eeek i forgot to renew my visa

[kitcatmeow]

I am australian and on a working holiday visa- i can stay up to 18months on this visa but hae to renew it every sixmonths. I have renewed once already. Today i went to renew my alien card and the women at the ward office politely pointed out that my visa expired a month ag?? AGGHH..____ i complely forgot to renew...i will head out to shinagawa tomorrow but im worried, i have no idea what the consiquences are for FORGETTING to renew...eeek...
Can anyone offer their advice? been in the same situation?

[Since1990]

Originally Posted by kitcatmeow

I am australian and on a working holiday visa- i can stay up to 18months on this visa but hae to renew it every sixmonths. I have renewed once already. Today i went to renew my alien card and the women at the ward office politely pointed out that my visa expired a month ag?? AGGHH..____ i complely forgot to renew...i will head out to shinagawa tomorrow but im worried, i have no idea what the consiquences are for FORGETTING to renew...eeek...
Can anyone offer their advice? been in the same situation?

Say sorry - a lot.

[simplemind]

Last year I forgot to renew my spouse visa. I was three days late. My excuse... The nenewal date coincided with the new year holidays and I had been so busy with all kinds of stuff I completely forgot. Apologized a lot too. Immigration was very strict and threatened to deport me (mind you, I had already been living here in Japan for 15 years). I was shocked at those harsh words and was sure that would be the end of my stay in Japan. The first conversations started out on the second floor (Shinagawa branch) and then they told me to go to the third floor for my fist formal interview. I went to Shinagawa by myself but they demanded my wife to come to the immigration office as soon as possible. They even told me in between interviews, which were more like interrogations, that I couldn't even leave the buiding to smoke a cigarette... I was fingerprinted, photographed and asked to write a one page long essay-like report to explain in detail why I had "overstayed" my visa. From there on I was moved to the fourth floor for more interviews, then the fifth floor. It took all day, but luckily I was able to avoid ending up on the sixth floor (detention facility). I learned a good lesson that day... NEVER forget to renew your visa. Actually, I just went there again this morning to renew, six days before the expiry date. That is still gambling if you ask me. Never know what might happen in six days...

Sorry, but in your case, I'm pretty sure you'll be deported. Bring some clean underwear when you go there.

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by Booth

If you have been here 15 years, why haven"t you just gotten permanent residency so you don't have this problem.

The other guy is screwed. I like silly supermind"s slip of "fist conversion". Has this guy ever seen "Sleepers"?They are going to analize this boy in the dirty detention hall.

If he is interested, he could marry my daughter Turdelia (half Japanese/half Turkish)

Actually, silly supermind has been here for 16 years... One year ago it was 15 years. The reason I don't have permanent residency (eijuuken) is because I got divorced and they (immigration) start to count again from the date of re-marriage. Haven't been able to apply yet. Sorry for the typo

[rtfm]

kitcat: On the plus side, Immigration no longer* throws you in lockup just for overstaying as long as YOU go to THEM. As it's 99% probable you will be back in Oz for the weekend, you might want to do some tidyup before going to Shinagawa. You're already a month over, one more day won't matter much.

* read carefully - they DID, very recently (like last year), arrest and jail people at Narita for being 24 hours over.

[noisms]

On the plus side, I know two guys who overstayed and ended up being okay. One guy (a complete idiot airhead by the way) overstayed by a month and was let off the hook because he was married to a Japanese woman (although only on a work visa). The other overstayed by a week or two but basically did everything short of offer to run himself through with a sabre by way of apology and got his company to do the same, and eventually immigration relented.

So you never know. You could be okay. Prepare to humiliate yourself more than you ever have before, and bow so low your head touches the floor.

[simplemind]

It's not up to immigration... At this stage, immigration will follow guidelines and will move to deport you. If you're lucky they (immigration) will let you file an appeal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (or Minister of Justice, I forget) and he/she will decide whether you're allowed to stay or not... Lots of paperwork, lots of signatures. At least, that's what happened in my case. Took about 3 months to have it cleared.

Some guy posted on here (maybe a little less than a year ago?) about having forgot to renew his visa. I think he was about a month over as well. People here were giving him lots of flack going on about how he was about to be deported and how he was an idiot. So he went on the Monday (posted on Friday night originally) He got a letter from his boss (or maybe he went with his boss?) to immigration with all the paperwork and apologized his ___ off, and they were fairly slack on him, and gave him a new visa.

The key here is kiss-some-___. Get your tongue in there if you have to.

But again, its a case-by-case situation. So bring a bag with some toiletries and clothes in case they toss you in lock-up. You may not get access to those toiletries and clothes, but at least you will have them on the off chance that they do.

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by Booth

The other guy is screwed. I like silly supermind"s slip of "fist conversion". Has this guy ever seen "Sleepers"?They are going to analize this boy in the dirty detention hall.

If he is interested, he could marry my daughter Turdelia (half Japanese/half Turkish)

You sure the OP is a guy? OP's screen name and 'eeeek' indicate a girl?

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by Fujay

The key here is kiss-some-___. Get your tongue in there if you have to.

But again, its a case-by-case situation. So bring a bag with some toiletries and clothes in case they toss you in lock-up. You may not get access to those toiletries and clothes, but at least you will have them on the off chance that they do.

Ever been to the 3rd floor and upward Fujay? The higher you go up there, the more trouble you'll find yourself in. Kissing ___ isn't gonna do it from 3F and up. I've seen quite a few movies and a comparison would be as follows:

2F INS
3F FBI
4F NSA
5F CIA
6F DHS

[bland]

Originally Posted by kitcatmeow

I am australian and on a working holiday visa- i can stay up to 18months on this visa but hae to renew it every sixmonths. I have renewed once already. Today i went to renew my alien card and the women at the ward office politely pointed out that my visa expired a month ag??

Wasn't that nice of her? That may have saved you from detention time if you got caught trying to run away.


You've obviously made things difficult and inconvenient for yourself. You really have no choice but to go to Immigration Bureau and seek mercy - if you're caught (such as by trying to board a flight out), you'll be in even more trouble (most likely, fines + detention + deportation).


Read through the info here
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/index.html

and in the Q&A here
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/te...taikyo/qa.html


In your situation, you'll be requesting:

"Special permission for residence" zairyuu tokubetsu kyoka
(If you wish to plead to be allowed to stay in Japan)

or, if you've given up on that idea,

"Deportation Order" (shukkoku meirei)
(If you wish to leave Japan and get out of the sorry mess as quickly and painlessly as possible)


See some of these threads:
http://www.google.co.jp/search?as_q=...s=&safe=images

[simplemind]

Aren't you the informative one! Excellent post!

[kitcatmeow]

Today i went to immigration accompanied by my employer. Things went very well, i was in and out within 1/2 an hour and they are now processing my visa renewal application, They didnt even tell me to stop working in the mean time. i will have their final decision within three weeks but so far so good.

[simplemind]

So much for shock, drama and chaos...

[YokohamaYamate]

I think we all need to give a Meow for kitkat!

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by Booth

Kitkatmeow,

They did that on purpose so you would be lulled into a state of relaxation and let your guard down. Most likely, 15 stormtroopers will kick down your door tonight in the middle of the night and turn you into the GIMP. Mind your piehole....

No reply so we must assume you were right...

[kitcatmeow]

simple mind, thanks for your concern. im still here!! So far so good

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by kitcatmeow

simple mind, thanks for your concern. im still here!! So far so good

Good for you...

[melmoth]

Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news...but I was in a similar situation and was deported.

I also had a great employer who accompanied me to immigration and vouched for me as an excellent and honest employee. I also kissed ___, apologised and everything else.

I had a friend who was in the same situation but was married to a Japanese national and was let off. I think they are smidgeon more lenient with gaijin married to Japanese.

This happened to me in late 2005, soon after Japan started to get tough on overstayers. The new rule I was caught up in was a rule that classifies 1 day overstaying as equally serious to 1000 days overstaying. So anyone with success stories prior to 2005, well take that in context - the rules changed after that. "Oh it was only 3 days", well they really dont give a f#ck as now it is equal to a serial overstayer who has been working illegally for 5 years.

Japan has become even more hardcore on overstayers of late. I would seriously expect deportation if I were you.

My final meeting (the one you will go to soon) happened about 6 weeks after my form-filling, interview, ___-kissing sessions. I was also optimistic before that final meeting as immigration seemed to be reasonable and friendly during my previous few meetings. To give a timeline: I went to one meeting on my own; a further 2 meetings with representatives of my school, the latter one being the intensive form-filling session; and finally, the last ultimatum meeting.

In the final meeting they said that I had 2 choices:

1. Leave voluntarily in 2 weeks and get a ban for one year; or

2. Appeal, but get detained IMMEDIATELY, as in no-time-to-pack-your-stuff-right-fricking-now to a caged cell with a thousand other dirty overstayer scum. You will stew in a pit and when the appeal fails (it never succeeds) then immediate deportation and a ban for 5 years.

To be honest, aside from the first scary meeting the immigration people were nice, friendly and polite. My impression of the immigration cats was: "sorry mate, you seem like a nice guy but we have to follow the rules. Why not come back after your yearly ban is up."

This makes me strongly believe that advice to say "sorry" and "kiss ___" as the prime requisite for visa-renewal is a load a crap by the seriously ill-informed and is simply not good enough. Your case will be judged according to bureaucratic rules that are universally applied. Unless your grandmother is Japanese or you have some ethnic/marriage/familial ties then you have almost no chance of succeeding here.

I seriously hope you've got enough cash to settle up and leave. Getting out of Nippon with only 2 weeks to spare cost me at least 400,000 yen. In this situation it pays to expect the worst. Get saving and buy a ticket home NOW!

[kurogane]

Melmoth, the Bad ___ Illegal, eh!?

Who would have thought...........................

Nice post.

[melmoth]

Yeh, well it could have been worse Kurogane.

If I had chosen overstayer option 2 and appealed/been jailed, then my school representatives (the vice-principal and head of English) would have been given my house keys and told to bag-and-tag my stuff. They would be have been confronted by malty-stench mountains of empty beer cans, sticky-stinky hankies, a rubber-pussy (I bought it by accident, honest) and a fekload of porn.

I can tell you that I chose option 1 in a heart-beat and shook their hands like a maniac for their leniency.

[kurogane]

Well, I am glad to know you are back, and well.

You filthy criminal.

Kidding.


I overstayed once, but it was when the Emperor's father was Emperor.

When the guy at Shinagawa Immigration asked me why, I said: "I forgot."

He was so dumbfounded at my incalculable stupidity and honesty, he just backdated everything and waved me away.


Phew!

I say we trash all the computers.

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by kurogane

When the guy at Shinagawa Immigration asked me why, I said: "I forgot."

wasn't it in Otemachi at that time?

[kurogane]

Originally Posted by simplemind

wasn't it in Otemachi at that time?

Now I don't know.

If I got off at Shinagawa, could I have walked easily to Otemachi?

Shinagawa is the big ___ banking / government district, isn't it?

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by kurogane

Now I don't know.

If I got off at Shinagawa, could I have walked easily to Otemachi?

Shinagawa is the big ___ banking / government district, isn't it?

That would be Otemachi? All I know is that I used to go to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Office in Otemachi and suddenly the relocated it to Shinagawa.

[kurogane]

Originally Posted by simplemind

That would be Otemachi? All I know is that I used to go to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Office in Otemachi and suddenly the relocated it to Shinagawa.

Then it must be Otemachi. This was in 1987.

I thought I had heard everyone on here talking about the office being in Shinagawa.

Tokyo befoozles the BeJeezuz out of me.

What a fukking mess of a city.

And a shitthole, to boot.

Do you like it there?

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by kurogane

And a shitthole, to boot.

Do you like it there?

Not interested in it myself but I know this Japanese chick who likes it in her shithole.

[kurogane]

Originally Posted by simplemind

Not interested in it myself but I know this Japanese chick who likes it in her shithole.

Yeah, some of them are funny that way. My problem has always been that I keep meeting these great chicks who like it in their shitthole, and I like it too, at first. But when I get sick of their shitthole, I often find it's too late to go back, and they won't have it anywhere else.

Still, I can claim to have known quite a few Japanese girls that like it in their shithole, so I got that going for me.

Since you said you know her, and this is Gaijinpot, we'll assume you mean that you Know her, Biblically.

Is she cute?

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by kurogane

Is she cute?

Cute? Can't talk that way about my ex anymore... I do like Tokyo though

[Durland]

So far so good but you can't just sit on your a$$. Be proactive! Here's what you have to do. Wait about a week and then go back to Shinagawa with your documents, looking as Australian as you possibly can. (Right now Australians have a special place in the hearts of Japanese nationalists.) Once you get someones ear and tell them you want to discuss the progress of your case. Start ranting on about whales. Whale this and whale that. Do the Old MacDonald song with "whales" on the bloody farm. Whatever you can think of to improve your situation. Be as boisterous as possible. If they can see just how passionate you are about the subject, they'll have no choice but to let you stay in the country. Good luck!