納税証明書 (Tax payment Certificate) 1page
8. 結婚証明書 (Marriage Certificate) - Original (to show), Copy (to submit), 2page translation, a total of 4 pages
9. 在籍証明書 (Certificate of Employment) - Original (to show), Copy (to submit), 2page translation, a total of 4 pages

Additional information
10. Namecard of Carol and Jin (to prove that we are of the same company) 2pcs
11. 上申書 (Letter of Petition) - A letter from a Jin's father and mother to address expedition of registration procedure (handwritten on a specific form and then stamp chopped) a total of 2pages
12. Copy of Carol's passport 1page
13. Call history of international calls which Jin and Carol had called to each other 61pages
14. Album of 40 pictures each with handmade captions attached to it.



Still need to fetch from legal office:
15. 戸籍謄本 (Family Register) 1page
16. 住民票 (Certificate of Residence) 1page

Whoa!!! It is a total of 92 pages of information!!!!! There's lots of information that the country of Japan requires me to submit in order to approve Carol's eligibility to stay in Japan with me.

Once this is submitted, the long long wait time will start. The date I'm planning to submit is just around the corner!!! あと少しだ!!!

We are family!!!

Ever since I had gone back to Japan *sob*sob*, I had been calling the government office ever day to check whether they have registered our marriage registration in my 戸籍. Please refer to the previous post if you are not aware of what this is.

It was on the 14th of May that I received an extremely gooooooooooooooooooooodo news!!!!! Carol is now in my 戸籍, which means that we are ready to submit the registration form for the Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書, the permit for Carol to request for her spouse visa).

I just am sooooo happy as these steps move along one by one!!! However, I am going to Hong Kong from Sunday for a business trip, so it'll have to be next week, or the final week of May which I can submit the forms..... I just cannot wait to get the process started and going!!!!!

きゃろちゃん、あと少しだからね。もう少し、我慢してね。いつまでも離れ離れで寂しい思いをさせてごめんね。

The Marriage Registration - Background Information

I think we have made our loyal readers wait tooooooooo long. We must apologise for the loooooooong wait. There are just toooooo many things which happened all at once, and we need some time to prepare the posts. It does not mean that we have forgotten or become lazy. It is just that our private lives and our work lives are full of events all at once. Please be patient; for once we are back in pace, new posts will be uploaded.

This post was prepared to show our audience just a bit of information on how our customs of getting married in Hong Kong and Japan are different.

□■Background
Marriage is logistically an easy thing when the bride and the groom is of the same country. Under that country's law and custom, bride and the groom requests legal authority (whether this is a social or religious authority) for an eternal vow between the couple. And when the authority approves this "legal contract", the bride and the groom becomes a "bonded couple for life".

However, things are different when the bride and the groom is from a different country. We need to get both of our countries' authority to acknowledge that we had registered as a married couple. In our case, we took the choice of getting a legal authority in Hong Kong to register a HK citizen and a foreign spouse marriage, and then report this to the Japan authority.

However much we are a "married couple", that doesn't mean that the foreigner can come into the country like its citizen. If it is that easy, then a criminal of country A can force a person in country B to get married and escape to another country. It doesn't work as easy as this. The spouse of must apply for a legal permit for that "foreigner" to stay in his/her spouse's country. In our case, this applies to Carol to apply for legal permit to stay in Japan, since in the long run, we are planning to base are lifestyle in there.

So, the battle of getting the legal permit - called the spouse visa - starts here. Getting a spouse visa seems simple but really not for Japan. It requires:
1. Applying for legal permit to keep Carol in Japan for extended time (over the 90 days tourist visa). This is called the 在留資格認定証明書. It has a number (in fact, many many) of items we need to prepare, which includes snapshots of us two (to prove we are labu labu and that we did perform the marriage ceremony), an essay of how we got together until we decide to get marry, etc. This process takes from 1 to 3 months.
2. When the permit is issued, it is then sent to the citizen's (Jin's) address.
3. Citizen (Jin) delivers this to the foreigner (Carol).
4. Foreigner (Carol) takes this to the Japan Consulate Visa section and applies for the spouse visa. This takes about 2-3 days.
5. The spouse visa is issued to the foreigner (Carol).
6. Foreigner (Carol) buys a one way ticket to the country (Japan) and flies.
7. If the immigration passes through, then 無問題. Foreigner (Carol) can stay for 3years (limit for spouse visa). If not, then we need to start from step 1 once again and foreigner cannot enter the country.
8. Within 90 days after arrival into the nation, foreigner (Carol) needs to request for a "foreigner registration card" 外国人登録証明書 which serves as an ID in Japan.
9. After the limitation of the spouse visa, the foreigner has three choices:
a. Apply for naturalisation (Carol becomes a Japanese).
b. Apply for permanent alien visa (no need to renew, and can keep the alien status).
c. Apply for an extension of spouse visa (3years once again).


Phew, ... Really a long and scary project we are in.... (>_______<;
However, we have barely stood on its starting line. The project starts from here!!!


□■Difference of HK and JP "Marriage Registration"
a. Hong Kong: ceremony
The Hong Kong style Marriage Registration is a full-fledged ceremony. The couple applies, pays the deposit and picks the date of registration. After then, our marriage request will be posted up for public evaluation for 2weeks. Once no objections are made within this period, the date is confirmed and we are good to register.

On the day of marriage (in our case, we only did the registration, but it is common that the wedding ceremony and the marriage registration are done on the same day), we start from early morning to be the best bride and groom of the day, and move to the registration office. There, we first of all pay the charges for registration and submit our ID's. Then, in the actual ceremonial hall, we vow in front of our guests that we will become a married couple, and have our marriage rings exchanged and marriage certificate signed by two witnesses.

The marriage certificate is then provided at the end of the registration ceremony. Then, all is dismissed for further photo shooting and/or lunch. The ceremony was in total of about 30 min.

b. Japan: logistical handling of paperwork
In Japan, marriage registration is just a submission of paperwork. There is a form we have to submit which requests the legal authority to move the bride into groom's family tree (or visa versa, if groom decides to take the bride's family name). This form is called a 婚姻届 and this also requires two witnesses to sign and place a chop (印鑑). The bride and the groom, or either one can submit this form, and this can be handed in at any time (24x7); during non-office hours, the guard on duty will receive the form, but the record of submission will be counted on the date and time of submission to the guard. There are no certificate of marriage provided, but a sheet of paper which proves that the form has been received 結婚届受理書 so that at least, this proves that the marriage request has been submitted. After several days, the family tree 戸籍 will contain the name of the spouse under the groom's family tree. There are no charges or ceremony to be performed. This is just a transaction over the counter and will not take more than 5min.

However in our case, since we had already performed the marriage registration in HK, we cannot do it once again. What we can do is to report to the JP legal office that we have married under the HK law and obligations. In order to do so, we went to the JP consulate office in HK. This is the only legal office representing Japan and have Japanese authority and legality in HK. After filing the necessary form to report to the JP consulate, it normally takes about 2months to reflect the marriage registration to my family certificate 戸籍.


So, as seen above, the practices are quite different. Let's see how we have done in the next post (coming up soon) of what went on during the Marriage Registration!