Permanent Residence Applications and Household Income

One of the requirements for Permission for Permanent Residence is “having sufficient assets or skills to make an independent living.” In other words, this comes down to whether you have the ability or assets to engage in work that supports a stable daily life, without receiving public support (such as livelihood protection).

That said, this is also an abstract requirement, in that no specific annual income figure of XX yen is set. Generally, when a foreign national lives alone in Japan, an annual income of 3 million yen is the guideline. However, foreign nationals considering a Permanent Residence application have often already stayed in Japan for a long time and, in many cases, live together with family. In such cases, the breadwinner may be not only the foreign national applying for Permanent Residence but also their spouse or family members who are working. So let us look at whether that family income can also count in your favor for a Permanent Residence application.

When Family Members Stay on a “Dependent Visa” and Work Part-Time

For example, when a foreign national applying for Permission for Permanent Residence works in Japan on a work visa and has brought their family to Japan on the “Dependent” visa, and those family members work part-time after obtaining permission to engage in activities outside their permitted scope, as a general rule, the family members’ part-time income cannot be included as household income in a Permission for Permanent Residence application.

This is because the “Dependent” visa is not originally intended for work, but is premised on the foreign national who brought them being their supporter. In addition, work under that permission to engage in activities outside the permitted scope is limited to 28 hours per week, so working beyond that and earning income will count against you in the Permission for Permanent Residence review — please be careful.

When the Applying Foreign National Holds a “Spouse Visa”

In this case, the foreign national has no employment restrictions and can work in any occupation, whether as a full-time employee or part-time. Therefore, family income can also be included as household income. In addition, when staying in Japan after marrying a Japanese national or Permanent Resident, the foreign national is judged to have stronger ties to Japan and to be settled and leading a life in Japan, which is also a plus on that point.

However, if both the foreign national themselves and their spouse are exempt from resident tax, obtaining Permission for Permanent Residence becomes difficult. (There is no problem if only the foreign national is exempt while the spouse is taxed.) There are cases where one becomes tax-exempt because they support children or parents and receive dependent deductions, but if you have included as dependents family members who are not actually being supported, as a tax-saving measure, the Permanent Residence review becomes considerably stricter.

Therefore, we recommend declaring your dependents accurately. In addition, one of the requirements for Permission for Permanent Residence is “the person’s permanent residence being recognized as consistent with the interests of Japan.” This also includes paying taxes in Japan and contributing to the country, so being tax-exempt may be judged as not meeting the requirement.

If you hold a “Spouse visa,” you are to submit taxation certificates for the most recent 3 years, so it may be better to hold off on the Permanent Residence application for 3 years after you begin to be taxed.

Income is one important point in the Permanent Residence review. The ways in which income is earned vary from household to household, and beyond the patterns described above, each case is no doubt different.

Permission for Permanent Residence is not simply denied just because the applying foreign national’s income is low, so if you want to apply for Permanent Residence but have concerns about the income side, please feel free to consult our office.