For those planning to go to Japan, it is no surprise that it is necessary to resolve many issues regarding authorizations and other indispensable documentation.
One of these concerns should be the Certificate of Eligibility, which becomes mandatory for all those who are not just making a short trip to Japan.
But what is this certificate and what is necessary to obtain it?
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What is the Certificate of Eligibility?
The Certificate of Eligibility (Zairyu Shikaku Nintei Shomeisho) is a document sent by the Immigration Control Department of Justice.
This document must be presented during disembarkation and serves to prove the types of activities that the immigrant will engage in during their stay in Japan, which must comply with the Immigration Law.
Unlike most required documentation, it is not the person going to Japan who requests it, but rather someone with a degree of kinship who resides in Japan must make the request.
The Japanese resident, after the document is issued, must send it to the foreign applicant and then apply for the visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate.
The deadline for the foreigner to embark to Japan is a maximum of three months after the issuance of the Certificate of Eligibility. It is worth remembering that this documentation does not guarantee the automatic issuance of the visa.
What is necessary to obtain the document?
Since the Certificate of Eligibility must be requested by a resident relative, the documents for making the request must be from both.
The ideal is that the guarantor is preferably the Japanese spouse and that they can prove income in Japan; otherwise, it can be another close relative living in Japan.
The couple should travel together and present a copy of both flight tickets, or the Japanese resident can go ahead and the other can follow later.
On the official website of the Embassy of Japan, you can find all the documents for specific cases of kinship. The main ones are:
Spouse of a Japanese national, of a descendant of a Japanese national, and of a “Permanent Resident” with the Certificate of Eligibility
- Valid passport
- Visa application form to enter Japan
- One 3x4cm photo (clear, recent, white background)
- Certificate of Eligibility (original and copy)
SPOUSE OF A JAPANESE NATIONAL WITHOUT THE CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY
- Valid passport
- Visa application form to enter Japan
- One 3x4cm photo (clear, recent, white background)
- Applicant’s identity card (original and copy) or authenticated copy
- Koseki tohon (original – valid for up to one year), showing the couple’s marriage registration.
- Marriage certificate (authenticated copy)
- The applicant must have as a guarantor the spouse or a relative in Japan, who must present the following documents:
- Original guarantee letter (download in Portuguese and Japanese)
- Proof of income (original and copy).
- Employment certificate
- Certificate of foreign registration and copy of the passport (if the guarantor is a foreigner).
- Certificate of residence, if the guarantor is living in Japan (JUMINHYOU)
Work visa through the Certificate of Eligibility
The work visa is one of the visas that most descendants can obtain due to finding jobs easily, especially when they already have a certain level of education.
It is possible to obtain a work visa if you can contact a company that hires you and takes care of the visa.
The foreigner can also first apply for the Certificate of Eligibility and then obtain the work visa, but this does not apply to everyone. Only for certain professions, which are:
Teacher, artist, religious activities, journalist, business manager, legal and accounting services, medical services, researcher, instructor, engineer/humanities specialist/international services, skilled labor, entertainment producer.
Time and costs
To spend a season in Japan, it is necessary to plan well in advance due to the bureaucracy with the documents. No last-minute decisions, okay! It can end up causing a headache.
The time will depend on the category, degree of kinship, length of stay; all of this will be taken into account.
But the average waiting time after the request for the Certificate of Eligibility is about ninety days.
Applying for the Certificate of Eligibility is free. You will only have to pay for the stamps and the envelope.
If you prefer to pay a professional to handle all the procedures, there is an additional cost that will vary according to each place, number of people, among others.
Changes due to the pandemic
The pandemic caused by COVID-19 made many modifications regarding travel and moving to another country.
The validity period is taken very seriously, so even with the pandemic, the Certificate of Eligibility was not extended for those that had already been requested.
However, for requests for certificates made on or after July 31, 2022, a new certificate will be issued.
To prove this, it is necessary to present the issued Certificate (original or a copy) and the justification statement filled out by the receiving organization.
Certificates of Eligibility issued between January 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021, will be valid until January 31, 2022. Previously, the period was shorter, four months.
For those with eligibility ready and just waiting to enter Japan, none of the expired eligibilities will be accepted, nor those that may expire before the full release of entry for Brazilians into Japan must be updated by Japanese immigration.
There is still no further information on how this process will work. Perhaps in the coming days, more detailed information about the revalidation will appear. We will keep track of the changes!
Have you already submitted your application for the Certificate of Eligibility? Share your experience with me.
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