This article is written by a Japanese local.
The “COE (Certificate of Eligibility)” issued by the Immigration Services Agency is an absolute requirement for foreigners to newly enter Japan for work, business, or living purposes.
Officially, the standard processing time is announced as “1 to 3 months from application.” However, in reality, there is a constant stream of foreign talent and corporate representatives who panic because “3 months have passed with no result” or “it won’t make it in time for the planned joining date or business launch date.”
Why do certain COE screenings become prolonged? The excuse that “Immigration is crowded due to the busy spring season” is an extremely superficial reason. From the frontlines of legal practice, there is a clear presence of Immigration’s “strict screening logic” and a “fatal lack of proof” hidden within the application details. This article thoroughly explains the true mechanisms of screening delays and the objective approaches to win the fastest possible issuance.
1. Initial Speed Gaps Based on “Company Category”
The screening speed for work visas (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities, Highly Skilled Professional, etc.) is clearly segregated from the start based on the scale and track record (Category) of the accepting company. Not all applications are reviewed on an equal timeline.
- Categories 1 & 2 (Listed companies and large corporations with massive tax payments): Since the company’s social credibility and financial stability are already publicly guaranteed, the corporate screening process by Immigration is largely bypassed. It essentially becomes a “fast pass,” and if the requirements are met, the COE is generally issued in a few weeks to about a month.
- Categories 3 & 4 (SMEs and newly established corporations): Immigration begins the screening with strong doubts: “Does this company physically exist?” and “Can they stably continue to pay salaries to foreign talent?” Because they audit the company’s financial status, office realities, and the feasibility of the business plan from scratch, taking 2 to 3 months—or even longer—is the default.
2. “Lack of Proof” and the Examiner’s Reasonable Doubt
The biggest reason for screening delays is a “lack of logical consistency (lack of proof)” in the submitted application documents. Immigration’s basic stance is “when in doubt, deny (or hold).”
The moment an examiner finds even the slightest contradiction or insufficient explanation in the submitted documents, they halt the processing of that case and send it to the “hold box.”
Typical Doubts That Halt the Screening
- For Business Manager Visas: The source of the capital (30 million JPY or more) is unclear, raising suspicions of “show money.” The office lease contract is not for business use. The business plan is thin and lacks grounds for projected sales.
- For Work Visas (Engineers, etc.): The connection between the university major (completed courses) and the actual job duties after joining is weak. Or, there is suspicion that the applicant will be assigned to simple manual labor.
Regarding these doubts, it is absolutely false to think that “if I just wait, it will be approved eventually.” Unless objective evidence convincing enough for the examiner is presented from the beginning, the screening time will stretch on endlessly.
3. The “Request for Additional Documents” is a Yellow Card
If you receive a “Notice of Request for Submission of Materials” from Immigration while the screening is dragging on, extreme vigilance is required. This is not a simple confirmation process; it is effectively a yellow card meaning, “Based on the current document structure, we have no choice but to deny the application, but we are giving you one last chance to defend yourself.”
If the requested materials (e.g., a more detailed business plan, objective proof of remittance history, contracts serving as grounds for work volume) cannot be resubmitted perfectly and logically within the short designated timeframe (usually 1 to 2 weeks), a decision of “Denial” will be issued immediately. At the point additional documents are requested, the correspondence and re-screening will add at least one more month to the total processing time.
4. Practical Q&A on COE Screening
- Q: The screening is slow. Is it effective to call Immigration to ask for progress (or urge them)?
A: It is completely meaningless and has no effect on speeding up the screening. The only thing they will tell you over the phone is the standard response: “It is currently under review.” Frequent urging only obstructs the examiner’s work and does not lead to favorable results. - Q: I don’t think I can meet the deadline for submitting the additional documents. What should I do?
A: If you have a reasonable excuse for not meeting the deadline (e.g., it takes time to order documents from an overseas public institution), you must submit a written “Request for Extension of Submission Deadline” before the deadline expires. If the deadline passes without notice, it will be deemed that you have no intention to submit, resulting in a denial.
5. Conclusion: Thorough “Objective Fortification” in Advance
There is no magic to speed up the screening of documents once they have been submitted to Immigration through external pressure or urging. The number of days until COE issuance is solely determined by the “precision of preparation” prior to application.
Particularly for talent aiming for employment at Category 3 or 4 SMEs or starting a new business (Business Manager), simply submitting “the minimum required documents listed on the Immigration website” and waiting for the result is extremely high-risk.
Proactively anticipating and crushing “every possible doubt” the examiner might have by constructing detailed “Statements of Reason” and “supplementary objective proof materials” with perfect logic at the time of initial application—and submitting them proactively—is the one and only approach to avoid unnecessary additional document requests and secure the COE in the fastest time possible.