Foreigners allowed to bring in same-sex spouses

Japan allowed at least 93 foreigners residing in the country to bring in their samesex spouses under a special visa programme between 2013 and 2020.

A government survey said the spouses of foreigners with both coming from countries where same-sex marriage is recognised, were permitted to stay in Japan under a “designated activities” status of residence by the Immigration Services Agency.

According to a Kyodo News report, with same-sex marriages growing overseas since the 2000s, the Japanese government in October 2013 began to allow foreigners with residential status to bring their same-sex partner to Japan based on “humanitarian reasons”.

In order to be eligible, the couple must both be nationals of countries where same-sex marriages are recognised.

However, the same visa cannot be used to grant residence status to a partner of a Japanese national.

The report said this inconsistency is expected to spark debate in the country.

Currently, a foreigner who marries a Japanese national of the opposite sex is eligible for a spousal visa, and foreigners who move to Japan can bring their opposite-sex husband or wife under a dependent family visa.

On March 17, the Sapporo District Court made history when it became the first court to rule that the government’s failure to recognise same-sex marriage was unconstitutional as it violated the right to equality.

Japan is the only G7 country that has not legalised same-sex marriages.