As of today, I am officially a permanent resident of Japan. In April, I began the process of applying to the Immigration Office to change my visa to permanent residence status. Actually, I’ve probably been qualified for several years, but until recently I never gave serious thought to going through all of the paperwork required to submit an application. So, what are the major differences between this visa and my previous Spouse of Japanese National visa? First, there is no date of expiration, and no obligation for renewal (i.e. it is permanent). Second, if we decide to buy a place of our own (something my wife and I have discussed), I’ve been told that getting a housing loan in my name would be extremely difficult without permanent residence status. Third, … well, there is something else, but I’m going to keep it under my hat for now.

Practice, writing, etc. have been slow recently. This happens from time to time, and so far I see no reason to get anxious about it. I find it is best to just coast along and survive the lulls and simply wait for the next wave to come along. I am looking forward to the Barco event this Sunday.