adamu wrote: ↑Thu Jul 20, 2023 1:29 pm
Tkydon wrote: ↑Thu Jul 20, 2023 12:27 pm
adamu wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 4:53 pm
Checked the law
Which would seem to exclude people who have already departed. Oh well, was worth a thought...
links, and quotes from links
None of that addresses the issue I was hypothesising about, which is that it might be possible to get a
new re-entry permit issued from
inside Japan while
outside Japan, by sending your passport to Japan and getting a proxy to do it for you.
However, the law clearly states that re-entry permits are issued to a foreign national "who is to depart from Japan" (in Japanese 出国しようとするとき), which seems to rule out issuing one to someone who has already departed.
The back of the Departure Card, states,
"[Points to note]
1. If your scheduled departure period exceeds one year (or two years for special permanent residents), you will need to obtain a re-entry permit at a regional immigration bureau.
2. Departure procedures for a person with a multiple re-entry permit valid for one year or longer (two years or longer for special permanent residents) who will leave Japan with the intention of re-entering will be carried out based on the multiple re-entry permit.
3. When a person who has not obtained a re-entry permit will leave Japan with the intention re-entering satisfies the relevant legal requirements, the departure procedures will be carried out based on a special re-entry permit.
4. In the case mentioned in 3. above, if the person does not re-enter Japan while his/her special re-entry permit is valid, the person will lose his/her status of residence, etc..
5. A special re-entry permit may not be extended."
And the back of the associated Arrival Card, states,
"When departing with special re-entry permission, the permission is valid for one (1) year from the departure date or until expiry of the period of stay, whichever comes first.
(For special permanent residents, the permission is valid for two (2) years from the departure date.)"
If the person used the Special Re-Entry Permit, and did not use the Automated Gates, then the passport would be stamped with the 出国 Departed Stamp, and would not have an associated 上陸許可（再）Stamp. In any case, both the Serial Number of the Departure Card and the Zairyu Card to which the 1 Year Special Re-Entry Permit was tied would still be open in the database, not be recorded as closed, and on expiry would result in the automatic cancellation of the Juminhyo, Right to Remain, Visa, PR and Zairyu Card.
Therefore, the only way to close out the Departure Record is to return to Japan within the 1 year period of the Special Re-Entry Permit and present the Arrival Card portion of the Departure Card to Immigration on return to Japan.
It would be clear from the lack of stamp, and from the Open Departure Record in the Zairyu Database that the person was not in Japan at the time.
Even if it were possible to send the passport and Zairyu Card to Japan and have a proxy apply for a new Re-Entry Permit at Immigration, which I doubt, the expiry of the open 1 Year Special Re-Entry Permit would result in the automatic cancellation of the Juminhyo, Right to Remain, Visa, PR and Zairyu Card in the Zairyu Database, and therefore the new Re-Entry Permit as well...
