# Resident Card Expiration with a few weeks of work left



## jessicalees (Oct 12, 2014)

Hi. 
My resident card expires March 7th and my work ends March 25th. Will I have a problem exiting the country or is there a grace period? 
It is a little complicated with dates. 
In early Feb, I am applying for a UK spouse visa. As I have to mail my passport away, I am afraid I will not receive it back in time to extend my card. I am sending it priority and should have it returned in 10 working days. 
The earliest I could renew the Japanese resident card is Jan, and I am again afraid if I am in the process of renewing the resident card, I can not send off everything to the UK.


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## larabell (Sep 10, 2007)

If you have the new resident card, it might be linked to your visa expiration date. If that's the case, I'd submit an application for extension before your visa expires. They don't keep your passport when you submit the application so all you're looking at is some lost time to visit Immigration. Do it just before you mail your passport to the UK. It takes them some time to process the application but you might mention the situation to them anyway. Plus, I'm not sure you even need your passport after submitting the initial application because they no longer put any stickers or stamps in foreign passports.

The cops won't necessarily come to collect you if you don't renew... but if the Immigration guy you hand the card to as you leave Japan is having a bad day, it's conceivable you could get banned from re-entering Japan for 5 or 10 years for overstaying your visa.

If you're on a long-term visa and it's just the card that's expiring, it may not matter as much. If you still have the old card issued by your local city/ward office, I'd say forget about it (assuming you're really leaving Japan on the 25th of March). I forgot to make a change on my old gaijin card once and didn't realize it until I went to register for something at the ward office almost a year later and found that they had me listed as having left Japan. An apology and the proper paperwork was enough to get things straightened out.

If you're concerned, you could always call or visit your local Immigration office.


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## jessicalees (Oct 12, 2014)

Thanks for the advice. I have the new card. I renewed it once before and remember needing to bring the passport twice, but you are right, they did not keep it. 
I plan to leave Japan 30 days of having my UK visa is issued , so there is a chance I will leave closer to March 7th, such as the 10th or 11th. 
I guess I was also trying to avoid taking a day off work and the cost of getting to the center, and 4000 yen, but you make a good point of the ban, so will make sure it is in order. I wasn't sure if there was a grace period or not with the expiration.
Thank you again.


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## larabell (Sep 10, 2007)

I'd talk to them first... either by phone or when you go there. It's possible they could extend you for a few weeks or make an entry of some sort in your passport so you're good. If not, you might be able to avoid the 4000 yen if you time it right. The payment isn't expected until the application is approved and you go to pick up the card. But you should be OK if you've applied for the extension before the expiration date, even if the application is in process when your current visa expires. They used to stamp the application date in your passport -- maybe in case you get stopped while the application is pending. I'm not sure what they do now (make the entry on the back of the old card?). But if you've already left the country before you pick up the new card, you shouldn't have to pay the fee. Sure... you'd be gaming the system a bit but I don't think there's any law against applying for an extension and then leaving before it comes through. When you get the postcard I think you have 30 days or so to go back to Immigration so even if the original application is approved quickly, you still have enough slack time to bail out without picking up the new card.


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## jessicalees (Oct 12, 2014)

I just sent immigration an email to ask about the procedure. You suggestion is ideal too, as I could get out of work in late Feb without using holiday time. 
Just curious, do you know how close to the expiration date I can apply for an extension? If I go a few days before it expires, is it okay? I might do that, then as you suggest, not follow through with the extension. Especially if I am leaving on the 10th or something. It is more the time off work and travel to the center that I am concerned about. 
Cheers.


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## larabell (Sep 10, 2007)

I'm pretty sure you can apply for an extension on the day it expires (or maybe the day before). I've never done that since I don't like to call things that close but maybe someone else on the forum has. I have had my visa expire while the extension was in progress so I know that doesn't cause any trouble -- or, at least it never used to.

I don't have to worry about extensions any more but I still have to deal with visas for my two kids.


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## jessicalees (Oct 12, 2014)

Good advice. I don't like to call things that close either, but surely that is why there is a date of expiration. 
I really appreciate all your advice. The forum is a great resource.


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