How to Obtain Permanent Residence in Japan: The Application Process Explained

What This Article Will Help You Understand

• How to obtain Permanent Residence and what the requirements are
• The advantages and disadvantages of obtaining Permanent Residence
• The path to obtaining Permanent Residence in Japan

For Those With Concerns Such As

• Those planning to pursue Permanent Residence going forward
• Those considering Permanent Residence but unclear on the requirements
• Those whose Permanent Residence application was denied and who are considering reapplying

~ Summary ~

• To obtain Permanent Residence, you must clear 3 conditions.
• It takes 6 months or more to obtain Permanent Residence.
• Thorough preparation is essential when applying for Permanent Residence.

What Is Permanent Residence?

Permanent Residence is the right of a foreign national to continue living in Japan over the long term without changing their current nationality.

Obtaining Permanent Residence allows you to stay in Japan indefinitely and brings various advantages, such as the removal of employment restrictions.

For example, by obtaining Permanent Residence, period-of-stay renewal procedures become unnecessary.
Because life in Japan becomes more stable, many foreign nationals working in Japan on a work visa aim to obtain Permanent Residence.

Note that Permanent Residence in Japan can be obtained by receiving the approval of the Minister of Justice.

Toward Obtaining Permanent Residence

Many foreign nationals who have lived in Japan for the medium to long term and plan to continue living here over the long term consider obtaining Permanent Residence. However, the overall approval rate for Permanent Residence is 50% (2020) — meaning that one in two foreign nationals who apply is denied. A Permanent Residence application is an extremely important review that determines whether Permanent Residence in Japan will be granted, so various requirements are stipulated, and the review and procedures are very complex.

So how can you obtain Permanent Residence?

What matters is properly clearing the Permanent Residence requirements, and if there are matters that may work against you in the review — such as long-term departures from Japan — preparing a written statement explaining the circumstances before submitting your application.

The 3 Conditions for Obtaining Permanent Residence in Japan

To obtain Permanent Residence in Japan, the following 3 conditions must be satisfied.

The above 3 are stipulated as legal conditions. What specifically constitutes meeting these 3 conditions?

(1) Being of Good Conduct

First, the applicant is required to be of good conduct.
The condition is that you comply with Japanese law and do not engage in conduct that would be socially criticized.
Specifically, the following matters are reviewed.

・Any criminal record
It is important not to have committed any crimes in the past. In particular, if you have received imprisonment or a fine, a certain period (approximately 5 to 10 years) must have passed since the date of disposition.

・Any traffic violations
Minor traffic violations are often not a problem, but criminal-penalty offenses such as drunk driving or serious speeding can affect the review.
These also require that a certain period has passed since the date of disposition.

・Payment status of taxes and social insurance premiums
It is important to have properly paid taxes and social insurance premiums and to have built up a track record of around 2 years of payments.
If you have neglected your tax obligations, Permission for Permanent Residence may not be granted.

Meeting these conditions allows you to be recognized as being of good conduct.
In particular, when life in Japan has been long, conduct during that period is given significant weight.

(2) Having Sufficient Assets or Skills to Make an Independent Living

Next, the applicant is required to have a stable foundation for daily life.
You must demonstrate that you have a certain level of income or assets and will not become a burden on public funds.
Specifically, the following requirements apply.

・Stable income
A Permanent Residence applicant must not be a burden on public funds in daily life, and based on their assets, skills, etc., must be expected to lead a stable life in the future. They must also demonstrate that they have continuous income.
Generally, an annual income of 3 million yen or more is the guideline, with an additional 200,000 to 300,000 yen per dependent required when there are dependents.

Income is assessed based on the taxation certificate issued by the municipality.

Note that, for the income side of a Permanent Residence application, as a general rule, the income under review covers the most recent 5 years for work-related visas and Long-Term Residents, and the most recent 3 years for Spouses or Children of Japanese Nationals and Spouses or Children of Permanent Residents.

・Skills or qualifications
Having specific skills or qualifications is also taken into consideration. For example, in the case of advanced specialized or technical occupations, qualification certificates or work history certificates proving such skills are useful.

If you want to obtain Permanent Residence in the above case, it is desirable for the husband to have an annual income of at least 3.2 to 3.3 million yen.

* The wife’s part-time income earned on the Dependent visa cannot, as a rule, be added to household income.
If the wife also holds a work-related Status of Residence like the husband, there is a high possibility that her income can also be considered as part of household income.

Note that in the case of a foreign national claimed as a dependent of their husband or wife on a Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Dependent visa, it is fine to consider matters starting from the supporter’s annual income.

・Holding assets
If income is insufficient, holding a certain level of assets is required.
A bank balance certificate or a real estate ownership certificate is necessary.

To demonstrate the ability to make an independent living, it is important to satisfy the above requirements and to attach the necessary supporting documents to your application.

(3) The Person’s Permanent Residence Being Recognized as Consistent with the Interests of Japan

Finally, it must be recognized that the person’s permanent residence is consistent with the interests of Japan.
Specifically, the following 3 points are considered.

・Long-term residence track record
As a general rule, continuous residence in Japan of 10 years or more is required.
Within this period, 5 years or more of residence on a work-related Status of Residence (excluding “Technical Intern Training” and “Specified Skilled Worker (i)”) or a status-based Status of Residence is required.

For example, if you hold a Status of Residence such as Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, the condition is that you have lived in Japan on that status for 5 years or more.

In addition, the meaning of “continuously” is important — if you have frequently left Japan, the count of “continuously 10 years” may be reset. If a single departure results in a stay outside Japan of 3 months or more, or if your total stay outside Japan in one year totals 150 days or more, there is a high possibility that you will not be recognized as continuously residing in Japan.

・Fulfillment of public duties
Proper payment of taxes and social insurance premiums is required. In particular, the payment history for resident tax, health insurance, and pension is important, and these obligations must be properly fulfilled.

Specifically, there must be no missed payments during the above periods.
Even one instance of late payment significantly increases the likelihood of a Permanent Residence application being denied.

Company employees who have these withheld from their salary have no need for concern, but sole proprietors and those who have had job transitions need to be particularly careful.

・No fines or imprisonment
As with the good conduct requirement, it is important not to have received any fines or imprisonment. If you have received such a sentence in the past, a certain period (approximately 5 to 10 years) must have passed since the date of disposition.

・Longest period of stay
You must be residing under the longest period of stay prescribed in Appended Table 2 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act for the Status of Residence currently held. That said, for the time being, holding a period of stay of “3 years” is treated as “residing under the longest period of stay.”

・No public health concerns
It is also important that there be no concerns from a public health standpoint.
For example, it will be confirmed that you do not have a contagious disease and are not drug-dependent, among other things.

In addition, if you are a member of a terrorist or antisocial organization, Permission for Permanent Residence will not be granted.

Meeting the above conditions allows it to be recognized that the person’s permanent residence is consistent with the interests of Japan.
In particular, contributions to Japan and deep involvement with Japanese society are valued.

Advantages of Obtaining Permanent Residence

Obtaining Permanent Residence brings many advantages.

・No need to renew the period of stay
Once you obtain Permanent Residence, you no longer need to apply for renewal of the period of stay; the only remaining procedure is to exchange your Residence Card once every 7 years.
In addition to extending the interval between visits to the Immigration Bureau, you also no longer need to gather the various documents required for renewal applications. This significantly reduces the burden of periodic procedures.

・Removal of employment restrictions
Since Permanent Residence has no employment restrictions, you can freely choose your occupation.
Foreign nationals who were previously only permitted to work as company employees, for example, can now choose to run a company or work freelance.
There is also no problem if you stop working.

・Improvement in social credibility
Holding Permanent Residence improves your social credibility — for example, by making it easier to pass screening for housing loans. Your credibility with banks and financial institutions increases, making economic activities easier.

・Stability in daily life
Holding Permanent Residence makes life in Japan stable over the long term. In particular, when living with family over the long term, the resulting peace of mind is a significant advantage.

Disadvantages of Obtaining Permanent Residence

On the other hand, there is what might be called the only disadvantage of obtaining Permanent Residence.

・No permission to bring parents under the Highly Skilled Professional system
Under the current system, the acceptance of parents of foreign nationals residing on Statuses of Residence for the purpose of employment is not permitted, so caution is required.

As exceptions, the entry and stay of parents (including adoptive parents) of Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals or their spouses are permitted (1) when raising a child (including an adopted child) of the Highly Skilled Foreign Professional or their spouse who is under 7 years of age, or (2) when providing assistance to the pregnant spouse of the Highly Skilled Foreign Professional, or to the Highly Skilled Foreign Professional themselves during pregnancy.

As shown, when bringing parents was permitted as part of the Highly Skilled Professional status, obtaining Permanent Residence carries the disadvantage that, with limited exceptions, this privilege is lost.

How to Apply for Permission for Permanent Residence

There are 2 cases for applying for Permission for Permanent Residence.

Changing from Your Current Status of Residence

To change your current Status of Residence to Permanent Resident, the following steps are required.

① Obtain the documents required for the Permanent Residence application
Obtain the documents required for the Permanent Residence application.
These include the application form, certificate of residence, taxation certificate, tax payment certificate, certificate of employment, and so on.
Collection may take 1 to 2 months.

② Prepare the documents required for the Permanent Residence application
Prepare the application form and the written statement of reasons, and attach a written statement of circumstances as needed.
On the application form, fill in basic information about the applicant and detailed reasons for wishing to obtain Permanent Residence.
For matters that would be disadvantageous in the review, you need to prepare a written statement of reasons and provide a reasonable explanation.

③ Apply for Permanent Residence at your nearest Regional Immigration Services Bureau
Submit the application documents to your nearest Regional Immigration Services Bureau.
At the time of submission, confirm that all documents are in order and take care to avoid any deficiencies.
If there are deficiencies in the documents, the application may not be accepted, so prepare carefully.

④ Review period
There is a review period of approximately 4 to 8 months.
You may be asked to submit additional materials during the review, so respond promptly to any contact from the Immigration Bureau. During this period, the Immigration Bureau examines the applicant’s conduct, assets, tax payment status, and so on in detail.

⑤ Notification of the result
You will be notified of the result approximately 4 to 8 months after the application.
If approved, you will receive your new Residence Card for Permanent Resident status at the Immigration Bureau.
If denied, you should confirm the reasons and prepare to reapply.

When Seeking Permanent Resident Status Due to Birth or Similar Circumstances

When seeking Permanent Resident status due to birth or similar circumstances, the procedure is basically the same as above.
However, the following points differ, so please be careful.

・Application period
You must apply within 30 days of the date of birth or other event.
If you do not meet this deadline, your application may not be accepted, so prompt action is required.

・Fees
Normally, when a Permanent Residence application is approved, a fee of 8,000 yen is required.
However, when seeking Permanent Resident status due to birth or similar circumstances, no fee is required.

Note that the required documents may differ depending on the specific situation, so we recommend consulting a specialist for details.

How Our Office Can Help

Our office provides full support for Permission for Permanent Residence applications.

First, our office prepares the required documents and supports you so that the application proceeds smoothly.
Preparing the application form and the written statement of reasons requires experience, and engaging a specialist is effective in preventing document deficiencies.

Next, where there are matters that would be disadvantageous in the review, we prepare a written statement of circumstances and provide a reasonable explanation. For example, if you have past traffic violations or a minor criminal record, we can explain in detail the circumstances and how matters have improved, helping the reviewing officer to understand your situation.

We also respond promptly to requests for additional materials during the review period.
By responding swiftly to additional document requests from the Immigration Bureau, we help prevent delays in the review.

In addition, we respond to general consultations regarding Permission for Permanent Residence applications.
From the application preparation stage through to follow-up after approval is obtained, our office provides support.

Obtaining Permanent Residence requires thorough preparation and procedures, but with appropriate support, the process can proceed smoothly. Obtaining Permanent Residence makes life in Japan more stable and broadens your prospects for the future, so please consider using “Administrative Scrivener Corporation Touch.”

Free consultation appointments can be arranged by telephone or via the inquiry form on our website. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to consult us.