【Your questions are answered!】Can the Certificate of Eligibility be reissued?
A Certificate of Eligibility certifies the possible activities of a foreigner who plans to stay in Japan. Without this certificate, a visa to enter Japan will not be issued. If I lose this certificate, can it be reissued?
What is a Certificate of Eligibility?
A certificate of eligibility is a document that certifies the activities that a foreigner is allowed to engage in in Japan. However, it is not intended for tourists, but for foreigners who will work and stay in Japan for a mid- to long-term period. The Certificate of Eligibility describes the activities that the foreigner is allowed to engage in in Japan.
The Certificate of Eligibility is required when a foreigner lands in Japan. In this case, in addition to the Certificate of Eligibility, the passport and visa must also be presented.
The Certificate of Eligibility certifies that the foreign national’s activities in Japan and status as a spouse, etc. are not deceptive and that he/she falls under the status of residence. Therefore, without this certificate, you will not be able to prove the activities you intend to perform in Japan. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility before entering Japan.
How to Obtain a Certificate of Eligibility
There are two ways to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility: the foreigner himself/herself can come to Japan and apply for it, or a company that employs the foreigner can apply for it in Japan on the foreigner’s behalf.
However, the first method is not very common, as the foreigner himself/herself must come to Japan to apply. Generally, a company or other organization will apply on behalf of the foreigner in Japan.
After applying for a certificate of eligibility, the certificate will be mailed to the applicant about one to three months later. In the case of a proxy application, the certificate must be mailed to the foreigner in his/her home country. The foreigner will then take the certificate to the Japanese embassy or consulate in his/her home country to apply for a visa.
The certificate is valid for three months. Therefore, the certificate becomes invalid after three months from the date of issue, so it is necessary to count backward from the date of travel to Japan when applying for the certificate.Is it possible to reissue the certificate?
By the way, if you have lost your Certificate of Eligibility, can it be reissued? As a conclusion, reissuance is not possible.
If you have lost it, you have no choice but to apply for it again. Therefore, the application form and all attached documents must be retrieved from the beginning. However, it is possible to divert some of the materials from the previous application. In this case, you can make a written request to the Immigration Bureau where you made the application.
However, this diversion does not apply to all documents. Statutory application forms, questionnaires, etc. must be reworked. In addition, among the previously submitted documents, a copy of family register, tax payment certificate, etc. have a validity period of 3 months, so if this period has expired when you reapply, you will need to request them again.
In addition, in order to deal with the loss of your Certificate of Eligibility, you should make copies of the Certificate of Eligibility issued to you, as well as the documents you submitted to the Immigration Bureau at the time of application, and keep them in a safe place in advance.
Summary
If you lose your Certificate of Eligibility, it cannot be reissued. You must re-apply for it. However, you can reuse some of the documents you submitted when you first applied. To prepare for such a situation, make copies of the issued Certificate of Eligibility as well as the application form and attached documents.
