I. What are the Reasons of Applying for Permanent Residence ?
Almost all visas of Japan have durations which limit periods of permitted stays of the visa holders in Japan.
A permanent resident can live in Japan without any periodical limit of its stay.
Many visas of Japan have conditions on activities in Japan, which restrict the jobs in Japan of the visa holders.
A permanent resident can choose its job freely principally.
Once permitted for permanent residence, there shall be no necessity to get additional visa related permission from immigrational authorities except for renewal of residence cards.
II. Who can Apply for Permanent Residence
Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act ("ICRRA", hereafter) defines that it is necessary to the minister of justice in accordance with the procedure defined in regulations made by the ministry of justice, if a foreigner is willing to change its visa status to a "permanent resident" visa.
This means that a foreigner living in Japan with a visa status can apply for permanent residence, although a foreigner not living in Japan cannot apply for permanent residence as a newly obtained visa.
ICRRA defines one exemption that a newly born baby of a permanent resident can apply for permanent residence not to change the visa status but to obtain a new visa status.
Actually, a parent of the baby needs to apply for permanent residence as a legal representative of the baby.
III. Conditions of Permission for Permanent Residence
ICRRA defines conditions of permission on permanent residence application, vaguely as follows:
A. The applicant has been with good behaviors & conducts.
B. The applicant has so sufficient properties or skills that the applicant can make a living by itself.
C. To approve a perpetual stay in Japan shall meet with national interests of Japan.
If the applicant is a spouse, a son or a daughter of a citizen of Japan or a permanent resident in Japan, B & C are not required.
The immigration services agency of Japan under the ministry of justice discloses "Guideline for Permission for Permanent Residence".
The guideline indicates more concretely how the minister of justice judges if the applicant should meet national interests of Japan or not.
The main criteria are as follows:
A. The applicant should have lived in Japan consecutively for more than 10 years and also should have lived in Japan consecutively for more than 5 years with any working visa or any residence visa like a spouse visa in the stay for more than 10 years in Japan.
B. The applicant should have not been sentenced to criminal penalty of fine or imprisonment and should have properly executed every public duty including payment of tax & social insurance and several reporting duties defined in the immigration law.
IV. Who Can Apply Before Ten Years have Passed
The principal of ten years consecutive stay mentioned above has several exceptions.
Exception A:
A spouse of a Japanese citizen or a permanent resident can apply for permanent residence, if the marriage has continued actually for more than 3 years and the applicant has lived in Japan consecutively for more than one year.
A real child of a Japanese citizen or a permanent resident can apply for permanent residence, if the applicant has lived in Japan consecutively for more than one year.
Exception B:
A holder of a long term resident visa can apply for permanent residence, if the applicant has lived in Japan consecutively for more than 5 years.
Exception C:
A visa holder who can score more than 70 points in accordance with the point table for a "high skilled professional" visa and who corresponds to the following a) or b)
can apply for permanent residence:
a) if the applicant has lived in Japan consecutively for more than 3 years with a "high skilled professional visa".
b) if the applicant can certify that the applicant could have score more than 70 points in accordance with the point table for a "high skilled professional" visa at the time of 3 years before the application.
Exception D:
A visa holder who can score more than 80 points in accordance with the point table for a "high skilled professional" visa and who corresponds to the following a) or b)
can apply for permanent residence:
a) if the applicant has lived in Japan consecutively for more than one year with a "high skilled professional visa".
b) if the applicant can certify that the applicant could have score more than 80 points in accordance with the point table for a "high skilled professional" visa at the time of one year before the application.
V. How to Apply for Permanent Residence
A qualified visa holder can apply to change its visa to a "Permanent Resident「永住者」" visa.
It is required by the regulation of the ministry of justice to file the following documents to a regional immigration services bureau under Immigration Services Agency of Japan("ISAJ")「出入国在留管理庁」 to apply for “Permanent Residence”.
A. an application form in a regulated format ( “application for permanent residence"「永住許可申請書」 )
B. your photo (The photo is not necessary principally, if you are under sixteen. )
C. documents certifying good behaviors & conducts of yours
D. documents certifying sufficient properties or skills letting you make your living by yourself
E. a letter of personal reference guarantee by a resident in Japan
If you are a spouse, a son or a daughter of a citizen of Japan, a person from overseas permitted to stay in Japan perpetually, C. & D. of the above documents are not necessary to submit.
It is not easy to understand from the above provisions what kinds of documents are needed to prepare for permanent residence application, while the webpage of ISAJ indicates more details on actually required documents for each visa held by the applicant.
Still the descriptions on the webpage might be little bit complicated and difficult to understand completely.
If you hire us, Nihonbashi Prime Legal Office, we shall help you to prepare all of the regulatory required documents in accordance with your current visa.
It is also principally necessary to show the passport and the residence card of the applicant on filing the application, unless the applicant hires a registered legal specialist like a registered "gyoseishoshi" lawyer or an immigration lawyer and the lawyer bring the passport and the residence card of the applicant to the regional immigration bureau on behalf of the applicant.
Please keep in mind that it is unable to apply for permanent residence via online the visa application system, although the online visa system has been expanded in March, 2022.
The minister of justice of Japan is authorized to determine in its sole discretion if the application shit should be permitted or not, on the conditions mentioned in the above.
We can help you to apply for permanent residence by preparing an application form & required documents, attending the regional immigration services bureau, filing the application and negotiating or communicating with the regional immigration services bureau and so on.
If you hire us, you don't need to go to the regional immigration services bureau principally.
duration, charge & fee
A standard examination period is to be four months.
It is said that it might take six months to one year actually.
Charge to the immigration bureau
: None for obtaining “Permanent Resident”
: 8,000 JPY for changing to “Permanent Resident”, if permitted
Fee to Us
: 120,000. JPY including sales tax
V. How to Contact Us
If you need our help or more information, please send your request or inquiry to us via "contact us" page.
You can also contact us via instant messaging service, WhatsApp or Telegram.
@ +81 90 6188 1648
Otherwise, please contact us by phone or by email !
Mobile:090-6188-1648
Email:nihonbashiprime@gmail.com
