"Dependent Stay" is "tied" to the dependent's employment-related status of residence, such as "Engineer/Humanities/International" or "Business Manager." What does "tied" mean? Without permission for an employment-related status of residence, "Dependent Stay" is not permitted, and if the period of stay for the employment-related status of residence is three years, the period of stay for "Dependent Stay" will also be three years.
If all family members, including dependents, apply for renewal of period of stay at the same time, the review will generally be completed at the same time. However, there are rare cases where the timing is different. In our organization, we received a notice of completion of review for a spouse one week after receiving a notice of completion of review for a work-related visa, and then a notice of completion of review for a child five days after that. When immigration screening is busy, the difference in the expiration date of the previous period of stay may affect the priority of the review.
We will explain in detail how to receive a new residence card for "family stay" visa holders.
Immigration laws stipulate that, in principle, the foreign applicant must appear at the immigration office to submit an application or receive a new residence card. Administrative scriveners like ours can carry out these procedures because the law provides for an application intermediary system, but we are only "intermediaries" and not "representatives." To clarify the difference between these two, it is assumed that the foreign applicant has entered Japan. In other words, if the foreign applicant has left Japan and returned to his or her home country, he or she cannot apply to the immigration office or receive a new residence card.
In this regard, let me explain using the following example of a family of three:
Husband: Engineer/Humanities/International, 1 Year
Wife: Dependent of Family, 1 Year
Child: Dependent of Family, 1 Year
The period of stay for all three is June 20th.
Applications for renewal can be made up to three months prior to the expiration date of the period of stay, and all three people must be in Japan at the time of application.
Let's say that all three people applied for renewal on June 10th.
It is not clear when the immigration examination will be completed. In July, it will be summer vacation season, so many families of three will want to return to their home country temporarily. In that case, even though the 6/20th of the period of stay has passed, there is no problem with returning to their home country. (However, be careful about the expiration date of re-entry permission and special re-entry permission.)
Next, you must return to Japan by August 20th, two months after June 20th of your period of stay. This two-month period is called the "special period." The immigration bureau's review must be completed within this special period. It is important to note that the completion date of the review is not the approval date for your application. After receiving notification that the review has been completed, you can present your residence card and passport to the immigration bureau and receive a new residence card, which will be the approval date. If the special period has passed, your application for renewal will not be approved.
In the above cases, the immigration examination completion date may come while you are back in your home country. The immigration office has announced that you should receive your new residence card within two weeks of the examination completion date, but this point can be handled flexibly. However, considering the practical procedures, it is dangerous to return to Japan right at the end of the special period on August 20th. If you are receiving your new residence card by mail, you should return to Japan by August 6th, two weeks before the end of the period. If you are going to receive your new residence card in person at the immigration office, you should return to Japan by August 14th, one week before the end of the period.
In the example of a family of three, the name of the husband, who is the supporter, would generally be written as the representative on the child's application form. In fact, it must be written.
In this case, the child does not have to appear at the immigration office because he is the "representative," and even if the husband's name is written on the application form, either the husband or the wife can submit the application and receive the new residence card. However, if the husband's name is written on the application form and the wife is the one who processes it, she must present to the immigration office documentary evidence that the wife and child are parent and child.
In reality, all three family members will likely apply at the same time and receive their new residence cards at the same time.
So, if all three family members temporarily return to their home country, and only the husband and wife return to Japan first, is it possible to collect the child's new residence card after the immigration inspection is complete? In this case, in theory, it is possible if the husband or wife, acting as the representative, goes to the immigration office with the child's residence card and passport. However, to do this, the child's residence card and passport must be sent to Japan by international mail and then sent back. This is not recommended as there is a risk of unexpected accidents such as loss or delayed delivery.
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