Getting Permanent Residency in Japan
Those foreigners who favor the comfort of living in Japan but are troubled by the inconvenience of having to renew the visa everytime it expires may well consider getting a permanent residency. Here is what you need to know when you get a permanent residency visa.
Requirements for Permanent Residency
“Moral Conduct” here means that the applicant has no record of crime, violation of law or default/delay in tax payment. While someone with a record of imprisonment will, very naturally, face major difficulties in getting a permanent residency, even minor violations of law can have a negative impact on the application especially when there are multiple such records. Minor traffic offenses, for example, can be tolerated if it is only a couple of times in the last 5 years. But a record of driving license suspension or repeated traffic accidents will make it more difficult for the application to go through. In the case of more serious offenses such as DUI or unlicensed driving, only one conviction can be fatal. A record of overstay or overwork will also have a negative impact.
Default or delay in tax payment also tarnishes the assessment of the applicant’s moral conduct. It will be required to submit the payment proof of tax, pension and national health insurance premium. So it is advised to pay off any delay of such payment before the application. The applicant’s impression in the screening can be much favorable if such problems have been solved before it is pointed out in the screening process. When you do have some payment trouble, submitting a letter that explains the reason for the delay and expresses your sincere apology can improve your impression on the screening officers.
Another requirement for a permanent residency is the applicant’s financial independence and stability. Items to be assessed in this regard include savings and other assets but the most important is income. The annual income of the most recent 5 years will be assessed and an annual income of 3 million yen can serve as a good estimate of the minimum requirement. This requirement is raised about 700 to 800 thousand yen per each dependent family member.
Self-sufficiency is the key here, which means an application by someone who is unemployed or on welfare cannot be very promising.
This is a criterion about “Conformity with National Interest.” Whether the applicant can bring merit to Japan or not is the subject of examination. But this does not mean you have to have some extraordinary ability or skill, so you don’t need to worry about this too much.
Length of Residency
“Length of Residency” is another item to be examined. Below are the basic requirements for eligibility.
1. To have domiciled in Japan continuously for 10 years or longer
2. To have worked in Japan with a working visa for at least 5 years out of above-mentioned period of 10 years
3. To have been granted a visa for the longest stay period
1. “Continuously for 10 Years or Longer”
To satisfy this condition, the applicant needs to have a base of livelihood in Japan for 10 years or longer without a long interruption or hiatus. Going back to the home country for a week or two once in a year, for example, will not contradict this condition. But someone who often travels outside Japan needs to be careful. While the judging criterion may vary from case to case, if you stay outside Japan for 100 days or longer in one year, for example, you would probably need to have a clear explanation to give when questioned. It should also be noted that someone’s stay period in Japan is considered to have been discontinued when the person leaves Japan without a re-entry permit or failing to make a re-entry within the permitted period.
2. Over 5 Years of Working Experience with Relevant Visa
Whether there has been a job change or not, it is the total years of working experience that will be taken into consideration. But an applicant with a history of too many job changes, especially when it has been done between totally different types of jobs, may be considered to be unstable in terms of incentive to work. A job change done within the previous one year from the time of the visa application will also evoke a negative impression. What is at stake here is whether the applicant is able to work long-term or not, because the income level tends to decrease right after the job change and it could take some time before one gets settled in a new job. So, if possible, avoid changing the job right before the application and wait until afterwards before you change the job.
3. Visa for the Longest Stay Period
The longest stay period permitted for a working visa is 5 years. So when it comes to a working visa, you are basically supposed to have a 5 years working visa when applying for a permanent residency. But actually in many cases, a visa for a stay period of 3 years or longer will suffice as a precondition. Still, if you have a visa only for 1 or 2 years of stay, it is recommended to renew it for a stay period of 3 years or longer before applying for a permanent residency.
Exception for the Length of Residency Requirement
Depending on the visa status and/or other conditions, an applicant who has a residency in Japan for less than 10 years can still be eligible for a permanent residency. Here are some examples of such status and condition.
Spouse, Biological Child or Specially Adopted Child of Japanese National, Permanent Resident or Special Permanent Resident
A “spouse” who is eligible for a permanent residency needs to have had more than 3 years of bona-fide marriage and continuously domiciled in Japan for more than a year. So someone having a separated marriage or spending a major part of a year outside Japan is not very likely to be eligible.
Those who fall under this category need to have domiciled in Japan continuously for over a year to be eligible for a permanent residency. As with the case of a spouse, someone traveling outside Japan too frequently can be less hopeful about the chance of getting a permanent residency.
None of these makes a prerequisite for permanent residency. Even someone who has a criminal record or is currently unemployed can be eligible as long as either one of the two conditions above is met.
Having Stayed in Japan for over 5 years with a Long-Term Resident Visa
The third generation foreign nationals of Japanese descent, descendents of former Japanese nationals (those who have renounced Japanese nationality) and officially recognized refugees all fall under the category of “long-term resident.” For long-term residents, not 10 years but 5 years of residency in Japan is required for getting a permanent residency. It is to be noted though that “5 years” here is not the total period but the continuous period of time after acquiring a status of a long-term resident.
Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals
Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals are those who have scored certain points according to the point-based system stipulated by the Immiration Services Agency. “Highly Skilled” here does not mean one has to have a special type of visa for highly skilled workers. Anyone with a working visa who has scored more than certain points is considered a “Highly Skilled Professional.” An applicant scores points based on such items as academic background, job history and annual income. “Highly Skilled Professionals'' are those who:
1. had already accumulated more than 70 points 3 years ago.
2. had already accumulated more than 80 points 1 year ago.
Points to be scored varies by one’s age and annual income, so it is recommended to check it whenever there is any significant change in your personal circumstance. Some people regret that they haven’t applied for a permanent residency while they had long been unknowingly eligible as highly skilled professionals.
