If You Met Through a Matching App, Is a Spouse Visa Disadvantaged? Should You Avoid Writing It in the Questionnaire?

2. What Matters in Screening Is Not “How You Met” but the Subsequent Relationship History

In the examination of a spouse visa (Spouse or Child of a Japanese National), immigration authorities generally conduct a comprehensive review focusing on the following points:

• Substance of the relationship: when the relationship started, how often you met, and how the relationship deepened
• Reasonable process leading to marriage: whether there is anything unnatural in the progression from dating to marriage
• Reality and continuity of married life: plans for cohabitation, household finances, relationships with family members, future plans
• Stability of livelihood: income, housing, and compliance with public obligations such as taxes and social insurance

In other words, whether you met through an app, at work, or via a mutual acquaintance, what truly matters is how the relationship developed afterward. If you can explain with evidence that the relationship was genuine and naturally led to marriage, the method of meeting alone does not automatically place you at a disadvantage.

It is understandable to feel uncomfortable writing “we met through an app.” However, altering the description of how you met can easily create inconsistencies in situations such as:

• When you are asked to submit early message histories or screenshots
• When explanations about the date, place, or trigger of your first meeting become vague
• When inconsistencies arise while explaining the relationship history chronologically

What concerns immigration authorities is not “because it was an app,” but rather unclear or unnatural explanations. This can lead to requests for additional documents or prolonged examination. That is why it is essential to start from the facts and carefully organize both the explanation and supporting materials.

3. What You Should Write in the Questionnaire: The Key Is “Specificity” and “Chronology”

When it comes to the “how you met” section of the questionnaire, many people worry, such as “Is it safer to keep it short?” or “Should I avoid writing unnecessary details?”

However, in practice, an explanation that is too short is not necessarily safer. Rather, if necessary information is missing, it can make immigration more likely to have doubts.

The questionnaire is not intended to evaluate the formality of your marriage or how “nice” your story sounds. It is a document used to confirm—so that a third party can understand— how the relationship began, how it deepened, and why it ultimately led to marriage.

Therefore, by covering the following three elements and explaining them in a concrete, natural flow along the timeline, you can help keep the review stable and straightforward.

1. The Trigger for Meeting (Brief and Accurate Facts)

First, briefly state how you met, based on the facts. You do not need to add detailed emotional expressions or episodes here; it is sufficient if the “entry point” of how you met is clear.

For example, you could write something like the following:

Example: We met through a matching app. Through our profiles, we found shared interests (hobbies, work, future goals, etc.) and began exchanging messages.

What matters is not the label of how you met (such as “app,” “introduced by friends,” or “workplace”), but stating the facts accurately and ensuring there are no contradictions with other submitted materials.

2. From the First Meeting to Starting to Date (Aim for a Natural Progression)

Next, explain how you went from meeting each other to actually meeting in person and developing into a relationship. This section is often closely reviewed to confirm “whether the relationship deepened step by step, rather than being a purely formal arrangement”.

It helps to organize the timeline—such as the period of messaging or calls, when you met for the first time, and how often you met afterward— even approximate months and frequency are fine, as long as it is chronological.

Example: After exchanging messages and calls, we met in person for the first time in (Month, Year). After that, we began meeting about (X) times per month, and started dating in (Month, Year). Our relationship deepened as we introduced each other to friends and family.

The key here is not to create a perfect love story, but to ensure your explanation does not look like “we got married immediately after meeting” or “things escalated suddenly for no reason”.

3. Why You Decided to Marry (A Persuasive Decision to Build a Life Together)

Finally, explain why you decided to get married. In this part, rather than romantic expressions, a realistic and convincing rationale is emphasized.

It is more stable when you can explain that you discussed whether your values and lifestyle align, your future housing and work plans, how you will manage household finances, and relationships with family members, and then decided to marry.

Example: We discussed our values and lifestyle, as well as future housing and work plans, agreed to live together as a married couple in Japan, and decided to get married.

In long-distance relationships or international marriages, it also helps to explain the frequency of visits, travel history, and online communication, to supplement that the relationship was genuine and substantive.

4. Key “Evidence Points” to Strengthen When You Met Through an App

Meeting through a matching app is not unusual today, but it can also be easily associated with the image that “the entry point is relatively simple.” Therefore, in a spouse visa application, by carefully showing that the relationship has been steadily built up in substance, the review tends to become more stable.

Below are examples of documents and explanations that are considered particularly effective in practice. You do not need to submit everything—what matters is to select and organize items that fit your situation.

• A chronological memo of the relationship history
  A brief memo summarizing the path from meeting to starting to date, the proposal, and marriage. It is easy to use as a supplement to the questionnaire or statement of reasons, and helps convey the overall picture.
• Photos
  Photos where the date or period can be identified, and photos with family or friends, can serve as evidence that the relationship was recognized by people around you.
• Travel history / cohabitation record
  Passport entry/exit stamps, boarding records, and accommodation reservations are effective objective materials to show that you actually met and spent time together.
• Evidence of communication
  Call logs or chat screenshots do not need to be exhaustive—extracts are sufficient. What matters is not quantity, but consistency with the timeline.
• Future life plan
  By explaining post-marriage housing, how you will share household expenses, work plans, and language-related arrangements, you can show that “life after marriage is concretely envisioned.”

In particular, if there are circumstances such as a short dating period, long distance, an age gap, remarriage, or limited shared language, it is important not to hide those points, but to explain the background and reasonable reasons, and supplement with supporting materials.

The key is not how you met, but whether you can show—so that a third party can understand— the substance of the relationship and the process that led to marriage. This becomes a major decision point in spouse visa applications.

5. NG Responses to Avoid: When You’re Anxious, “Lies” and “Vague Explanations” Are Especially Dangerous

If you feel anxious that “writing ‘app’ may be disadvantageous” and respond in the following ways, the risk can actually increase.

• Writing a meeting story that differs from the facts (e.g., “replacing” it with a friend introduction or workplace)
• Making the explanation extremely short, so the substance of the relationship cannot be understood
• Submitting materials without ensuring consistency, causing photos or records to contradict the timeline

A spouse visa application does not require a “perfect love story.” What matters is whether you can explain, based on the facts, the relationship, the marriage, and the outlook for your life together in a coherent manner. Rather than focusing excessively on the “trigger,” concentrate your efforts on the essentials (the substance of the relationship, the path to marriage, and your future life).

6. Approved Spouse Visa Cases

We introduce real approved cases (client testimonials) of obtaining a spouse visa in various situations, including new applications after international marriage, changes from student/work visas, cases with an age gap or short dating period, and reapplications after a denial. Please review cases similar to your situation.

1. Cases Where the Spouse Was Invited from Overseas with a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for “Spouse or Child of a Japanese National”

	VOL.177 Mr./Ms. M (Tunisia)
	[Approved Case] Example of Obtaining “Spouse or Child of a Japanese National” through a COE (Certificate of Eligibility) Application

2. Cases Where “Spouse or Child of a Japanese National” Was Obtained through a Change of Status of Residence

	VOL.176 Mr./Ms. S (United States)
	[Approved Case] Approved Change from a Student Visa to a Japanese Spouse Visa

3. Cases Where the Status Was Changed to “Spouse or Child of a Japanese National” after Entering Japan on a Temporary Visitor Visa

	VOL.157 Mr./Ms. K (China)
	[Approved Case] Case of Changing to “Spouse or Child of a Japanese National” after Entering Japan on a Temporary Visitor Visa

Click here for a summary of spouse visa acquisition cases

Customer Voices Received on Google Reviews

7. For Those Who Feel Anxious About How They Met

The fact that you met through a matching app does not necessarily become a reason for denial of a spouse visa. Rather, trying to hide how you met can make your explanation look unnatural and may become a point of concern in the review.

If you accurately write the facts in the questionnaire, organize the relationship history chronologically, and can explain even your life plan as a couple (housing, household finances, work), the application can be sufficiently stable. If you have concerns, the key is to structure the explanation and organize materials according to your situation.

8. Support System of ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office

A spouse visa application is not only about collecting documents. It is essential to proactively align the entire set of materials by anticipating the points Immigration is likely to check.
From the initial planning stage, our office identifies potential risk factors and provides end-to-end support—covering submission order, supporting documents, and the overall strategy for the Statement of Reasons.

Nationwide support: Managed mainly via email and online. Clients outside the area receive the same quality of support.

Multilingual support: Consultations available in English and Chinese.

Clear progress tracking: Check application status and required documents through an online system.

Support for difficult cases: Extensive experience with cases likely to face closer scrutiny, including re-applications after denial.

Transparent fees: Clear fee structure designed to minimize unexpected additional charges.

Support even after a denial: If denied, we provide a free re-application and thorough support until approval.

Information security: We properly manage personal information under operations based on ISO27001.

Pages Often Read Together When Applying for a Spouse Visa of a Japanese National

[FY2025 Edition] Spouse Visa of a Japanese National (Marriage Visa) Application Guide

An administrative scrivener explains the requirements for obtaining a spouse visa (marriage), working under a spouse visa, applying for permanent residency from a spouse visa, what happens in the event of divorce under a spouse visa, required documents, and more.

[FY2025 Edition] Spouse Visa of a Japanese National Renewal Procedures Guide

Renewal procedures for a Spouse Visa of a Japanese National (Marriage Visa). An administrative scrivener explains the required document checklist, how to avoid denial cases, and key points to prove eligibility for obtaining a 3-year or 5-year period of stay.

Applying for Permanent Residency from a Spouse Visa of a Japanese National

At ACROSEED, we have a proven track record not only with first-time spouse visa applications, but also with cases that were denied multiple times when filed by the applicant alone, as well as procedures for those with past legal violations or a history of overstaying—across a wide variety of situations.

For More Detailed Questions About the Spouse Visa System

Please explain the requirements for obtaining a Spouse Visa of a Japanese National in detail
Periods of stay for a Spouse Visa of a Japanese National: Differences between 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years
Required documents & Statement of Reasons for a Spouse Visa of a Japanese National: Key examination points and preparation tips (Latest Edition)
How to invite a foreign spouse living overseas to Japan with a COE
Can we apply for a Certificate of Eligibility while both spouses remain overseas?
Changing from a short-term visa to a Spouse Visa of a Japanese National: General rules and exceptions
How to change from a student/work visa to a spouse visa
My spouse visa application was denied (COE not issued). Can I re-apply?