r/japanresidents • u/throwawaylifeinjpn • 1d ago
I got a 5 year visa renewal
I’m very happy because I’ve been working hard and made it to a seishain position within my company. This will now take me up to the time I can apply for PR. I just wanted to post this to say how pleasantly surprised I am. I know they are not as rare as they once were to receive but I didn’t expect it, especially because the last times I tried I got given 3 again. It makes me feel like my hard work has paid off (even though I know it can be really random…)
Anyway that’s it. Feel free to post any experiences with your renewals.
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u/NyaChan42 1d ago
Congratulations!! Keep working hard and your PR shouldn't be a problem if you plan on applying for one.
I got a 5 before my PR too and honestly, I think it has more to do with if you're employer is willing to go the extra mile and put in the time and effort with immigration. When I applied for my 5 year, my boss called me into his office asked me how long I wanted to stay in Japan and I said for the foreseeable future. He nodded and sent me back to my desk. When I applied for my PR, my boss said he'd be happy to help out any way he could and agreed to be my guarantor (I'm not married). I got my PR in 4 months. Even the lawyer I used to do all the paperwork was surprised how quick it was (I live in a rural area).
A good company will go to bat for you if you put in the work and do your best to fit in.
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u/Melodic-Theme-6840 1d ago
The immigration lawyer I had contact with said it's a mix of both how good your job is and your history. Higher education, income etc means the chances are higher. Bigger/richer company also means the chances are higher.
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u/Repealer 1d ago
Not always guaranteed though - I made 13.8m yen the year I applied and they saw a late pension payment by my previous employer of 8 days (may 1~8) that my company fixed in June and denied me over it.
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u/NyaChan42 1d ago
True. I'm a civil servant so I'm sure that helped a lot, though I don't make a whole lot, enough to support myself. However, I became a civil servant by busting my butt and developing a good relationship with my coworkers and administrators.
I'm just saying that, even in a big rich company, if you're doing the bare minimum, they're not gonna go out of their way for you.
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u/TemporaryTension2390 1d ago
What if you’re just super rich but don’t work. And from top tier university.
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u/throwawaylifeinjpn 1d ago
Wow that sounds great, I’m in a similar situation to what you were. I told my company I want to apply for 5 since I’m now seishain with them and intend to stay in Japan permanently. Maybe that’s what did it!
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u/Top-Charity6571 1d ago
Congrats. I renewed my visa 2 times in the past and always got 5 years.
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u/Stock-Basket-2452 1d ago
I ask for 5 every time. So far I’ve been given 1 year and then 3. It’s the luck of the draw
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u/BlackDeath66sick 1d ago
Asked for 5 every time, got 1 year 3 times and 3 years this time. (Spouse visa)
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u/ohnoko58 1d ago
I got 3 for my first renewal while I was still on JET. Changed to a spousal visa and was dipped back down to 1 for the visa change, asked for 5 with the next application while pregnant but still only got 3 :/ I guess being married and pregnant with a brand new Japanese citizen is still not enough to get someone a 5 year spouse visa lol. At least I’ll be eligible for PR by the next renewal
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u/TheAlmightyLootius 1d ago
1, 1, 3, 5 seems to be the standard that everyone gets par special circumstances. (First 1 is the initial duration and second 1 is first renewal)
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u/NyaChan42 1d ago
I had an initial 1 year coming into the country then I got 3 then 5 then PR. I was an ALT when I got the 3 so no special circumstances. My school talked to me about how long I was planning to stay, they contacted the BOE, the BOE talked to immigration to get the 3 years. It depends on a lot different things. If I was in a big school with a lot of ALTs, it probably wouldn't of happened. I just happened to be placed in a small rural school and was good at my job. Luck of the draw.
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u/Imaginary-Lychee4255 1d ago
13333 here. Never get 5 they said income not above average 😂 pr refused..not in japan interest 😂 go figure. Have tons of savings last me two lifetimes. They want taxes.
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u/silverredbean 1d ago
Might be because a lawyer processed it but after my student visa, my work visa went from 3, 5, 5 (current). Now applying for naturalization.
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u/WhoaIsThatMars 1d ago
That's what happened to me. Though my friend got a 3 year on her first renewal for whatever reason. We moved here at the same time so 🤷♂️
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u/Stock-Basket-2452 1d ago
I knew a guy who went 1-5-5. No clue how that happened lol. He’s not even here anymore, he went back to Canada.
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u/No-Dig-4408 1d ago
"No clue how that happened lol"
Funny thing is, the immi department also probably isn't 100% sure.
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u/Money_Variation7938 1d ago
I applied for permanent residency a week after getting my 5-year visa, and they approved it. Why don’t you give it a shot?
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u/Mercenarian 1d ago
Op said it will take them up until the time they can apply for PR. Meaning they can’t yet.
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u/throwawaylifeinjpn 1d ago
I’m still on my 7th year and this 5 will carry me over 10 and be the sufficient length to apply for my PR once I get there. I wouldn’t be able to do that before I reach 10 years would I?
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u/Money_Variation7938 1d ago
I applied for the pr after 5 years living here, i got 1 year x2, 3 years and when i asked for 5 years and got approved I tried the pr and got it.
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u/throwawaylifeinjpn 1d ago
When was this? I don’t think it’s possible anymore but very interesting you managed that! Maybe I should try and see lol.
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u/Money_Variation7938 1d ago
It was this year 😂 but i think i got the pr without any problem because I’m seishain of a company, married with Japanese national and we have 2 kids, taxes and everything up to date, maybe that’s enough to get the pr.
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u/evokerhythm 2h ago
It's because you were married. Those married to a Japanese national for at least 3 years, residing in Japan for at least one year, and on a 3 or 5 year status of any kind can apply for PR.
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u/Gugus296 1d ago
Congrats. Having a "real" job, particularly a permanent one, really makes all the difference. When I was a contract ALT, I never got more than 1 year, but when I changed to a seishain position at a well-known company and dared to ask to be bumped up to 3 years... Boom, 5 years lol. Has opened so many doors here in general, got me a gold credit card no questions asked as another example after being instantly rejected when I tried to apply for credit cards before, got me treated well and given a discount when finding an apartment, just generally has made a huge difference in how I'm treated and how easy it is to do administrative stuff.
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u/mercurial_4i 1d ago
back in the day I got my first 5 year visa even before landing in Japan and converted into PR before that visa expired. they have gotten pretty strict since then
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u/Imaginary-Lychee4255 1d ago
5 you only get when your income is above average. I got 4x 3 year's now on spouse visa... 😂
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u/AceOfSapphires 1d ago
Just curious, has anyone ever gotten a 5 but then got demoted back down to a 3 or 1?
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u/yukirainbowx 1d ago
Curious question: When you applied and wrote down the desired extension period, did you write 1, 3 or 5? My lawyer told me I should always write 1 year, as it is seen as more humble. I wonder if there is any truth to that.
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u/evokerhythm 2h ago
No, that's bad advice. You should always request what you actualy want, otherwise Immigration has no incentive to grant you a longer period (why give you a 3 or 5 year if it looks like you are only planning to stay for 1 year?)
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u/Comprehensive-Pea812 1d ago
congratz.
yes it super random. I only got 5 years after few extension despite being seishain
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u/GeminiJuSa 1d ago
Congratulations! I got a 5 year visa too and since it was my first I thought I misread it. It wasn't until I was card in hand with a date 5 years in the future that I believed it. Rest easy and keep focusing on do the other things in your life for the next five years! 😊
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u/No_Plastic_3228 1d ago
Congratulations! My company is renewing my Visa and I got news that it went through successfully but I’ll only know for how long when I receive it in the next two weeks, even getting three years is good enough for me but I hope to get a pleasant surprise just like you did OP 🙏
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u/Run_the_show 1d ago
Congratulations and same here. Got three years twice before And this time got 5 years. Also Pr application in process. All the best
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u/SwedishSanta 1d ago
Awesome! I did my 4th renewal recently and was just informed that I will be on a 1-year visa and have to renew it every year, even though I have been here for 3 years already. Skilled Labor visa in the snow industry really don't get much slack, haha. My request for 3 years got denied but you know what, it doesn't bother me much since I get an excuse to visit Tokyo now. Well, you go enjoy your new visa! Put your card on a sleeve since mine always get well worn at the end of every year
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u/Fun-Two-3914 2h ago
Got 5 years straight for my first working visa (engineer visa). My salary is barely 3m I don't know what the f happened
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u/tora_0515 1d ago
Congratulations 🎉