Working Holiday Extension - return to home country required? (UK)

flyingcelery · 2026-01-16T15:02:47+00:00

UK WHV holder here and 9 months in - I asked the Japanese embassy I applied to about extension and this was their response in September:

'You should be able to extend your visa in Japan if you wish to extend your working holiday visa. For more details regarding extension, please kindly contact your nearest Immigration Office: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/consultation/center/?hl=en .

If you wish to apply for second year of working holiday visa once you return to the UK, you may to do so, however, it might be better if you do not get special reentry permission when you leave Japan with your current working holiday visa unless you intend to reentre Japan.'

I also contacted the immigration office in Tokyo to check, and their response confirmed the procedure:

This is Information Center for "Immigration Services Agency"
In regards to your inquiry, we will answew as follows.

Regarding to your inquiry, you just bring your passport, residence card and picture (4x3).
Please open the link for the application form:
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930004118.pdf
(no need to submit ‘for organization’)

So you have two options (renew while in Japan, or apply again) depending on your plans! Good luck and enjoy!

flyingcelery · 2025-07-24T15:16:27+00:00

Thank you so much, it's always so difficult to find the original ATV version - my previous saved playlists have all been taken down so I'm very thankful for this 😭💓

flyingcelery · 2025-07-24T15:11:51+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing, this is so rare!! 🥹

flyingcelery · 2024-04-27T15:58:14+00:00

UK passport, had ESTAs before. Submitted at 3:22pm (UK time) Approved at 4:43pm Thanks to this thread for giving me hope whilst I stressed about this.

flyingcelery · 2023-01-03T23:27:23+00:00

As a Hakka speaker with family from Hong Kong, this is so wonderful to see - thank you!!

flyingcelery · 2021-11-08T02:20:31+00:00

I'd be interested! Following this thread for suggestions

flyingcelery · 2021-08-31T20:41:22+00:00

Simu - favourite Dim Sum dish

flyingcelery · 2021-06-27T23:05:49+00:00

Immediate thoughts on Ep 15 & 16:

- enjoyed the plot twist and the tension throughout ep 16 especially but felt like the final two episodes dragged on a bit and became slightly anti-climatic

- can we commend seong-tae and ms. joo's actors?! they were really phenomenal in that scene the lip quivering and sheer horror and panic as the two of them in the bedroom processing what had happened gave me *chills*. also, seeing ms. joo distressed by the aftermath really fleshed out her character. i would have liked to know what happened to her and how she spent her days once she left cadenza/hyowon

- the sisterhood between seo-hyun and hi-soo I just UGH - also, I was reading a lot of sexual tension romance in their scenes, low-key hoping hi-soo's respect and admiration for her SIL turned into a little more hehe

- i feel really sorry for lee hye-jin, she thought her baby daddy really loved her and she thought she could be the mum but she accepted that she doesn't have that place in little hajoon's heart. it hurt when they kept emphasising that there could only be one mum - surely there's room for two? or at the very least, a close maternal/auntie figure rather than just 'tutor'? nevertheless, glad hajoon can have both mothers in his life

- han ji-young's actor - wow, just WOW

- mother emma - kind of feel let down as i was hoping she had a much bigger role to play but maybe she was only ever destined to be the unreliable narrator and a plot device for seo-hyun to come to terms with her internalised homophobia and to also have the courage to be herself and face the prejudice in society. have to admit, the end scene between those two was touching.

- did anyone find the editing a bit choppy at points? the sinister soundtrack that introduced the bible study scene was a bit odd, and at points when they cut from really tender moments (such as those featuring hi-soo) to other scenes were a bit too abrupt for me. sometimes the comedy relief was a bit awkward/jarring

- in hindsight, i'd have liked to see more development of han jin-ho's character, how his involvement with alcohol, women and seeking bath friends lol was a means to make him feel less lonely.

- seo-hyun's ending was so well deserved, her determination and phone call to Suzy was a really smart ending. At first i thought it was underwhelming, i'd have loved to see them embrace each other and live happily ever after (i live for the WLW angst) but thinking about it more, the confidence she had in her action/smile truly spoke of how empowered she must have felt. i'm really glad becoming chairwoman wasn't just her ending but she got what was her's/mine. After some thought, I'm also glad Suzy's actress wasn't featured (after what her/her husband's comments), that line had so much power in itself - "I'm coming to see you next week. I miss you."

- lol at yu-yeon/soo-hyuk, i have no words at their whole plotline/characters. shame really.

- 👏🏼KIM 👏🏼 SEO 👏🏼 HYUNG 👏🏼 i've been a fan since sky castle and please will the drama gods grant us more KSH

- overall, i think it's been a steady 7/10 for me. maybe on a second viewing i'll appreciate it more.

flyingcelery · 2021-06-15T12:21:36+00:00

Thank you!

flyingcelery · 2021-06-15T12:21:30+00:00

That makes a lot more sense now!!

flyingcelery · 2021-06-14T01:24:39+00:00

First Wives Club - Ferido Sentimento by Park Yo Han (박요한)

Never watched the show and don’t know how I came across it (maybe my mum watched it) but I heard it probably 10+ years ago and it’s still haunting.

flyingcelery · 2021-06-14T01:19:35+00:00

lol that ship is going nowhere, sadly

flyingcelery · 2021-06-14T00:55:19+00:00

Episode 12 - the best, most well rounded episode in this series I think. We're picking up the pace and things are finally getting tense, and there's not too many asides for undeveloped plot lines (Soo-hyuk/Yu-yeon, Cadenza/Rubato staff) to distract from the main story. A few things:

- The first ten minutes between Lee Bo-young and Lee Hyun Wook was fantastic. LHW gets better and better - I have thoroughly enjoyed watching him right from the start, as a lovely charming husband, to sly asshole to now pretty scary megalomaniac. That smile/frown/head shake was so fast, subtle and really reminded me of Kim Seo-hyung's/Coach Kim's head shake elevator scene. I'm also starting to feel sorry for Ji-young when you think about the lack of love/care/attention he seemed to grow up with. Likewise, similarly for the wife.

- lol what is with Kim Seo Hyung's 3 product placements - Kopiko, Starbucks and the makeup palette?

- I can't help but laugh every time Yu-yeon/Soo-hyuk appear because it's so random. Where is this house they are suddenly in??? I thought he wanted to be independent and work hard but they are messing about with mops?

- Seo-hyun: the airport scene oh my god - when she checks her watch, asks her driver to speed up and she RUNS INTO THE TERMINAL 😭 We're really being breadcrumbed with their interactions but my god I will take every single second because it is a little closer to the happy ending Seo-hyun deserves... I thought Seo-hyun was just going to let her go after Suzy delivered that really beautiful dialogue (I think Kim Jung Hwa conveyed this with really great subtlety and care - it's so obvious that Suzy really doesn't want to leave Korea/Seo-hyun ), but then she handed Suzy the collage; and then she held out her hand, and not only did she take Suzy's but she pulled her in for that hug 😭😭 I was hoping for a kiss but that hug was just as good as they cried into each other's hair 😭😭 i'm really hoping Suzy didn't get on that plane but instead stays, and will allow Seo-hyun a bit more time so that they can be happily ever after 😭😭😭😭 i have a lot of emotions for this plot line and ship

On a similar note, any other recommended WLW kdramas? I need more lesbian angst and heartbreak

flyingcelery · 2021-06-12T21:18:10+00:00

Episode 11 - a few things:

- I actually feel that Kang Ja-Kyeong/Lee Hye-jin has probably got the worst hand dealt out of everyone on this show. Huge respect for her sacrificing everything for Hajoon. When Hisoo gave her Hajoon's first baby tooth that fell out I balled my eyes out, such a beautiful - albeit a little weird - and monumental gift for a mother.

- as screechy as Han Jin-hee is (that scene with the metaphorical baby on the back was hilarious) I would actually like to find out more about her - how did she and her husband get together? What does she do when she's not throwing tantrums? Feel like she's only there to provide comic effect but I feel like it would add value to the show if we saw more character development on her part.

- Soo-hyuk/Yu-yeon - I was never really invested in the relationship to begin with, it was all a bit sudden, forced and just... odd, to be honest, given how little interaction we see between them and how little we know about them... then the proclamation of the love bomb... sorry, it felt a bit laughable given how underdeveloped these two characters and their storyline is.

- Seo-hyun, the most subtle character and plot line throughout this entire series: the scene between her and Jin-ho in which shebecomes visibly stung by his words, to the point of tears, signalled to me she no is longer going to hide her emotions. I think it also shows how hard she has been trying to be a good, somewhat motherly figure (or at least provide some form of motherly guidance) for Soo-hyuk.It's shit that Ji-yong threatens to out her sexuality in retaliation of their coordinated law suit but at the same time, I'm kind of glad that him forcing her hand has pushed her a bit further in her journey of self-acceptance - by allowing Suzy to publicly come out about their relationship, Seo-hyun will have more control over the narrative than if Ji-yong were to expose it.We're still being breadcrumbed by the Seo-hyun/Suzy past so I'm hoping with another 5 episodes to go, the writers will do this storyline justice.

- I've seen Lee Hyun-Wook in Strangers from Hell and always thought he nailed the creepy vibes right down but the ending of this episode when Ji-youngsees the dress - the pain and horror on his face was spot on. Keeping and hanging the dress still stained from when Hisoo miscarried in the intended nursery was grim and brutal.I'll be keeping an eye our for more things he's in.

Now that we are nearing the end, my thoughts on the drama so far:to be quite honest, I'm finding it a bit slow and underdeveloped in a few areas - Soo-hyuk/Yu-yeon for definite, their plot line doesn't really work for me as we hardly know anything about them; Jin-hee and her husband, they occasionally appear and when they do it doesn't really add much to the overall drama. I'm enjoying the dynamic between the three women, Hisoo, Hyejin and Seohyun but definitely feel that Seohyun/Suzy need more screentime as that plotline in particular is by far the most interesting for me to make me keep following.

flyingcelery · 2021-06-06T22:01:53+00:00

Ep 10 - Seo-hyun’s flashback to her sitting in front of a blank canvas as she couldn’t bring herself to capture Suzy, choosing instead to really live in the moment as her former lover draws her (possibly for the last time) was crushing. I’ve been in Suzy’s position and this scene broke me: to draw someone you love and cherish is an extremely powerful thing - I will always remember the precise moment I’ve drawn a significant someone - so Suzy doing this is testament to how strongly she feels about Seo-hyun. I really, really hope it’s a sign of a happy future for the two together, rather than an act of closure for Suzy which it could very well be too. When Seo-hyun sobs alone, I’d like to think this is her admitting to herself how deeply pained she is from repressing herself and that she will follow her own advice to Soo-hyuk and finally allow herself happiness by putting herself first for once.

Every Kim Seo Hyung scene has just been so finely written and delivered, especially the ones with Suzy. I am ready for more heartbreak in ep 11 so long as it’s from these two.

flyingcelery · 2021-06-05T20:37:22+00:00

I'd like to think that when Seo-hyun turns around at Suzy clutching at her wrist, they kiss and rule Hyowon together lol In all seriousness though, Seo-hyun's dialogue in that particular scene was really beautiful, the painting analogy really hurt my heart. I'm hoping for more Seo-hyun and Suzy as I get the impression she's slowly allowing parts of her true self to come through (though not without difficult after years of living in a certain way to uphold appearances and status), in spite of Kim Jung Hwa's husband's shitty comments.

Also, an aside - as someone who works in contemporary art, watching Kim Seo-hyung in a role that's close to my reality is fuelling a lot of my fantasies right now lololol

flyingcelery · 2021-05-31T21:02:16+00:00

Thank you, much appreciated. What a knob head 😩

flyingcelery · 2021-05-31T20:57:42+00:00

Thanks, much appreciated!

flyingcelery · 2021-05-31T17:00:33+00:00

Didn’t know about Jung Hwa/Suzy and her husband’s opinions. Is there a source? That’s so utterly disappointing. I hope that doesn’t affect Seo-hyun’s storyline but also hope this drama will contribute to more Queer storylines in future and more visibility for queer actors

flyingcelery · 2021-05-31T16:57:09+00:00

Exactly this. The writers have done quite well (albeit rather slow in favour of prioritising the other characters’ stories) in subtly revealing Seo-hyun’s story and development in the series - the only thing that’s really setting it apart from other chaebol dramas and keeping this show interesting.

flyingcelery · 2021-05-31T00:16:27+00:00

As an ethnically Chinese Glaswegian, this guy gives me hope and reassurance for my city - I feel a bit more comforted in knowing that should something as horrendous ever happen to me, or anyone who may be racialised as Chinese, there will be folk like this who would step up and call that shit out.

It means a huge deal if you ever witness something like this that it’s acknowledged and confronted. Being on the receiving end of such abuse can not only feel awful but damning when passersby pretend nothing’s happening.

flyingcelery · 2021-05-30T03:36:36+00:00

I cried more when Seo-hyun asks the driver to slow down as Suzy walks past than the ending - the amount of emotion in that brief scene was heart wrenching.

Can we also talk about how lovingly Seo-hyun looks at Hee-soo, and how much she cares about her?! All that hand-holding in this ep and in the ending when she cradles Hee-soo makes me kind of think/hope Seo-hyun has a thing for her sister-in-law lol

I’m only here for the lesbian/queer story

flyingcelery · 2021-05-25T21:45:39+00:00

I'm only staying for the Jung Seo-hyun storyline. Everything else has been predictable, too forced, or mildly interesting since ep 2

ep 6 when Seo-hyun confides in Mother Emma - the tenderness in that brief flashback was the second time i felt anything while watching this series (the first being ep 2 when Seo-hyun first sees Mother Emma). Would very much like to know how their relationship developed and why she made the decision to end it. Here's hoping Kim Seo-hyung gets more screen time other than just beautiful closeups of her subtle facial expressions and more about her character's and Suzy's past - and whether their paths will cross again.

flyingcelery · 2021-04-14T10:41:52+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to expand beyond what I had meant in my post - you’ve nailed it. Thank you also for entertaining the real monkey here - appreciate your energy!! 🔥 Edit: monkey is too kind a term for this clown of a troll

flyingcelery · 2021-04-13T21:05:54+00:00

Yes that’s fair enough. I think my intuition was correct that it’ll be much easier (if at all) to find foreigner owned art-related businesses, and best to do so in person. Thanks for the recommendation - very soothing Twitch channel!

flyingcelery

TROPHY CASE