Stupid visa...

My 'alien' status in Japan requires me, not only to carry around a special ID card (Alien registration), to renew my student visa after a minimum of two year stay. This is because the maximum length of a 'student visa' for Japan is 2 years, irrespective of how long your course is. SO, despite the visa I got from the Japanese embassy in London saying I have a multiple entry visa for Japan, valid for 3 years, I have to apply for renewal of my student visa after 2 years of stay, as well as apply for a 're-entry permit' if I ever want to leave and re-enter Japan. Craziness.

Anyhoo, as my last re-entry permit runs out with my last visa, I need to apply for one of those too; you can choose between 'single re-entry' (3000yen) or 'multipe re-entry' (6000yen). Visa renewal currently costs 4000yen which is all payable in lovely things called 'revenue stamps'.

Another thing, visa renewal takes 4 to 6, yes SIX weeks to be processed. AND you can only apply a maximum of 2 months in advance of your visa expiry date:

So, my visa runs out on the 1st of April 2009, and I have to get my visa renewed BEFORE it runs out and giving the minimum leeway of 4 weeks, and taking into account the earliest that I can apply for it: I have a window from the 2nd Feb 'til the 2nd March to apply.

I decided to make very sure that I had plenty of time for applicationy stuff, so I went on the 2nd of Feb to be at the office 9am ready to hand in my forms and all the certificates. I was all organised and applied for the re-entry and extention all at the same time (even though the re-entry permit is done on the same day as application... but hey, better to hand in all the forms at the same time right?). So, now I'm waiting for a postcard saying that I can come back with my passport to pick up all those lovely stamps I need to stay in the country. fun fun fun.