I mentioned the successful case from tourist visa to long term visa. Soon later, I received several inquiries about it. I explained about tourist visa before for several times, but it seems that many people still have misunderstandings. Let me make it clear today again.
At first, generally tourist visa cannot be changed to any other visa without unavoidable reasons, and cannot be changed to working/ business/student visa with any reason. So if you think you could get a long stay visa anyhow once you enter Japan with tourist visa, it is totally wrong.
Secondly, if you are already married or leave children in your home country and bring him/her to Japan, what you have to do is COE (certificate of eligibility) application. If you think bringing him/her with tourist visa and changing visa status later is easier than COE application, it is wrong generally.
Examples when you could change to long stay visa from tourist visa are:
1. Holding 90 day tourist visa and getting married in Japan, you could apply for spouse visa. And if you satisfy all requirements and the Immigration approves, you could get spouse visa without going back to own country.
2. Holding 90 day tourist visa and visiting Japan with a minor child who has a Japanese citizenship or who is legally acknowledged by a Japanese father, and willing to raise your child in Japan. If you satisfy all requirements and prove you don’t have any financial issue, you could get long term visa.
3. Minor child with parent who is staying in Japan with proper visa, if parents doesn’t have chance to apply for COE and bring the child with tourist visa, if you could explain well how your situation is unavoidable, your child could get long stay visa.
4. If your parent is older than 65 years old, single/divorced/ widowed, no other children outside Japan, your parent might get designated activity visa after visiting you with tourist visa.
Those are typical cases when you could get long stay visa from tourist visa. Definitely no working/business/ student visa.
I heard several fraud cases in some country, offering you tourist visa with lots of money and saying you could change your visa after you enter Japan, or saying if you apply refugee, you
could work and change your visa status later.
NO WAY. I guess some of you already noticed that you are stuck and don’t have any way out.
Anyway changing visa from tourist to long stay visa is granted exceptionally and it is a difficult application. If you are thinking about it, you had better consult with an immigration lawyer at first.
Well, all of us are now under unsure situation. Be aware of it and let’s fight against Corona together.
