Immigration
在留カード / 在留期間更新 notices from Japan Immigration
Mail from 出入国在留管理庁 (the Immigration Services Agency) or a 地方出入国在留管理局 (regional immigration bureau) usually falls into a few types. The most common are: (1) a postcard telling you a decision has been made on your 在留期間更新許可申請 (application to extend your period of stay) or 在留資格変更許可申請 (application to change your status of residence), and asking you to come to the counter; (2) a 資料提出通知書 (notice requesting additional documents) sent while your case is still being examined; (3) a notice about renewing the validity of the 在留カード (residence card) itself, which mainly affects permanent residents and people under 16; and (4) messages about online applications, which often arrive by email. None of these are penalties. They tell you where your case stands. Note that Immigration does not routinely send reminders that your period of stay is about to expire, tracking that date is your responsibility. Judging an individual immigration case is regulated work in Japan, so this page explains the general mechanics only; for your own situation, ask the immigration office or a licensed 行政書士 (administrative scrivener) with application-agent certification, or a lawyer.
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People who filed an extension or change-of-status application, applicants asked for extra documents during examination, and residence card holders whose card validity is approaching its end (including permanent residents and children under 16). If your employer or school filed on your behalf, the notice may go to them instead of your home.
What to do
- 1Check that the sender is 出入国在留管理庁 or a named 出入国在留管理局 / 支局 / 出張所, and identify which document it is: a result postcard, a 資料提出通知書, or a residence card validity notice.
- 2Find the printed dates, the window during which you may come to the counter, the document submission deadline, or the expiry date, and copy them into your calendar.
- 3Collect exactly what the notice lists: passport, current 在留カード, the postcard itself, the fee payment form with 収入印紙 (revenue stamps) if a fee applies, and any requested documents; check the current fee amount on the notice or the official Immigration website.
- 4Go in person to the specified regional immigration bureau counter within the stated period, or submit the requested documents before the deadline.
- 5If you cannot meet the deadline, cannot understand the wording, or are worried about the outcome, contact the Foreign Residents Information Center (外国人在留総合インフォメーションセンター) or consult a certified 行政書士 or lawyer rather than guessing.
About the deadline
Several different kinds of dates appear on these documents. The front of your 在留カード shows 在留期間（満了日）, the expiry of your period of stay, and 在留カードの有効期間, the validity of the card itself; renewal applications are accepted starting a set period before the expiry date, and that starting point differs by status, so confirm it with Immigration. A 資料提出通知書 prints a 提出期限 (submission deadline) in the body of the letter; ignoring it can lead to a decision made without your evidence, or your application being treated as withdrawn. A result postcard states the period and hours during which you may visit the counter. Staying past your expiry date without a valid application or permission puts you in overstay status, with serious consequences for future stays and re-entry. Read the date printed on your own document, it is different for every person.
Common misunderstandings
- Does the postcard mean I was approved?
- Not necessarily. The postcard means a decision has been reached and you must come to the counter; it is sent for both approvals and refusals. The process is finished only when you receive your new 在留カード at the window. Bring everything the postcard lists and go to the office named on it.
- My period of stay expired while my application is still being processed. Am I illegal now?
- If you filed the renewal or change application before your expiry date and it is still under examination, Japanese rules allow continued residence for a limited additional period, known as 特例期間. A note showing your application is pending is usually recorded on the back of your card or on the receipt you were given. Show that to your employer or landlord if they ask, and confirm with the immigration counter whether your case falls under 特例期間.
- Is a 資料提出通知書 a rejection letter?
- No. It is a request for further documents or explanation, which means your case is still open. But if you do not respond by the printed deadline, the decision may be made without your evidence or the application treated as withdrawn. If a requested document does not exist or you cannot obtain it, contact the office before the deadline instead of staying silent.
- I am a permanent resident. Why does my card expire?
- Permanent residence itself has no expiry, but the plastic 在留カード does. You must file a 在留カードの有効期間更新申請 (application to renew the card's validity) before the date shown in the 在留カードの有効期間 field on the front of the card. Letting it lapse can be treated as a failure to fulfil a legal obligation, even though your status remains.
- Do I report moving house or changing jobs to Immigration too?
- They go to different places. A change of address is reported at your new city or ward office within 14 days of moving, with your residence card. Changes of name or nationality, and starting, leaving or changing an employer or school, are reported to 出入国在留管理庁. These are separate from any renewal notice you received.
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This page is general information. For your own case, confirm with the office that issued the document, or with a qualified professional.