2025-10-05

When applying for a spouse visa, you submit the application form and required documents to the Regional Immigration Bureau. Including a “Statement of Reasons” detailing how you met, your relationship, and the circumstances leading to your marriage can potentially strengthen your application. Here, we explain in detail using sample statements.

What is a Spouse Visa?

A “Spouse Visa” refers to the “status of residence” that a foreign national residing in Japan can obtain when they marry a Japanese national and become their spouse.
However, the official name of the “Spouse Visa” is “Status of Residence: Spouse or Child of Japanese National.” Since this explanation pertains to a foreign national marrying a Japanese national, we will use the term “Spouse Visa” for convenience.

What is a Statement of Reasons?

To obtain a “Spouse Visa,” the applicant must submit an application form and required documents to the Immigration Bureau with jurisdiction over their address, undergo an examination, and obtain permission.
Required documents include: a certified copy of the Japanese spouse’s family register (koseki tohon), proof of the applicant’s ability to cover living expenses in Japan, a guarantee letter from the Japanese spouse, a residence certificate (jūminhyō) listing all members of the Japanese spouse’s household, and a questionnaire.
Additionally, while not strictly mandatory, a “Statement of Reasons” is commonly submitted. This Statement provides more detailed information than what is covered in the required documents. Submitting this Statement increases the likelihood of approval.
The most critical point in reviewing the application form and required documents for a “Spouse Visa” is verifying that the applicant’s marriage is genuine, meaning it is not a “sham marriage.”
Obtaining a “Spouse Visa” allows indefinite residence in Japan, and there are generally no restrictions on the type of work one can engage in. This makes it a highly advantageous residence status for foreigners residing in Japan. Precisely because of this, some individuals attempt to obtain a Spouse Visa by filing a marriage registration without an actual marital relationship.
Therefore, the Immigration Services Agency conducting the review seeks as much information as possible about the couple. The Statement of Reasons serves as a reference for this purpose.
There is no specific format or content required for the Statement of Reasons. Generally, however, it should clearly describe how the couple met, the course of their relationship leading to marriage, and their future life plans in Japan.

Sample Statement of Reasons

I came to Japan in ●● month of ●● year and was employed by ●● Company, assigned to the ●● Department. It was in this ●● Department that I met Mr. A, who was two years my senior and would later become my husband. Whenever I encountered work I didn’t understand, I would ask Mr. A for help, and we gradually became close. We grew increasingly attracted to each other and began dating around ●● month of ●● year, about one year after joining the company.
About two years into our relationship, around ●● month ●● year, Mr. A proposed marriage. I accepted, and one month later, we visited Mr. A’s parents to formally introduce ourselves. His parents responded with their approval of our marriage. Two months after that, my parents came to Japan and met Mr. A and his parents. My parents also gave their consent to the marriage. We then held our wedding ceremony in ●● city ●● month ●● year.
Currently, both Mr. A and I continue working at the same company. Following our marriage, I was transferred to the ●● Department. Since getting married, we have been living in a rental apartment in ●● City, ●● (Rent: ● yen). Our combined annual income is ● million yen. Even after having children, we plan to continue working at the same company.

Summary

There are no specific requirements for the format or content of the “Statement of Reasons.” It must include details about how the married couple met, their relationship, and the circumstances leading to their marriage. It is also important that the content is easy for the Immigration Services Agency officer to understand when reading it.