Confession time - false information in past visa application

[tanakajohn]

Well, it seems that it's finally happening. It looks like my lie is catching up with me. My only hope is that they don't keep extensive records of past applications at the immigration bureau. I'm looking for some advice on what is best. All thoughts much appreciated.

Full disclosure. I first came to Japan as a college student for 2006-2007. I then moved onto a working holiday visa 2007-2008. I then moved onto a Humanities for 2008 - 2009. Three visas, all accepted.

My lie was in my Humanities visa application. I was studying at a distance learning University in 2007-2008 while I had a working holiday visa. My aim was to transfer from a bricks and mortar University to a distance University so I could study Japanese while living in Japan. It was a good plan that worked out well (academically at least). Unfortunately at the end of my working holiday visa I hadn't finished the course and so I needed a job. I went to a local eikaiwa school where I knew the owners.

I didn't have a degree at that time. However they said to hand over all of my existing academic records to their lawyer and he would see what he could do. The lawyer put in the application and it was accepted. I received my visa in about 6 weeks. The school basically said that I had a degree when I did not yet have one. My work history was also altered. This was never explicitly stated but I knew what was going on. I was complicit. After all my signature was on all of the documents. Why was this application accepted? I have no idea. Perhaps my previous visas allowed me to sail through the process without many questions. Who knows.

After 2008-2009 on that Humanities Visa I had finished my degree and received a great job offer abroad. So I left Japan for a few years. Now I want to return to Japan for work. Obviously this presents a problem. My curent (truthful) work history and academic qualifications are different from what was used for the past application.

My question is: Does immigration keep detailed records of work history and academic qualifications? Or, do they merely keep records of whether your applications were accepted or not.

So what to do? Have the esteemed gaijinpotters had any experience of this? I would really appreciate some advice.

[hml]

My question is: Does immigration keep detailed records of work history and academic qualifications? Or, do they merely keep records of whether your applications were accepted or not.

No idea, but let us know how it turns out.

[Glenski]

I went to a local eikaiwa school where I knew the owners.

I didn't have a degree at that time. However they said to hand over all of my existing academic records to their lawyer and he would see what he could do. The lawyer put in the application and it was accepted.

So your friends paid a lawyer to fudge the application. Did the application say you had a degree, or did you mean that after you miraculously got the visa, the employers advertised you to clients as having one?

If they fudged the visa application, it sounds like it was out of your control. You were lucky this was not caught.

I really don't think you are at serious risk now. Apply for jobs knowing that you have all the necessary visa requirements.

Someone else here recently posted about a problem where an agent in his home country falsified his visa application years before (it didn't pass, though), and recently when he applied again, immigration caught that lie, so he was denied a visa. So, yes, to some extent they do keep records, but yours actually looks to immigration as if it passed muster, so that's why I think you'll have no problems in future applications.

It'll be up to you do explain things truthfully or otherwise if you are questioned about your history.