kuroki

Oh, yeah. The problem is then she'd have to forfeit her Japanese citizenship.

She has to reside in the US, not visit.

US Citizenship would allow her to come and go as she pleased.

Thanks for your reply. So I guess there's nothing in between the 90-day visa waiver and the Green Card. Knowing how time-consuming and expensive it is to apply for the Green Card, we're hesitant to do that at this point, because it is quite likely that she and the kids will be joining me in Japan again in a year or so, and we don't want her to have to give it up again. If we do apply for the Green Card again, I suppose we'll have to be careful to make sure she goes back to the U.S. for at least two weeks every year...

Tricky

You would have to move back.

Or wait until you oldest could sponsor her.

Nothing to stop you moving back then immediately returning to Japan.

I'm a U.S. citizen, my wife is Japanese. We have been married 20 years (we've spent the last ten in Japan), and have two kids (ages 13 and 10, both born in the U.S., have U.S. and Japanese passports). Recently, we've decided that for the kids' education, as well as other recent ongoings here, it would be a good idea for my wife to take the kids back to the U.S. Unfortunately, because my job requires that I stay in Japan, I can't go with them. It is my understanding that the only visa that my wife could get would be the immigrant visa (then the Green Card), but is that true? I assume that would be out of the question, since I (the U.S. citizen) have to stay in Japan (or would have to return to Japan shortly after initially accompanying them). Is there anything we can do, other than me quitting my job to go with them? I would appreciate any advice.

p.s. By the way, she did have a Green Card in the past, but voluntarily gave it back to the U.S. embassy in Tokyo, because we've been living here.