Client Testimonial
A client from Australia asked our office to handle his application for the "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" status of residence. At the time, he and his Japanese wife were both living in Australia. We first obtained a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), and the client then received a change of status of residence within Japan.
When a Japanese national's spouse lives overseas, the first major hurdle is usually working out where, and by whom, the application should be filed when neither spouse has an address in Japan. Our client received conflicting information from the consulate and Immigration, and decided not to apply on his own. By filing the application on his behalf, we kept the burden on his wife's parents in Japan to a minimum.
Due to heavy congestion at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau, the assessment took about seven months. Throughout this period we checked on the status of the application and kept the client informed, submitted a request for expedited processing, and handled requests for additional documents. After the COE was issued, we applied for a change of status within Japan in light of the family's circumstances, and it was approved in about one month.
※ The client's name is shown as initials to protect his privacy.
※ The client wrote his message in English. It is published below exactly as we received it.
Message from the Client
Q1- Before I found jeepney.co.jp (substitute how you prefer to be referenced), I was becoming confused with the spouse visa immigration process for Japan. Initially I planned to lodge my COE (certificate of eligibility application) myself, as I had done for my wife's spouse visa application in Australia previously. The more I investigated the Japan spouse visa process, the more it became confusing to me... I spoke with the Japanese consulate in Australia, I emailed Japanese immigration and I researched with AI. I was told my situation was not normal (both the Japanese national- my wife and the husband were living outside Japan). I was told the application needed to be made over the counter in Japan, I was also told the spouse visa application after the COE was issued, needed to be outside Japan. I found out some applications for the COE can be made online, but not as a foreigner living outside Japan?? As my wife was not living in Japan my application would need to be made by a family member living in Japan the list went on. Finally I found that my application could be handled on my behalf by an immigration scrivener (please enter the correct term here) who could assist my wife's elderly parents with the paperwork. I felt relieved at this point, and decided to engage an immigration expert to assist in such an important matter (my families shared future in Japan).
Q2- Once I had made that decision I went about searching for an immigration scrivener to assist us with the process. I contacted 5 or 6 companies that could assist in english. I had varying responses, some were informed, some appeared to also be confused on the process for my situation. I had a quick and clear response from Takuro san of Jeepney.co.jp. He appeared to understand the process for my situation clearly, was consistent with my research and outlined a simplified strategy for my application which would take pressure off my wife's elderly parents- being the point of contract within Japan. We emailed one or two more times, again consistent, clear, confident messaging and his quote was competitive. As a result, I decided quite quickly to proceed with Takuro san and his business.
Q3- Once Jeepney.co.jp were engaged, they set to work very promptly and professionally. As most people would know, lodging immigration applications are very detailed, time consuming and great accuracy is required to put your application in it's best light. Jeepney put in place clear, secure processes to collect and transmit documents remotely and efficiently. I could work through the checklists provided and upload documents as they came to hand, receiving feedback quickly and clearly. This helped greatly and made the process less challenging.
They interacted with our family members in Japan as required, with respect and attention, and ultimately submitted the COE application on our behalf. At the beginning of the process Tokyo immigration were processing applications in around 60 days. This timeline blew-out significantly due to large changes in applications through Tokyo immigration and a changing political landscape with greater scrutiny being applied to visa applications. As the days ticked by, first past 60 days, then 120 days, Takuro san and his staff continued to provide me with clear, consistent feedback. They engaged with immigration as to the status of my application, an initial review had been done and the documents lodged appeared to be in order. This gave me peace of mind, immigration noted there were large backlogs of applications and nothing was out of the ordinary.
As I had entered Japan on a tourist visa with my family when we moved early in 2026, time was of the essence. While we expected a 60 day assessment initially and I had lodged some 6 weeks before we landed in Japan, we thought the 90 day tourist visa should be more than sufficient to have my COE issued. I was wrong! As the days ticked over and we were getting towards the expiry date of my tourist visa, Takuro san suggested lodging a 'fast track request'. This was accepted by immigration but as my 90 day deadline approached without a result, I decided to return to Australia to attend to some matters before returning on a second 90 day tourist visa.
During this challenging period of my application assessment, Jeepney kept me informed and explained the steps they were taking to get my result as soon as possible. This gave me confidence to trust the process, knowing there was no inherent problem with my application and immigration just needed time to get through the backlog. At around 6 months in, immigration started providing additional feedback. They requested some updated documents due to the length of the assessment and Jeepney was very proactive in securing and submitting the documentation. At seven months my COE was finally issued and before my second 90 day tourist visa was due to expire. This was a great relief to everyone! Takuro san then went about suggesting a pathway to obtain my spouse visa without needing to leave Japan (due to my responsibilities for my family in Japan). Within one month this was successful as my Spouse Visa was issued.
Q4) Now that my Spouse Visa has been issued and with it my residence card, it was a huge relief to myself and my family. If you are in a similar situation and thinking to apply for a Visa to stay legally in Japan, I would very much recommend to engage the professional services of a firm such as Jeepney.co.jp. You don't want to risk you or your families future through mistakes of your own or a firm not competent to the task. I would not hesitate to refer Takuro san and his team for any such matter. As I said to Takuro san on issuance of my visa, 'Once again thanks sooo much for your hard work, assistance, patience and humanity.' Humanity is a key word in situations involving immigration, and people's future hopes. This compassion shown by Takuro san and his team helped to greatly reduce the stress and his clear, cconsistent messaging allowed us to trust the process and get the result we were hoping for. Thanks again!
Message of Gratitude from the Administrative Scrivener
J.M., thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and heartfelt message. I have read it many times, remembering each stage of the process as I went.
When both spouses live overseas, it is not unusual to receive different answers about who should apply and where, depending on whom you ask, exactly as you described in Q1. Even if a couple has no address in Japan, an administrative scrivener can file the application on their behalf, so there is no need to ask family members in Japan to go to the Immigration counter. Keeping the burden on the family as light as possible is one of the first things we think about in cases like this.
This time the assessment took far longer than first expected, and I know it meant a long period of uncertainty for you and your family. Processing times depend heavily on how busy Immigration is, and they are not something we can shorten. That is exactly why we placed so much importance on keeping you informed about where things stood. I am truly grateful that this is what you valued.
As a rule, changing from a short-term stay (such as a tourist visit) to another status of residence within Japan is not permitted. However, when a Certificate of Eligibility has been issued, a change within Japan may be allowed depending on the circumstances. In your case, we carefully explained that your three children attend school in Japan and need the support of both parents, and the change was approved.
The word you chose at the end, "humanity", means more to us than anything. Behind every visa application there is always a family's life and future, and we will continue to approach each one with sincerity.
If you have questions about a spouse visa where one or both spouses live overseas, the procedures after a Certificate of Eligibility is issued, or extending your period of stay, please feel free to contact our office. We also handle consultations in English and Chinese.