{"id":412,"date":"2007-04-03T11:31:33","date_gmt":"2007-04-03T02:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-04-03\/412"},"modified":"2007-04-03T11:31:33","modified_gmt":"2007-04-03T02:31:33","slug":"renewing-my-visa-to-remain-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-04-03\/412","title":{"rendered":"Renewing my Visa to Remain in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n

I applied to renew my visa to stay in Japan, today. That means that\nwe've been here almost three years now, which on top of the 8 years I spent<\/span>\nwhen I was<\/span> just out of college, adds up to making me feel old. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n

What a difference it is dealing with Japan's version of the INS compared\nwith the American version (now called something I can<\/span> never remember and\nthankfully, no longer need to).<\/p>\n\n \n\n\n

When applying for Fumie's green card in 1998-1999 in San Jose,\nCalifornia, we had to go to the INS office numerous times, and it was hell.\nYou're always guaranteed an extremely long wait: if you arrive at 3am\nhoping to be first in line for the morning opening, you'll be sorely\nsurprised at the length the line has already reached. You could<\/span> arrive just\nwhen they open, only to wait hours in the line outside to find that they\nwon't accept anyone else for the day, and be sent home never having even\nstepped inside. (I hear<\/span> now that there's an online reservation system,\nwhich hopefully makes at least that aspect smoother.)\n\n<\/p>

\n\nThe worst part, though, was that every single member of the staff at the\nINS office would treat you like cattle, but without the respect one\nnormally affords cattle. In every<\/span> way, their treatment was dehumanizing,\ndegrading, and demoralizing (which was perhaps their intent). It made me<\/span>\nsick and embarrassed to be American, and worse, this was my new wife's\nintroduction to my country. I can imagine<\/span> it's only worse now,\npost-9\/11.<\/p>\n\n

Contrast this with my trip to the Japanese immigration office to apply\nfor an extension of my visa....<\/p>\n\n

I prepared the paperwork yesterday:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. My passport.<\/li>\n
  2. My proof of alien registration<\/a> card.<\/li>\n
  3. The renewal application form.<\/li>\n
  4. Fumie's koseki<\/i> (“family registry,” as described in the previous post<\/a>).<\/li>\n
  5. Our juuminhyou<\/a><\/i> (registry of address).<\/li>\n
  6. Copies of our tax records.<\/li>\n
  7. A letter<\/span> of guarantee stating that Fumie, a Japanese<\/span> citizen, would be responsible for any of my alien\n misdeeds should I do<\/span> something bad and skip the country.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    I also prepared a few things in case they might be required...<\/p>\n