Sending passport for spouse visa app.

Hi guys, me again.  Posting a second time to keep my questions separate.

I'm an American living in Japan, and will still be here in Japan when I apply for my spouse visa.  I know we have to send our passport to the UK while our application is processed, but as a foreigner in Japan, I really don't feel comfortable being without my passport for such a long time.  If there were an emergency and I needed to travel, I'd be screwed.  Plus, what if I were asked by some authority here to show my passport? 

I plan to pay for expedited processing, but I'm still worried about being without my passport while I'm in Japan. 

Has anyone else been in the same situation?  Any advice?

There's not much you can do about it other than rush it as much as possible. They must have your passport. Keep copies of your documents. You can always get an emergency passport or cancel your application and request your passport back if you have a real emergency.

Don't you have a gaijin card? That should work for any ID you need. Just don't travel until you have your passport back.

Don't you have a gaijin card? That should work for any ID you need. Just don't travel until you have your passport back.

Yes, I have a Japanese resident card, which is what my Japanese work visa is on.  (Japan no longer puts work visas into your passport, it's all electronic.) 

I just worry about any possible emergencies that would require me to travel back home to the US while I'm passport-less.  My mom has a lot of health problems, so I worry about that a lot. 

Wish I could pay triple the fee for triple speedy expediting of the app, ha ha.

If you are applying in Japan, the application process is completely different than if you are applying in the US... and you don't send anything to the UK because you submit your documents in person in either Osaka or Tokyo.

For applications made in Japan:
- apply online
- book an in-person appointment at an application centre (Osaka or Tokyo), where you submit your application documents in person and give biometrics
- you wait for the visa to be processed (in Manila), and then either have it couriered back to you (JPY 1,980) or you can arrange to collect it in person.

Current settlement visa processing times for Osaka, Japan:
50% in 3 working days
66% in 5 working days
66% in 10 working days
66% in 15 working days
100% in 30 working days

Current settlement visa processing times for Tokyo, Japan:
11% in 2 working days
33% in 3 working days
50% in 5 working days
55% in 10 working days
66% in 15 working days
100% in 30 working days

If you want, you can pay JPY 54,000 for priority service to get your visa processed in 10 working days (http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/Japan/user_pay_services.html)

For applications in the US:
- apply online, book biometrics and pay for the visa
- attend biometrics at a local USCIS centre (run by US immigration)
- mail your passport and documents to the UK
- wait for the visa to be processed and mailed back to you in the US

Current settlement visa processing times for the US:
The UKVI site says 100% in 15 working days for Sept 2014, but from recent experience here on UK-Y, priority applications have been taking around 3 weeks and non-priority 2-3 months.

Thanks SO much for that info. I hadn't yet looked into it that far. I assume I will be going to the British embassy in Tokyo?

Still worried about being without my passport, but oh well, no way around it.

Thanks SO much for your detailed response. I really appreciate it!