Spouse Visa for Online & Long-Distance Couples｜How to Submit Chat, Remittance, and Call Records Properly

📝 Introduction｜Why Online or Long-Distance Relationships Are Carefully Scrutinized

In recent years, more couples have met through online dating or maintained long-distance relationships before getting married.
However, such cases are often subject to stricter scrutiny by the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) because there may be no history of living together or only a short period of acquaintance.

Simply submitting a marriage certificate is not enough. To prove the authenticity of your relationship, it is crucial to provide objective evidence showing the reality of your relationship in addition to the standard application documents.

The following three types of evidence are commonly used for online and long-distance couples:

Type	Content	Typical Format
Chat Records	SNS / chat apps / emails	Screenshots, PDFs
Remittance Records	International transfers / bank deposits	Bank statements, app transaction history
Call Records	Voice or video calls	Screenshots of call logs

In the sections below, we explain how to prepare and submit each type of evidence effectively.

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⚠️ 1. Key Screening Points for Online or Long-Distance Couples

Because there is no shared daily life or cohabitation history, immigration officers pay close attention to the following:

• 📍 Length of the relationship: If you married only weeks or a few months after meeting, they may question its authenticity.
• 📍 Language communication: If you have different native languages, they will examine whether you can communicate sufficiently.
• 📍 Financial support: Whether there is evidence of financial support (living costs, travel expenses for visits, etc.)

To address these concerns, it is essential to provide evidence showing the development and continuity of your relationship in chronological order.

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💬 2. Submitting Chat Records｜How to Select and Translate

▸ Basic Approach

• You don’t need to submit the entire history—just representative conversations
• Include chats from early, middle, and recent stages of the relationship
• Provide screenshots or PDFs that clearly show dates, names, and message content

▸ Practical Tips

• Keep it concise: about 3–5 pages per stage
• If written in a language other than Japanese, attach a summary translation (not word-for-word, just a summary of the topic, e.g., “Discussing plans to marry”)
• You may black out (redact) private personal details
• Arrange the files chronologically and add captions like “Messages from April 2022” for clarity

📝 Key Point
Immigration officers mainly check how consistently you communicated, rather than the content of love messages.

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💸 3. Submitting Remittance Records｜Show “Intent to Support” Over Amount

▸ Basic Approach

• More important than the amount is consistency and willingness to support
• Submit bank transfer statements or international remittance app records
• Explain the purpose (birthday gift, travel costs, living support, etc.) in a cover note

▸ Practical Tips

• Show date, sender name, recipient name, amount, and currency
• Link each payment to a specific event using chat logs or travel records (e.g., “Sent for her flight to Japan”)
• Adding context strengthens credibility far more than showing amounts alone

📝 Key Point
Immigration cares less about “how much” and more about “showing your intent to support.”
Several small payments over time look better than one large payment.

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📞 4. Submitting Call Records｜Use Screenshots to Show Frequency & Duration

▸ Basic Approach

• Provide screenshots of call logs from LINE, Messenger, WhatsApp, etc.
• The screenshots should show date, time, duration, and contact name
• Focus on frequent or long calls, not every single one

▸ Practical Tips

• Choose logs that reflect how often (times per week) and how long you talk
• Combine with chat logs to show relationship closeness
• Optional: Include video call screenshots showing both of you (faces visible)

📝 Key Point
Call records are often underestimated but are strong evidence of ongoing communication.

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🔒 5. Privacy Protection and Organizing Your Evidence

• It is acceptable to black out (redact) highly private information
• Assign a number to each piece of evidence and create an evidence list table (e.g., in Excel)
• Include these columns in your table:

No	Type	Description	Date	Pages
1	Chat Records	Early-stage conversations	Apr 2022	3
2	Remittance Record	Sent for travel expenses	Jun 2022	1
3	Call Records	Long video calls	Jul 2022	2

📝 Tip
Rather than submitting a huge amount, make it easy for officers to review quickly.

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✅ 6. Conclusion｜Focus on Telling Your Relationship Story

In online or long-distance relationships, immigration officers will examine your case carefully.
That’s why it’s crucial not just to prove you are legally married, but also to show the real history of your relationship.

Organize chat records, remittance logs, and call histories in chronological order to tell a clear story from the beginning of your relationship to your marriage and current life.
Also, don’t submit everything as-is—select, annotate, and translate them to help officers understand your story quickly. This approach will make your spouse visa application much smoother.

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Ishinagi Administrative Scrivener Office

“If you would like to obtain a spouse visa quickly and reliably, or if you feel uncertain about renewal or changing your residence status, please feel free to consult with our office in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka. We provide support for clients from all over Japan, making use of our experience in dealing with the Immigration Bureau.

If you wish to proceed with your spouse visa application smoothly and with confidence, please do not hesitate to contact us.

▶ Click here to see our fee schedule”

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