I don't know much about these phases, because I have tried to respond as soon as requested (although there have been some scares because of lost letters). I do

I don't know much about these phases, because I have tried to respond as soon as requested (although there have been some scares because of lost letters). I do know of a several people (4 to be precise, in the last several months) that have (had) non-expired passports denied permission to leave the country (the US) to return home to work, and one person who was no able to renew an expired passport at the embassy of their host country of 20 years (Japan)[fn]. This is all anecdote, and maybe they were in Phase 1+N of your scheme... [fn] One could argue the wisdom of spending one's entire life/career working in Japan, knowing that they will boot you out as soon as you hit 65 y.o., but that's a different conversation!