Japan Visa - Just Got It

[think_too_mut]

Just got them (Certificate of eligibility), it took 3 months. Dependant visa, they are allowed to work and study in Japan (that's what it says, although my daughter is 4.5 years old).

Based on those certificates, their visa will be stamped into their passports in Embassy of Japan in Bangkok.

The major thing is - only legally married can apply. Japan does not recognize "de facto". They may make an exception if the couple is from a country that recognizes "de facto, like Australia. But I am still Australian and they are Thai (my daughter is both but we did it in the proper way and her Thai passport with this visa is worth more than Oz passport in Japan).

My family will get Japanese ID cards, health care cards, will be in my "house papers", will be eligible to work and pay taxes.

Moet Chandon will be flowing this evening, on both sides, web cam for not much longer.

If anyone wold like to know more details about the process, glad to provide.

[Nordlys]

My family will get Japanese ID cards, health care cards, will be in my "house papers", will be eligible to work and pay taxes.

And as well pay pension (Kokumin Nenkin) along with you whether or not she finds employment?

[think_too_mut]

My family will get Japanese ID cards, health care cards, will be in my "house papers", will be eligible to work and pay taxes.

And as well pay pension (Kokumin Nenkin) along with you whether or not she finds employment?

Edit: I pay for pension, some 2-3 different things, about 1,000US$ per month.

Would she have to pay too? I did not know that.

All those Brazilians working in car factories for 250K yen, do their wives have to pay pension even if they are at home?

All those Japanese wives that don't work, do they pay?

Edited August 30, 2008 by think_too_mut

[Nordlys]

US$1,000??

I mean Japanese Kokumin Nenkin.

Do you see on your payslip a debit amount of 14,410 yen deducted from your base salary? If so that's it.

That's what she has to pay monthly if your wife is over 20 years old even if she doesn't have income, though I'm not too sure about the spouse if you already pay pension (why I asked). But in principle everyone from age 20 to 60 living in Japan has to pay pension regardless of citizenship and irrescpective of whether or not you have income/employment.

You can ask at your local Kuyakusho/Shiyakusho (amphor) in Japan when you have your wife's name included in Jūminhyō and request national health insurance card.

[think_too_mut]

US$1,000??

I mean Japanese Kokumin Nenkin.

Do you see on your payslip a debit amount of 14,410 yen deducted from your base salary? If so that's it.

That's what she has to pay monthly if your wife is over 20 years old even if she doesn't have income, though I'm not too sure about the spouse if you already pay pension (why I asked). But in principle everyone from age 20 to 60 living in Japan has to pay pension regardless of citizenship and irrescpective of whether or not you have income/employment.

You can ask at your local Kuyakusho/Shiyakusho (amphor) in Japan when you have your wife's name included in Jūminhyō and request national health insurance card.

What is kanji for that?

There is no 14,410Y deduction, there are others.

I can see national health insurance of 40,000Y and several others. I remember company telling me I have to pay basic pension, extra pension (to bring me up to about 1600US$ pension that I would receive when retire) and unemployment insurance.

Every year in November they ask me to fill a paper about my dependants for some rebate and, since my family was not living with me - no rebate.

But for her idling and paying something herself - I can't believe that.

I found laws on the net - it says that all workers, Japanese or foreigners, full time or part time, are entitled (not forced) to that. I found reports about tour guides protesting and requesting to be included into the national pension system. So, they protest to get into it.

I will search more and find out on Monday, if not before.

[Nordlys]

Like I said, it's mandatory you pay pension if you're over 20 years of age. Doesn't matter if you are a student, gaijin, tour guide or jobless (but there are exemptions like if you receive welfare).

Do you read nihon-go? Here's Wiki article in Japaense on Kokumin Nenkin. It appears spouse doesn't have to pay.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E6%...%B9%B4%E9%87%91

http://www.sia.go.jp/sodan/nenkin/kanyu_an...htm#qa0501-q503

But then again I'm not sure about national health insurance.

[think_too_mut]

Like I said, it's mandatory you pay pension if you're over 20 years of age. Doesn't matter if you are a student, gaijin, tour guide or jobless (but there are exemptions like if you receive welfare).

Do you read nihon-go? Here's Wiki article in Japaense on Kokumin Nenkin. It appears spouse doesn't have to pay.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E6%...%B9%B4%E9%87%91

http://www.sia.go.jp/sodan/nenkin/kanyu_an...htm#qa0501-q503

But then again I'm not sure about national health insurance.

I called my colleague.

His wife does not work. The whole family is covered by his contributions from his salary.

My pension contributions are just 100US$ higher then what they were in Australia. That's extra 100US$ brings the pension amount to 1,600US$, from 1,100US$ per month.

Yes, my payslip shows almost 1,000US$ for pension.

No "tax to be in Japan" for my family.

[ozsamurai]

国民年金　- Kokumin nenkin

If your company is paying it for you from your salary, it will include health insurance, Kokumin nenkin is nothing but unemployment insurance and part of the deduction. You will never be able to claim it unless you retire there. If in the event you loose employment you get 3 months dole thats about it, If you need to know specifics ask.

Oz

[think_too_mut]

国民年金　- Kokumin nenkin

If your company is paying it for you from your salary, it will include health insurance, Kokumin nenkin is nothing but unemployment insurance and part of the deduction. You will never be able to claim it unless you retire there. If in the event you loose employment you get 3 months dole thats about it, If you need to know specifics ask.

Oz

In a way, it's a nonsense.

When I leave Japan, I can take 2.4 average salaries out of the JP Pension Fund, just about what it would have been if I were paying it in Oz superannuation.

Over 3 years, yes, I am at loss. Already. 5 years here as a local hire.

Edited August 30, 2008 by think_too_mut

[ozsamurai]

I did 20yrs there imagine how much I GAVE them..... it hurts thinking about it..

Oz

[think_too_mut]

I did 20yrs there imagine how much I GAVE them..... it hurts thinking about it..

Oz

Yes, like a donation to the JP society.

Howard's government has signed an agreement with Japan to recognize pension contributions.

That would make our years in Japan count against the age pension plan (if you ever fall on that).

Those 30K US$ (max) that we can take are good for first 3 years.

The loss of that kind of money (after 3 years) I think will be recouped by education. My daughter will see clinically clean streets, no stray dogs, perfection in everything and anything Japanese do.

I would pay for that kind of education if I had to search for perfection. No any longer. Now, for free, it would be just an ordinary life. Life where everything is perfect, can't be better.

At least for my daughter.

[Nordlys]

You will never be able to claim it unless you retire there.

Not ture. My dad has been living in Thailand for the past half a century and been paying Kokumin Nenkin all the while he worked for two Japanese companies here. He still lives in Thailand and now receives Japanese pension, they just won't wire it to your bank account in Thailand. If you still have a bank account in Japan you might as well keep paying another 5 years so you'll be entitled to Japanese pension when you reach 65. If you have to retire in Japan to be eligle to receive it then there aren't this many Japanese pensioners living in Thailand.

[think_too_mut]

You will never be able to claim it unless you retire there.

Not ture. My dad has been living in Thailand for the past half a century and been paying Kokumin Nenkin all the while he worked for two Japanese companies here. He still lives in Thailand and now receives Japanese pension, they just won't wire it to your bank account in Thailand. If you still have a bank account in Japan you might as well keep paying another 5 years so you'll be entitled to Japanese pension when you reach 65. If you have to retire in Japan to be eligle to receive it then there aren't this many Japanese pensioners living in Thailand.

I don't have a "dad".

I'm a local hire in Japan, it's only me.

What's the fuss?

This is Thai Visa "For other countries" forum. Just reported what is happening.

If you guys have your own difficulties, sorry.

[Nordlys]

I'm just trying to illustrate the fact anyone paying pension in (or outside) Japan are entitled to receive it if you fulfill the conditon, 'local hire' or not.

You're the one who mentioned national health care, tax etc in OP.

Edited August 30, 2008 by Nordlys

[think_too_mut]

I'm just trying to illustrate the fact anyone paying pension in (or outside) Japan are entitled to receive it if you fulfill the conditon, 'local hire' or not.

You're the one who mentioned national health care, tax etc in OP.

You did not understand what was said.

It was about getting the COF (certificate of eligibility) for my family and then you jumpend in it for, to me, unknown reason to talk about irrelevant issues.

I have been patient, until now.

There we are:

Australian living and working in Japan.

His Thai wife.

His Thai daughter.

Live together, as a family.

All sorted out.

What <deleted> you want to say?

Edited August 30, 2008 by think_too_mut

[Mossfinn]

Live together, as a family.

All sorted out.

Good Luck to you and your family

[think_too_mut]

Live together, as a family.

All sorted out.

Good Luck to you and your family

Thanks to you and others who PM-ed me.

Rather than replying to PMs about the process, here it is:

Assuming you are living and working in Japan, it would be "Dependant Visa".

It is much easier if all the documents are translated and prepared in BKK. Engage an agency there, it may take 1-2 days and what you get are MFA certified translations of:

1. Wife's Thai passport

2. Marriage certificate

3. Birth certificate of children (if involved)

No need for house papers, income, bank accounts, nothing.

That's from BKK.

Now, Japanese side:

Before submitting the application, you need to go to your City Ward office in Japan and get a form stating the tax that you paid in previous year (it was 2007. for me). Issued within minutes, on the spot.

4. That tax form from your City Ward

5. One photograph of each person involved (in my case, Thai wife and our daughter).

6. An envelope with 320Y stamp (7-11 sells them on the Immigration office floor)

7. 3500Y fee (or 3000Y, not sure).

Shinagawa or whatever Immigration office will process them, telling you "3 months". I asked "up to 3 months?". They said : 3 months. That's exactly how it was.

No need to call them, if they need something they will contact you.

An agency that my company in Japan uses for things like this was asking for 120,000Y even if they are served with translated and ready documents.

It's 1200US$. I did it myself and it was 30$, nothing more.

What came out is COE (Cerrtificate of Eligibility), it comes in registered mail in that envelope that you provided upon application.

Those 2 forms (nice looking forms with color pictures of your loved ones) you have to take to BKK (or send to your family) where they will get their visas stamped next business day. No interviews, no questions. There is a simple request form to be filled but there is no decisssion making process again.

[think_too_mut]

What came out is COE (Certificate of Eligibility), it comes in registered mail in that envelope that you provided upon application.

Those 2 forms (nice looking forms with color pictures of your loved ones) you have to take to BKK (or send to your family) where they will get their visas stamped next business day. No interviews, no questions. There is a simple request form to be filled but there is no demission making process again.

We did BKK side at Japanese Embassy in BKK. It was not too hard but was not a breeze.

Whoever has that COE, has to fill an application to support themselves. In my case it was clear - legally married wife and our mutual child - but the process is designed to crack down on applicants for "Entertainment Visa" who also have that COE paper.

Extra documents we needed were:

- House papers (in Thai OK) showing that mother and daughter live in the same households. ( JP clerk advised we can get it in 5 minutes from Sathorn Service Centre, they have a nationwide database and can issue house papers from anywhere in Thailand, and that was true).

- Marriage certificate (original, translation, whatever)

- Child's birth certificate (original or translation)

- Passports

- COEs

I guess, situations different than this would need other papers too - bank accounts, employment history...

We all have arrived to Japan last week. Upon entry, it took 6 minutes to clear the immigration (the guy had to stamp things that get done on first entry only).

Edited September 30, 2008 by think_too_mut

[thaihome]

Congratulation TTM. Sure has been a long road from those first post on the Thai-Falang board, what 8 years ago?

Best of luck…

TH

[think_too_mut]

Congratulation TTM. Sure has been a long road from those first post on the Thai-Falang board, what 8 years ago?

Best of luck…

TH

Thanks, TH.

One thing that I did not expect was the easiness with which my wife adjusted to Japan. Other than cooler weather, she is noticing no other significant differencies.

The people and appearance of everything is Asian, food is not too strange and she does not stick out as she might have in the West.

All day roaming shops (most are walking distance) as if we were on holidays at Hua Hin, not in a foreign country.

The officials at city council (where she gets her ID and gets into my house papers - yes, house papes may have even originated from Japan and spread accross many Asian countries, it's not a Thai invention) were so efficient and courteous that even I was stunned after having enjoyed Japanese perfection for more than 5 years.

Add general and personal safety that are near 100%, clinical cleanliness and it's easy and enjoyable for her.