Relief from Immigrant Admin Worry
Nov. 12th, 2020 01:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
a_cubedSo, on Tuesday I looked at my "Gaijin Card".(*)
Mine was issued in September 2013 when I was granted permanent residence. They last for seven years. Spot the problem? It expired in September.
You have two months BEFORE the expiry to get it re-issued by postal application.
After visiting the local office for advice, and then on their advice ringing the immigration bureau, I had to take my passport and current card to the immigration bureau office. For me, living in Tokyo, that's not too bad. It's less than an hour for me to get there.
I've been worried about this since I realised it on Tuesday. For those who are or have ever been, immigrants, this kind of worry will be familiar. Unless one has citizenship where one lives, there is always a low grade concern about interactions with authority, because they have all the power of the state normally, plus the extra one of being able to declare you an illegal immigrant and kick you out.
The office opens at 9am. I arrived about 9:10, to be given a slip of paper allowing me to join the queue for entry at 09:45. These queues cycled every fifteen minutes so I had to hang around while two queues went in then join my batch. Inside I had to take a number to queue to be seen, fill in a renewal form, and an apology form to the Minister of Justice for not renewing in time, then wait for them to issue the new card. All told, it took about two hours including the queuing. Almost everyone in masks (I pointed out to a couple of people they should be covering their noses, which they did) and with the queuing seats inside having big red X's on every other seat to encourage social distancing.
So, I now have a card valid until November 2027, and I have to remember to get it renewed in the two months before then. I've put a reminder entry in my electronic calendar, but who knows if that will survive that long.
They really need to remind people to renew these cards (failure to renew is common enough that the apology for not doing so is a form you tick the box on). They know when they need renewing, they have the address in the database. A letter with the renewal form sent to that address would probably save them money (in-person processing staff) as well as worry and hassle for the foreigners doing it.
(*)
All foreigners in Japan are required to carry ID. Japanese people are not. For those in Japan for 90 days or less, they are supposed to carry their passport. All foreigners resident in Japan for more than 90 days (which is also how long a tourist visit can last) must register for a foreign person registration card: gaikokujinn touroku kaado, commonly referred to in English as a "gaijin card". For those on a limited term visa, this will include spouse or employment details (depending on the type of visa). For permanent residents like me it doesn't include such things. It includes current address for everyone, which must be updated by the local city office when changed (they write it on the back as well as update the database). They used to be issued by the local city offices as well but that changed a few years ago and they're now issued on arrival at the airport or by the immigration bureau offices.
Mine was issued in September 2013 when I was granted permanent residence. They last for seven years. Spot the problem? It expired in September.
You have two months BEFORE the expiry to get it re-issued by postal application.
After visiting the local office for advice, and then on their advice ringing the immigration bureau, I had to take my passport and current card to the immigration bureau office. For me, living in Tokyo, that's not too bad. It's less than an hour for me to get there.
I've been worried about this since I realised it on Tuesday. For those who are or have ever been, immigrants, this kind of worry will be familiar. Unless one has citizenship where one lives, there is always a low grade concern about interactions with authority, because they have all the power of the state normally, plus the extra one of being able to declare you an illegal immigrant and kick you out.
The office opens at 9am. I arrived about 9:10, to be given a slip of paper allowing me to join the queue for entry at 09:45. These queues cycled every fifteen minutes so I had to hang around while two queues went in then join my batch. Inside I had to take a number to queue to be seen, fill in a renewal form, and an apology form to the Minister of Justice for not renewing in time, then wait for them to issue the new card. All told, it took about two hours including the queuing. Almost everyone in masks (I pointed out to a couple of people they should be covering their noses, which they did) and with the queuing seats inside having big red X's on every other seat to encourage social distancing.
So, I now have a card valid until November 2027, and I have to remember to get it renewed in the two months before then. I've put a reminder entry in my electronic calendar, but who knows if that will survive that long.
They really need to remind people to renew these cards (failure to renew is common enough that the apology for not doing so is a form you tick the box on). They know when they need renewing, they have the address in the database. A letter with the renewal form sent to that address would probably save them money (in-person processing staff) as well as worry and hassle for the foreigners doing it.
(*)
All foreigners in Japan are required to carry ID. Japanese people are not. For those in Japan for 90 days or less, they are supposed to carry their passport. All foreigners resident in Japan for more than 90 days (which is also how long a tourist visit can last) must register for a foreign person registration card: gaikokujinn touroku kaado, commonly referred to in English as a "gaijin card". For those on a limited term visa, this will include spouse or employment details (depending on the type of visa). For permanent residents like me it doesn't include such things. It includes current address for everyone, which must be updated by the local city office when changed (they write it on the back as well as update the database). They used to be issued by the local city offices as well but that changed a few years ago and they're now issued on arrival at the airport or by the immigration bureau offices.
no subject
Date: 2020-11-12 08:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-11-12 07:59 pm (UTC)Teddy
no subject
Date: 2020-11-13 01:53 am (UTC)I've not experienced anything poor from immigration bureau people, though when my wife applied for my spouse visa "Certificate of Eligibility" on my behalf, she did say she felt the immigration officer she dealt with was borderline insulting.
Maybe my Japanese language and body language skills can't spot it, or maybe she just got unlucky, or maybe it was just a Japanese person who really doesn't like to see Japanese people marrying foreigners.
no subject
Date: 2020-11-13 04:57 am (UTC)