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VISA Q and A on FM COCOLO 76.5 MHz Inviting a relative over (part two) On Aired Data: Jul.18, 2000 |
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Summary of the On Aired Program |
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Client: A foreign female, married to a Japanese citizen. Living with her husband, three children (all possess Japanese citizenship) at the ages of 12,9, and 5, and mother-in-law. She is currently staying under the permanent resident status. Along with her husband, she runs a businees.. Case: She would like to invite her 61-year old mother over from her mother country. Her mother is living alone, so she is very worried about her. If she is able to invite her mother over, it would also be a great help to her mother-in-law, because her mother-in-law is looking after her children at the age of 75. So our client would like to take off the burden from her. She has visited the immigration office, but they told her that she could only invite her mother over under the temporary visitor status. Unfortunately, under the immigration law, the client’s mother is not considered as a part of the family member. That is why the immigration office advised our client not that her mother would have to stay under the temporary visitor visa. For our client to fulfill her plans, she might need to ask her mother to apply for the status of Long-term residency, which is basically released to immigrants from Indochina and to children of Japanese descent considered as third generations. The decision on granting the residence status to a foreigner applying for special cases is all in the hands of the Minister of Justice. So, the special issuance of the status of long-term residency for the mother of our listener will all depend on the supporting papers they will submit to justify the desperate need for her mother to come over to Japan. Let us give you some good reasons that might be effective for the special request of Long-term residency. One reason that could be good enough is that it is best to let grandparents live with the family so the grandchildren will grow learning how to love, care, respect, and communicate with the elderly, a common practice in the Philippines until present but not anymore in Japan. And also, grandparents would be able to share their experiences and teach the grandchildren about several facts of life. In such a way, grandchildren will learn to manage themselves in different situations when exposed to the society. It is said that the issue on the deteriorating society of Japan is to be blamed on the way on how children are raised in Japan. Sad to say, the society of Japan has turned into a place where interaction between children and elderly is on the minimum. Now let’s consider another good reasons for asking a longer term of visa for the parents of a foreigner. Being an adult, it is about time for the children to serve their parents. It won’t be right to just let the parents live all by themselves especially when they have reached the 60’s. And if the parents are still well and about, they can even look after their grandchildren and help guide them on ways to face the society, especially if the parents are both working. So, with due reasons, maybe our listener can have enough strong grounds to request a longer term of visa for her mother from the Minister of Justice. Again, always be aware that the decision is all in the hands of the Minister of Justice, so nobody knows if a visa requested would be granted or not. For the meantime, what our listener needs to do is to ask her mother to apply for the temporary visitor’s residence status good for 3 months and visit Japan. While in Japan, they can try to apply for a longer term of visa, though there are no promises. Usually, the application will take almost three months before one will know the decision. Whether or not will one be granted a visa on special occasion is really on a case by case basis. |
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