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!!!

JP photo-shooting: 1st draft ready!

It's such a long process...

• Apr 8: photo-shooting in Nara, Japan - around 400 photos taken
• Apr 28, 30: photo selection - we chose the best 100
• May 20: softcopy of all "raw" kimono photos received
• Jun 8: 1st draft ready - a layout putting 100 pictures into 35 pages

It's been sooo long that we almost forgot images other than those in Kimono...so happy to view the wedding dress & evening dress photos, as if they were new...very fresh and excited us!!!

So, it's homework time. We need to look into detail every page and feedback if we want any adjustment. Hopefully that can be done smoothly and our target date to collect final products in July can be held.

hehe, an enjoyable task...looking at the photos = replaying the day in Nara, all the fun fun and sweet moments we had, our hard work of how to make perfect photos & the always "look forward" sentiment...^0^

Hope xx and other "about to get married" friends will enjoy their photo shooting experience, too! Yeah yeah!

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－）

JP banquet confirmed - 2009.03.29

...............friends asked: "How about Japan?"

ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)メ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)メ Yey! JP banquet confirmed as:

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Date: March 29, 2009 (Sunday)

Ceremony starts: 10:30 AM

Banquet starts: 11:30 AM

Venue: Bayside Garden Club

日本国神奈川県横浜市西区みなとみらい 5-1-5

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In fact...this has been confirmed long ago...in April during our photo-shooting trip.

As briefed by Jin in his previous notes, there are a few styles of JP banquet, depending the ceremony type.

After balancing all pros and cons, we decided to go with GUEST HOUSE with western style chapel wedding.

(To be correct, instead of "decide", we were fallen into the super fantasy...and perfection of GUEST HOUSE)

A few snapshots of Bayside Garden Club:

Imagine...

In a sunny new spring morning, you walk with birds' songs and showered by sakura peddles brought by the mild wind...gradually you arrive at the entrance of Bayside Garden Club...

Two very polite "housekeepers" come to open the gate for you and you enter the main building, which is actually in front of a pool. The blue color of the pool matches with the sky, making the main building shiny white..so warm and glory.

More and more guests arrive and some of them are standing along the pool side, chat over drinks.

Oh! It's almost time! guests move to the Chapel and inside this purely white peaceful place, Carol's father handed over her to Jin after march-in, for their eternal vows (Oops, although after 1 year) of confirmation and blessed by the guests...

A short break after emotional fulfillment (from the ceremony), it's time to fulfill our stomach! It's banquet time!

Chef is serving French cuisine today. Guests take their time eating slowly, enjoying some performances...

Oops! wake up!

It's still too early to tell the whole story!

What we had done is to book this perfect scene to prepare for everybody's enjoyment, and you need to experience it in person!

Or if you wish to continue the dream...http://www.kekkon-taiken.jp/ click "enter site". haha..

One happy side note - our wedding banquet place is just next to Anpanman Museum!!!!! Happi~

HK banquet confirmed - 2009.05.17

Yo! Hong Kong banquet confirmed, as :

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: May 17, 2009 (Sunday)

Time: 12 pm to 3 pm

Venue: Grand Marquee, Gold Coast Hotel, Tuen Mun

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This is an easy conclusion against our well-defined criteria, including:

1) "Good days" (吉日) for us: Mar 29 (chosen for JP banquet), Apr 19, May 17, June 20.

Overseas friends' schedules was sought and May 17 is of convenience to the majority.

2) Time: lunch is preferred as i) all "good time" (吉時) picked are in the morning; ii) respect Japanese guests as Japanese style is more for lunch; iii) start early & finish early, avoid making it a tiring day for all; iv) a bright day in spring, with plenty of sunshine. AND!!! v) my super good friend xx is having her wedding on May 17 as well - we can rush to her dinner banquet after ours!

3) Venue: We want to make our banquet a cozy get-together, with natural light to add to the warmth & green + flowers to add energy and new hopes. A pure white marquee inside a garden is the best option!

A quick research of available marquees in HK:

i) Repulse Bay (out - renovation in Q2 2009);

ii) Harbour Plaza Metropolis (Marquee+harbour view= city feel and a gorgeous night view, better for night event);

iii) Aberdeen Marine Club (looks nice but could not manage to make a visit after several attempts..give up)

iv) Gold Coast Hotel: (Marquee in a garden!) in terms of "concept", Gold Coast stands out immediately! We made a visit there on May 1 (as an outing activity during Jin's stay in Apr for registration) and had a wonderful experience:

The whole Gold Coast area is a resort! Pace slow down once your enter the area. Less populated and most of the people there are in relax (tourist)/ casual (residents) mode. Going to Gold Coast itself can make a day trip - bring additional value to our guests especially when we can finish early. The outlook of the hotel is just so-so, but the marquee itself is super - surrounded by the garden and a cruise area. In terms of environment it is almost perfect!

The sales manager we talked to was a nice guy, too. Easy going and helpful. He even advised us to keep shopping around and confirm during wedding expo in order to get more discount....haha...

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Here comes the day - May 31.

I went with XX and her fiance for the Wedding Expo to confirm the package with Gold Coast Hotel. XX also confirmed a few packages for her wedding preparation as well. Tired but very fruitful day.

OK. The defined banquet date also serve as a kick-off for the project. A series of logistics need to be prepared and booked shortly. The first thing I did was confirmed Helen, my make-up stylist of her assistance again for next year's party! yeah yeah!

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p.s. Both Jin and myself love traveling a lot. Today he made a new section at the bottom of this blog - "Cities we have visited together".