Visa Application Fraud Risks and Revocation Cases: What You Must NEVER Do
Did you know that actions such as "exaggerating job duties slightly to make it easier to pass the review" or "claiming to be living together when not doing so" can lead to revocation of your status of residence, deportation, and a 5-year re-entry ban?
This page explains the risks of false applications, actual revocation cases, common unintentional violations, and correct countermeasures, based on field information from administrative scriveners.
At study sessions for administrative scriveners partnered with VisaSHOGUN, there have been frequent reports of an increase in cases of rejection and revocation of status of residence due to false applications. As immigration reviews become stricter, even minor inaccuracies in declarations can lead to irreversible consequences.
1. Revocation Realities [2024 Data]
In 2024, there were 1,184 revocations of status of residence nationwide. The main causes of revocation are cases related to lack of actual activity and false applications. With the increase in the number of foreign residents, the number of cases is tending to increase year by year.
2. What is a False Application?
A false application is the act of stating or submitting information that is contrary to the facts when applying for a status of residence. The Immigration Control Act defines the following three types:
| Type | Content | Specific Examples |
|---|---|---|
|
Permission obtained by fraudulent means (Immigration Control Act Article 22-4, Item 2) |
Obtaining status of residence through fraudulent means, such as active deception or concealment of important facts. | Sham marriage, obtaining a business manager visa with a non-existent company, academic record falsification, etc. |
|
Submission of false documents (Ibid., Item 3) |
Obtaining permission by submitting documents containing untrue information. | Forged certificates of employment, false business plans, exaggerated job duty descriptions, etc. |
|
Lack of actual activity (Ibid., Items 5-7) |
Not engaging in activities specified by the status of residence, but engaging in other activities. | Only working part-time instead of studying on a student visa, only engaging in simple labor on a Highly Skilled Professional visa, etc. |
The Immigration Services Agency explicitly states that "intent is not required" for the submission of false documents (Item 3). This means that even if an intermediary, agent, or company representative creates and submits false documents without the applicant's knowledge, the applicant may still be subject to revocation. Entrusting such matters to untrustworthy agencies or intermediaries is extremely risky.
3. Penalties and Dispositions
Imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 3 million yen (both imprisonment and fine may be imposed). Applies to false applications for new acquisition, renewal, and change of status.
The granted status of residence is revoked. If revoked, departure from Japan is required within 30 days. Failure to depart within the period will result in forced deportation.
If deported, re-entry into Japan is prohibited for 5 years or more (permanently in malicious cases). All family, work, and life foundations will be lost.
A history of revocation remains permanently on entry and exit records. This will be a disadvantage for all future visa applications and immigration screenings, and significantly raises the hurdle for permanent residency applications and re-applications.
Penalties for Facilitating Companies and Agencies
Companies, intermediaries, and accepting organizations that assist in false applications are also subject to the "Crime of Aiding and Abetting the Illegal Acquisition of Status of Residence, etc. for Profit", and face similar criminal penalties (imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 3 million yen). Companies must exercise extreme caution when entrusting foreigner employment procedures to third parties.
4. Flow from Revocation to Deportation
Before revocation, an opportunity for an "opinion hearing" is provided. If there is a legitimate reason or misunderstanding, arguments and evidence can be submitted at this stage. However, if the applicant does not attend the hearing without a legitimate reason, revocation may occur without a hearing.
5. Actual Revocation Cases
A foreign woman's "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" visa was revoked after she entered into a sham marriage with a Japanese man to conceal her true purpose of working in Japan and obtain status of residence. The marriage, which lacked actual substance, was discovered through investigation.
A case where a "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" visa was obtained by stating "interpretation work" or "IT work" in the application, despite actually being engaged in housekeeping or simple tasks. This was discovered through verification of the actual work and led to revocation.
A case where a business manager visa was obtained by establishing a shell company with no actual business activities. The lack of real activity was discovered through unfiled tax and social insurance declarations, leading to revocation.
A sending organization created a false resume when a technical intern trainee first came to Japan. Later, when reapplying to Japan, the same false resume was reused "to be consistent." Even if the individual was unaware, this is subject to revocation.
An individual who had previously been deported processed paperwork under someone else's name and applied as if it were their "first time in Japan" under their own name. They also made false declarations upon entry and obtained landing permission, but this was discovered through investigation, leading to revocation and another deportation.
An individual applied for renewal stating "cohabitation" despite actually living separately from their Japanese spouse or being in the process of divorce negotiation. This was discovered through investigations of resident registration and actual living conditions, leading to revocation.
6. Common Unintentional Violations
Even without malicious intent, there are cases that can be classified as false applications. The following require particular attention:
- "Exaggerating" job duties: Describing a job with many simple tasks as "IT engineer" or "interpretation work"
- Forgetting to report a job change and renewing as "still working at the same company": This leads to an application with incorrect affiliation information.
- Exaggerating academic history or qualifications: Stating degrees or qualifications not actually obtained.
- Altering salary certificates to show higher income: Forging documents is subject to criminal penalties.
- Signing documents as instructed by an intermediary without checking the content: You can still be held responsible if there are falsehoods in documents you signed without understanding them.
- Applying with a "previous address" without reporting a change of address: False declaration of residence is also a reason for revocation.
- Claiming "cohabitation" on a spouse visa when actually living separately: If there is a legitimate reason, such as a単身赴任 (transfer without family), attach explanatory documents.
- List of things not to do when describing job duties, academic history, and income
- Checklist for unreported changes, address changes, and job changes
- Key points for entrusting an intermediary agency
- Initial response flow if you receive a notice of opinion hearing
7. How Immigration Discovers False Applications
Even if you think "it won't be found out," immigration discovers false applications through various methods.
- Information sharing with tax authorities, police, and labor bureaus: Information on foreign nationals from various ministries and agencies is aggregated by immigration.
- Investigations by immigration's intelligence center: Follow-up investigations are conducted even after a status of residence is granted.
- Verification of social insurance and tax declaration status: Discrepancies between declared information and application content are checked during the review.
- Reports: Many reports are actually received from neighbors, acquaintances, former employers, and former spouses.
- Usage status of residence cards: Discrepancies between actual conditions and application content can be discovered from usage records.
False applications can be investigated not only at the time of application but also continuously after permission is granted. There are numerous cases where discoveries were made years later, leading to revocation and deportation. Taking the "easy way" for a short time carries the risk of losing everything in Japan—your life, job, and family.
8. Correct Actions if You Have Concerns
① If you may have made a false application in the past
First, consult an administrative scrivener. By voluntarily organizing and correcting the situation before it is discovered, the penalty may be lighter. Inaction is the riskiest option.
② If there are "points of concern" in your application content
If you are unsure whether to write something, either do not write it or attach a document (reason statement) explaining it honestly. An honest application plus a thorough explanation will lead to a higher approval rate than an ambiguous application.
③ When using an intermediary agency or agent
Always check the contents of documents yourself before signing. If the content is written in a language you do not understand, it is strongly recommended that you request a translation before signing.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
- False Application Self-Checklist (Job Duties, Academic History, Reporting Edition)
- Summary of key points when entrusting an intermediary agency
- Initial response flow if you receive a notice of opinion hearing
Official Reference Links
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