Japan is a great country for immigrants. It is one of the safest countries to live in, with a fast-growing economy. Many immigrants who live and work in the country on temporary permits strive to advance to permanent residence status. This is because the PR status grants immigrants access to lots of social benefits in addition to the comfort of not having to extend their visas. You can apply for Japan permanent residency only if you have lived in the country for at least ten years on a temporary work visa. Several additional requirements and conditions are factored in to determine whether your application will be approved. Don’t worry, we will guide you on your path to submitting a competent application and securing a Japanese PR spot. Let’s get to it.
Facts about Permanent Residency in Japan
Foreign nationals who want to spend more than three months in Japan must apply for an eligible visa that comes with a residency permit. These permits allow immigrants to live, work, or study in the country under certain regulations for between one and five years. You must renew or extend your visa to continue staying in Japan. After ten years in the country on a work visa, you can apply for permanent residency, which comes with lots of extra benefits.
You’ll need to apply for a permanent residency status before your current residence permit expires. Also, keep in mind that your current visa needs to be at least a 3-year visa in order to apply. Even if you stayed in Japan for up to five years, you still won’t be able to apply for permanent residence if your current visa is shorter than 3 years. Still, since work visas and highly-skilled professional visas are usually issued for at least three years or longer, that shouldn’t pose much of a problem. Also, check out how to apply for a work visa in Japan.
The Benefits of Japan Permanent Residency
The biggest perk of obtaining permanent residency in Japan is that you can stay indefinitely in the country without having to extend your visa. With permanent residency, you need to renew your residence card once every seven years, but this isn’t much of a hassle when compared to visa renewal.
Another major advantage is that you can find a job in any industrial sector as long as you qualify for the role. Many immigrants have temporary work visas that only allow them to work within a particular field or industry until they attain PR status, which frees them from this condition. Also, you can work freelance as long as you report tax, so you no longer need to worry about finding another job immediately if you leave your job.
Japan's permanent residency also allows immigrants to get personal loans from banks in the country. While most banks do not grant loans to temporary residents, others do so with higher interest rates. Generally speaking, the Japanese industry supports permanent residents' building businesses that create new jobs more than temporary residents.
How to Obtain Permanent Residency in Japan
Although the process is generally hassle-free, you must follow the guidelines to avoid mistakes in your application. The eligibility requirements and application procedures are straightforward. You must have lived in the country for at least ten years with no criminal record, work a stable job with a stable income, pay your taxes and debts, and provide all required documents in your application.
Once you complete and submit your application, you can expect feedback in about a year. This is why you have to make sure you meet all eligibility criteria and your application has a high chance of success. Furthermore, there are several pathways to Japan permanent residency, each featuring peculiar eligibility requirements. Therefore, the success of your application depends on the situation. Let’s look at some common scenarios and the requirements accompanying them.
Pathways to Secure Japan Permanent Residency
Foreign nationals in Japan can attain permanent resident status through various legal channels. Some common legal channels are described below.
A. The applicant must have lived legally in the country for at least ten years on any type of visa. Also, it must be ten consecutive years, meaning you can’t leave the country for a year within this time. While ten years is usually the minimum requirement, few immigrants have been granted PR status after staying in the country for eight to nine years. However, it is important that you wait the recommended ten years before applying.
B. Immigrants living in the country as highly-skilled professionals do not have to wait ten years. Moreover, they must have fulfilled a certain amount of time in Japan and collected enough points in the system to become eligible for permanent residence. Essentially, the highly-skilled professional system is a residence eligibility system where you collect points according to a chart, which provides preferential treatment for highly-skilled immigrants. If you have above 70 points, you can apply for permanent residence after three years in Japan. You can also apply in just one year if you get over 80 points. Additionally, you don’t have to be on a ‘highly-skilled professional’ visa to be eligible for PR. You just have to prove that you were eligible for the required number of points 1 or 3 years ago and are still eligible at the time of application.
C. Another way to become a permanent resident in Japan is to marry a Japanese citizen or a permanent resident. There’s a requirement to be married for 3 years, and you can only apply for PR after you’ve been a resident in Japan for at least a year.
As highlighted earlier, each channel has specific requirements and documents to add to your application. Let's explore them together.
Requirements for Getting Japan Permanent Residency
The most important requirement for every permanent residency applicant is to live in the country for a certain amount of time without breaking any laws. The required period varies based on your visa status or how many points you’ve collected as a ‘highly-skilled professional’ visa holder. Also, you have to provide evidence that you meet this as well as every other stipulated condition. In fact, all documents required for the application are proof of meeting the eligibility requirements associated with your PR pathway.
For instance, spouses of Japanese citizens or permanent residents must provide their marriage certificates along with proof that they have stayed in the country for a year. In addition, to show that you have been law-abiding during your stay in the country, you must submit a police report and tax certificates. You also need to find a guarantor. The person must vouch for your personality, stating that you can live in Japan. Your guarantor won’t be responsible for any of your financial debts, as this is more of a formality and a tradition. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about it too much as it’s mostly symbolic.
Another essential requirement is to prove that you can survive in Japan. This means your financial status can cover you financially and socially. There is no set amount, so it’s safe to say that your annual income shouldn’t be lower than three million Japanese yen. Also, if you don’t have a tangible amount in the bank, you can show an employment contract or anything that’ll help your case prove that you can support yourself.
Additional Documents
Aside from the documents we have described, you will be required to submit additional documents to support your application. Furthermore, the documents must be in Japanese. So, if you have any in foreign languages, you must officially translate them. Japan permanent residency application documents are as follows:
1. A passport photograph in 3 cm x 4 cm dimensions, taken in the last three months. Some additional rules apply.
2. A filled and signed Japan permanent residency application form, which can be found on the Japanese immigration official website.
3. Your travel passport, along with photocopies.
4. Annual income statement. You can use bank statements, an employment contract, or both.
5. Employment status certificate, which is your employment contract, tax statements, or a business permit if you’re self-employed
6. Your current residence certificate.
7. Proof of resident tax payments.
8. Bank statement from previous months.
9. Marriage Certificate.
10. Family registry papers of your spouse (if they’re a citizen), or a letter that describes your relationship, written by your spouse (if they’re a permanent resident).
10. Proof of employment of your spouse, along with a letter stating they are financially responsible for you (if you are applying as a dependent and won’t be working in Japan).
11. The guarantor’s residence certificate that’s not older than 3 months.
12. A signed letter by the guarantor.
13. The guarantor’s proof of employment.
14. The guarantor’s tax certificate.
How to Apply for Japan Permanent Residency
Once you have prepared all your necessary documents, you can choose from a few options for applying. You have the choice to personally visit your local Immigration Office and submit your documents or designate someone else to do it on your behalf. If you opt for someone else to apply for you, you will need to provide them with official authorization. If it is your lawyer handling the application, a power of attorney will be required instead.
After the submission of your application, the next step is to wait. The processing times for your application can vary significantly depending on the time of the year you submit it. You will receive feedback once your application is approved, and then you can return to your local immigration office to collect your permanent resident card.
How Long You Have to Wait for Feedback
While preparing the required documents and the application process aren’t that long, the application's processing takes the longest. You can check the official immigration website for more information on processing and waiting times.
Additionally, the processing time can also depend on the immigration office you applied for, as well as the documents you’ve supplied. While you can’t do anything about the workload of your local immigration office, you can ensure that your application is complete with translations and that all your documents are easy to read.
Conclusion
After ten years on a work visa, immigrants can apply for Japan permanent residency. The benefits of this permanent residency title include the ability to stay in the country indefinitely, work in any industry, and obtain personal loans. To obtain permanent residency, applicants must have lived in Japan for at least ten years, have a stable job and income, and meet specific eligibility requirements. The application process takes about a year, and success depends on meeting all eligibility criteria.
