Examination of status of residence taking too long
- 今田喜信
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
After applying to the Immigration Bureau, I often receive inquiries such as "Has permission not been granted yet?" and requests to "ask the Immigration Bureau when the review will be completed." During the period until the Immigration Bureau issues permission, foreigners will continue to be in an unstable position, and I am well aware that it will affect the personnel planning of companies, but in conclusion, there is no choice but to wait.
There are two ways to ask the immigration bureau when the application process will be completed.
The first way is to call. However, in the case of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau, 99.9 times out of 100 times you call, you won't get through. It's a similar situation at the Chiba branch office.
As I cannot keep calling all day, I am unable to accept requests to make telephone inquiries to the Immigration Bureau.
If you would like to call yourself, I'll let you know the phone number of the screening department and the application reception number.
The second way is to go to the immigration bureau and ask questions at the counter. At the Tokyo immigration bureau, you can wait for your turn for about 1 to 1.5 hours before you can ask questions to the examiner. At the Chiba branch office, the waiting time is about 30 minutes to 1 hour. I think the examiner who receives the question will go back to the back room from the counter and look into it, but in the end, they will always reply, "Please wait a while as we are currently reviewing your case."
If you wish, I can visit the immigration bureau and inquire directly about the status of your application, but this will cost 15,000 yen since it will require travel expenses and about half a day of time.
If you would like to go to the immigration bureau yourself and ask directly, you will need the examination department and application receipt number, so please let me know if you do not know them.
If there is another reason for our organization to visit the Immigration Bureau, I can also ask about the status of the screening, and in this case we will not charge you a fee. (However, this frequency will be about once every two months.)
The Immigration Bureau publishes its actual application period, which can be checked at this URL.
However, this seems to be nothing more than a document for self-defense. This is the national average, and in the case of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau, it must take at least three times as long.
Here are some reasons why the review process may take so long:
The review of online applications from all over the country is concentrated in one location, causing congestion.
In the first place, everything in Japan is concentrated in Tokyo, and Tokyo also receives a huge number of applications for residence status, meaning immigration bureaus are unable to keep up with the processing capacity.
There are some reasons why a careful examination is required. For example, whether or not the applicant has exceeded the time limit for engaging in unlicensed activities, criminal records of family members and relatives, tax and social insurance payment status, etc.
Since the deadline for completing immigration review is two months after the end of the period of stay (i.e. the special period), applications for changes and certificates of eligibility are being put off when there is still ample time left in the period of stay.
In addition, the Immigration Bureau posted the same information on its website on October 16, 2024.
To summarize:
We will not respond to inquiries regarding the status of individual reviews.
Please wait until you receive a notification from the immigration office that your application has been processed.
If this were a private company, they would take measures such as streamlining operations and replenishing resources to prevent customers from leaving, but in government offices, the principle of competition does not apply, so there is nothing that can be done.
Unfortunately, it looks like you'll just have to wait until the review is complete.
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