Permanent Residence Applications for the Children of Permanent Residents

How Can the Children of Permanent Residents Obtain Permanent Residence?

The children of foreign nationals who have already obtained Permanent Residence and are residing in Japan are not automatically granted Permanent Residence. Permanent Residence is granted only when an individual Permanent Residence application is made.

If you are a Permanent Resident, you will naturally want your children to obtain Permanent Residence as well.

When applying for Permanent Residence for a child, there are two possible patterns. The first is the case of a child who has already been born and is residing in Japan on a Status of Residence other than Permanent Resident. The second is obtaining Permanent Residence for a child yet to be born.

This page explains these two patterns.

Permanent Residence Applications for Children Already Born

When a child of a Permanent Resident already residing in Japan applies for Permanent Residence, the requirements are significantly relaxed compared to a standard Permanent Residence application. The most notable example is the “Special Provision Regarding the General Rule of 10 Years of Residence.”

Generally, to apply for Permanent Residence, the applicant must, as a rule, have resided in Japan for 10 years. However, in the case of a biological child of a Permanent Resident, an application can be made after just 1 year of living in Japan. In other words, as long as departures from Japan have not been excessive, the application itself can be made almost immediately.

In a child’s Permanent Residence application, the parent’s situation is what is essentially reviewed. Here we introduce three key points for the Permanent Residence application of a Permanent Resident’s child.

① Regarding Income

Even when a Permanent Resident’s child is obtaining Permanent Residence, the conditions regarding income are largely the same as for applications from other Statuses of Residence. As a guideline, an annual income of 3 million yen or more is required, with an additional 200,000 to 300,000 yen for each dependent.

What is reviewed, of course, is the income of the Permanent Resident parent, so if the parent has sufficient income, this requirement is satisfied. The basis for assessing income is the taxation certificate issued by the municipality, and the period to be submitted is the most recent 1 year.

Even if the parent had sufficient income at the time they obtained Permanent Residence, if there is no income at the time of the child’s Permanent Residence application, it will be difficult for the child’s application to be approved. Sufficient income in the most recent 1 year, viewed from the time of the child’s Permanent Residence application, is required.

② Regarding Tax Payment

It is necessary that the Permanent Resident parent has paid resident tax, pension, and insurance premiums at the appropriate times. Unpaid amounts are out of the question; even if payments have been completed, any delays past the payment deadlines will make it difficult to obtain approval for the Permanent Residence application. For a child’s Permanent Residence application as well, the appropriate taxes must have been paid at the appropriate times.

For resident tax, the payment status for the most recent 1 year is reviewed; for pension and insurance premiums, the payment status for the most recent 2 years is reviewed.

③ Regarding Conduct

The conduct from the time the parent obtained Permanent Residence until the child’s Permanent Residence application is reviewed. Of course, at the time the parent obtained Permanent Residence, there were no issues with conduct, as otherwise the application would have been denied.

If the parent has newly received a sentence of imprisonment or a fine in the period between obtaining Permanent Residence and the child’s Permanent Residence application, it will become difficult for the child to obtain Permanent Residence.

Traffic violations require particular attention under the good conduct requirement. The treatment of traffic violations differs depending on whether an administrative penalty or a criminal penalty was imposed. Minor violations such as failing to stop at a stop sign are classified as administrative penalties, so a few instances are not a particular problem. Drunk driving and serious speeding are classified as criminal penalties and result in a criminal fine.

If the parent has newly received imprisonment or a fine, we recommend applying for the child’s Permanent Residence only after allowing time to pass from the date of disposition.

Permanent Residence Applications Associated with the Birth of a Child

When a child is born to a Permanent Resident, the parent will likely consider obtaining Permanent Residence for the newborn. Although the child is still in the mother’s womb at this point, many people proceed with preparations in advance, considering what will happen after the birth.

When a child is born as the biological child of a Permanent Resident, a Permanent Residence application must be made within 30 days after birth. Please note that this is a very short period.

Permanent Residence applications at the time of a child’s birth are only possible when the parent has already obtained Permanent Residence at the time of the child’s birth. If, at the time of the child’s birth, the parent is in the middle of a Permanent Residence application and has not yet obtained Permanent Residence, please refer to the “Permanent Residence Applications for Children Already Born” section above.

When the parent has already obtained Permanent Residence at the time of the child’s birth, the child can obtain Permanent Residence by submitting the documents listed below. The requirements regarding income and tax payment are the same as for “Permanent Residence Applications for Children Already Born.”

Summary: Permanent Residence Applications for the Children of Permanent Residents

We receive many inquiries from foreign nationals who have obtained Permanent Residence and want their newborn children to obtain Permanent Residence as well. A child’s Permanent Residence application is treated, for review purposes, as that of a biological child of a Permanent Resident, so the requirements are relaxed and the documents to be submitted are fewer compared to a standard Permanent Residence application.

The key point in a child’s Permanent Residence application is whether the parent had already obtained Permanent Residence at the time of the child’s birth. Please note that the procedure differs depending on this point.

If you hold Permanent Residence and wish to have your child also obtain Permanent Residence, or if you wish to have a child yet to be born obtain Permanent Residence, please feel free to contact our office.