permanent residence permit application

Permanent residence permit application is a procedure for foreigners with a status of residence to live permanently in Japan with a stable status without restrictions on activities or period of stay.
The status of residence for permanent residents is greatly relaxed in terms of residence management compared to other statuses of residence in that there are no restrictions on either residence activities or period of stay.For this reason, the examination of permanent residence permits is conducted more carefully than a normal change of status of residence.
In order to obtain a status of residence as a permanent resident, it is necessary to meet the following requirements according to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and the "Guidelines for Permanent Residence Permission" published by the Immigration Bureau.
(1)Good conduct
Comply with the law and lead a life that is not socially criticized as a resident in your daily life.
People who have never been punished for violating laws and regulations, and who repeatedly engage in behavior that is considered misbehavior even without being punished, do not meet the requirements.
(2)Possessing sufficient assets or skills to make an independent living;
Those who do not become a burden on the public in their daily lives, and who are expected to lead a stable life in the future in view of their assets or skills.
This means being able to live a stable and continuous life, in other words, being able to “support yourself.”
(3)The person's permanent residence is deemed to be in the interests of Japan.
This includes so-called residency requirements.
(a)In principle, the applicant must have stayed in Japan continuously for 10 years or longer. However, within this period, it is necessary to stay in Japan for more than 5 years with a work status (excluding the status of residence "Technical Intern Training" and "Specified Skilled Worker No. 1") or residence status.
(b) The person has not been sentenced to a fine or imprisonment. Appropriately fulfilling public obligations (such as tax payment, payment of public pension and public medical insurance premiums, and reporting obligations stipulated in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act).
(c) The applicant is currently residing in Japan with the longest period of stay stipulated in Appended Table 2 of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.
(d)There is no risk of being harmful from the viewpoint of public health.
* However, if you are the spouse or child of a Japanese, permanent resident or special permanent resident, you are not required to meet (1) and (2). In addition, persons recognized as refugees are not required to comply with (2).
It usually takes about 6 months to 1 year for the examination of permission for permanent residence, and it tends to take more time than other applications (renewal of period of stay, change of status of residence, etc.).
In this way, there is a strict examination for obtaining a permanent resident status of residence, so if you are thinking of getting a permanent residence permit in the future, you should ask yourself how to spend the 10 years of the period of stay, which is a general requirement. It is necessary to carry out residence activities while considering this.Also, if your current period of stay expires while you are applying for permanent residence, please apply for permanent residence after renewing your current status of residence or changing to another status of residence so as not to overstay.
Please check the Immigration Services Agency's website below for information on the documents to be submitted.
As of December 2024, a checklist has been added to determine whether or not you meet the requirements for permanent residence permission.
Permanent residence permit application (Immigration Services Agency)
[Permanent residence application for highly skilled professionals]
To apply for permanent residence under the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" residence status, in principle, you must have continuously resided in Japan for 10 years or more and have continued to reside in Japan with a working status for 5 years as a residency requirement.
However, if you are recognized as having a score of 70 to less than 80 points or 80 points or more based on the point calculation for the "Highly Skilled Professional" residence status, you will be allowed to continue your application in the same way as applying for permanent residence from a Highly Skilled Professional visa. Residency requirements are relaxed.
If you meet the requirements for a highly skilled professional visa, the continuous residence requirement is 3 years if you continue to earn 70 points or more in the highly skilled professional point calculation table, or 1 year if you continue to earn 80 points or more in the highly skilled professional point calculation table.
Even if you are not on a highly skilled professional visa (for example, "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services"), if you are deemed to have points equivalent to a highly skilled professional, the continuous residence requirements will be applied according to your points. This will allow you to apply for a permanent residence permit with a short period of stay compared to a regular residence status. In this case, in addition to the documents required for a normal permanent residence application, you will also need to submit supporting documents regarding the possession of points equivalent to a highly skilled professional required for the application.
Our office provides support for permanent residence visa applications at reasonable prices. We also offer free initial consultations, so please feel free to contact us.
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