For those who are going to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, this is a must-see! How long does it take to receive a Certificate of Eligibility?
A Certificate of Eligibility is an indispensable certificate for foreign nationals to engage in activities in Japan. It must be obtained before entering Japan, but how long does it take to receive it? We will explain in detail.
What is a Certificate of Eligibility?
A certificate of eligibility is a document that certifies the activities that a foreign national can engage in in Japan. However, this “activity” does not refer to sightseeing, but to staying in Japan for a long period of time and working in Japan. This certificate of eligibility includes the activities (business activities) that the foreign national is allowed to engage in in Japan. Therefore, activities other than those listed on the certificate are prohibited.
A certificate of eligibility is required when a foreign national is landing in Japan in order to stay in Japan. When landing, the foreign national must present his/her passport and visa in addition to the Certificate of Eligibility.
The Certificate of Eligibility certifies that there is no deception regarding the nature of your activities in Japan or your status with respect to your spouse, etc., and that you have the status of residence in Japan. Without this certificate, the foreign national cannot prove that he/she is qualified to engage in the activities in Japan. Therefore, the foreign national must obtain this certificate before entering Japan.
How to obtain
There are two ways to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility: First, the foreign national can come to Japan and apply for the Certificate of Eligibility himself/herself. The other is for a company or other organization that intends to employ the foreign national to apply in Japan on his/her behalf.
However, the first method is not practical because the foreign national must come all the way to Japan to file the application. Therefore, the second method, in which the company that plans to hire the foreign national applies in Japan on his/her behalf, is the most common method.
After the proxy applies for a certificate of eligibility, the certificate is mailed to the person who made the proxy application. The proxy is to mail the certificate to the person in the foreign country. The foreign national will then take the certificate to the Japanese embassy or consulate in his/her country and apply for a visa.
The certificate is valid for three months after it is issued in Japan. If the certificate is invalid after three months from the date of issue, it will become invalid, so the foreign national must calculate the date of travel to Japan before applying for the certificate.
Time Until Issuance
The period between the application and the issuance of the Certificate of Eligibility, which is the point of most concern, is approximately 2 to 3 months according to the Immigration and Residency Management Agency, which issues the certificate. However, this agency is only a guideline, so the period may be shorter than this, or it may be longer due to some circumstances.
Therefore, Japanese companies that plan to hire foreign nationals should apply on their behalf with a certain amount of time to spare.
Summary
It takes about 2 to 3 months from application to issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility. However, this is only a guideline, so it may be shorter or longer depending on the circumstances.
