22 Comments
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Jack Krown's avatar

Oh boy. I’m surprised because for people like me living here almost 40 years, Japan seems to be giving away visas like candy. The longer term foreigners are all “old man yells at clouds” about how much HARDER it was back in MY DAY. Lol.

Glad you shared this though. Infuriating, that reason.

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Shawn Brooks's avatar

Yeah the reason sucked but it learned ! And hopefully others can get in front of the same mistake

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Made in DNA's avatar

Dude, lamest reason ever.

That said, you can already skip the foreigner line. I've been skipping it for the last 18 years.

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Shawn Brooks's avatar

True ! But I want the super super fast PR line lol.

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Jack Krown's avatar

Wait. There’s a PR line???? I just go to the orange Residents line.

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Jack Krown's avatar

Yup. All you need is a residence card.

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Made in DNA's avatar

Hearing Shawn's story just brings to mind that this is some kind of scam, like with licenses. Instead of passing all qualified, they play games and make money.

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Jack Krown's avatar

The driver license thing has indeed devolved into a barely concealed scam.

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Gianni Simone's avatar

Kafka would have loved your story. Bureaucratic hell is one of the worst thing because there's no way you can win. Fingers crossed for your next try!

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Shawn Brooks's avatar

Thanks! I just read a short horror story on someone trapped in a literal bureaucratic hell and I thought of Japan lol.

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Tamara Goldenberg's avatar

I so sorry ! What a bummer ! How long before you can re-apply ?

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Shawn Brooks's avatar

2 1/2 years!

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Mark Kennedy's avatar

Sorry to hear this news. Is there a process to consult somebody face-to-face about the decision? If so, have you tried it? What was the result?

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Shawn Brooks's avatar

Yeah if you get rejected you have the right to have one meeting with an immigration officer and they’ll explain exactly why you got rejected and how to not be next time. I think you only get the one meeting, as in, if I do the meeting (planning on next week) I can never do it again even if I get rejected again.

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Jeanine Kitchel's avatar

The moving target of rules, at least in Mexico, is baffling, disturbing and upsetting. It's all up to the gods of immigration. I call them a country unto themselves—in my memoir about living in a foreign land, I write about border crossings/immigration like this, "For the authorities who govern borders live by their own book of rules, in a world that they devise, and in a dominion all their own." Ojala, as the Maya say.

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Shawn Brooks's avatar

Immigration officers really do have so much power over foreigners in their country. Always a scary realization.

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Tales Gubes's avatar

Damn 😑

I'm sorry you've been through this yet again :(

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Shawn Brooks's avatar

Thank you! It really sucked for about 2 days but now I don’t think much of it anymore.

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Tamara Goldenberg's avatar

Oh man , bummer . You got this ! Next time it’s all you ❤️

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Shawn Brooks's avatar

Thank you!

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鳥居's avatar

とりあえず、住民票300円もするのやめて欲しいですね。あと手続きが全体的に煩わしいです。

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Comment removed
Mar 16, 2024
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Shawn Brooks's avatar

Yeah I’m all for following rules and keeping order but when people follow it without thinking about the “spirit” of what the rule intended it’s not beneficial.

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