Marrying a Japanese citizen in the US on a fiance visa

[mr.j.j.s. 1]

Hi all, US citizen here petitioning for a Japanese fiance on an I-129F. It looks like our application will be moving on to the NVC soon, and I find myself swimming in a sea of questions with no clear answers. If anybody could help me clear up any / all of these concerns, I'd be much obliged. Here goes:

1. After marrying in the U.S., are we required to submit a Japanese marriage registration (kon'in todoke) as well? If so, can we do that in the US, or does it have to be done in Japan? How long do we have after our marriage to submit the kon'in todoke?

2. What's the process for entering myself as a "footnote" (bikou, 備考) on my fiance's family registry (koseki)? I don't plan on becoming a Japanese citizen, so I can't get entered on her koseki as per Japanese citizens; and from the information I've found, according to her koseki it will appear that my wife is not married and that our future children will be fatherless.

3. When should my fiance change her residence form (juuminhyou)? Before leaving Japan on her US fiance visa? After arriving to the US? After we receive our US marriage certificate?

4. Changing names: Can my fiance keep her family name in Japan as written in her koseki, and adopt my family name in the US? If she doesn't change her name, will our children be required to take her family name if they wish to have Japanese passports / citizenship?

Again, any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[mr.j.j.s. 1]

I got in touch with the Japanese general consul in NY, and got some of these questions cleared up. I'm posting the answers I got here for anybody who finds themselves in a similar position.

1. After marrying in the U.S., are we required to submit a Japanese marriage registration (kon'in todoke) as well? If so, can we do that in the US, or does it have to be done in Japan? How long do we have after our marriage to submit the kon'in todoke?

Yes, you are required to submit a kon'in todoke, and it must be done within 6 months of receiving the US marriage certificate. It can be submitted abroad (E.g., at the Japanese general consul in NY), and there are forms and instructions on the Japanese general consul's website.

2. What's the process for entering myself as a "footnote" (bikou, 備考) on my fiance's family registry (koseki)? I don't plan on becoming a Japanese citizen, so I can't get entered on her koseki as per Japanese citizens; and from the information I've found, according to her koseki it will appear that my wife is not married and that our future children will be fatherless.

This can also be done abroad. The Japanese spouse must contact his/her family in Japan in order to complete the process.

3. When should my fiance change her residence form (juuminhyou)? Before leaving Japan on her US fiance visa? After arriving to the US? After we receive our US marriage certificate?

The Japanese fiance should change his/her residency form in Japan, before departing for the US on the fiance visa.

4. Changing names: Can my fiance keep her family name in Japan as written in her koseki, and adopt my family name in the US? If she doesn't change her name, will our children be required to take her family name if they wish to have Japanese passports / citizenship?

No clear answer here. I don't think the person who took my call understood my question ...

Anyway, if anybody has conflicting information, please share.

[Yurika & Jim 77]

There is All Japan Filers thread in the forum. You may want to post there...

Your fiance can read and learn some on Consulate-General of Japan in New York website... http://www.ny.us.emb...jp/jp/c/02.html

I'm pretty sure your fiance can find some "My K-1 visa experience" type of helpful blogs in Japanese