How to apply for Japanese Permanent Residency?
The basic requirements for applying for Japanese Permanent Residency:
- The applicant must live in Japan for more than 10 years
- Work for at least 5 years and submit proof of employment
- Prove that you have no criminal record or violation of traffic laws
- The applicant must have a sufficient income or assets, with an annual income of at least 3 million yen
- Fulfil tax obligations and have no defaults on pensions or insurance.
The most direct way to reside in Japan for more than 10 years is to obtain a Japanese visa. There are different types of visas available for application in Japan, which will be explained in detail below.
Exceptions to the Residency Requirement
In the following cases, you can apply for Japanese Permanent Residency even if you have not fulfiled the 10-year residency requirement:
- Those who have been married to a Japanese national or permanent resident for more than 3 years and have resided in Japan continuously for more than 1 year can apply for permanent residence in Japan 1 year later.
- Those who are eligible as the Special Skilled Worker (i) category and maintain 80 points for one year can apply for permanent residence within one year; those who are eligible as the Special Skilled Worker (i) category and maintain 70 points for 1 year can apply for permanent residence within three years.
- Those who have scored 70 points or more for the past 3 years on the ‘Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals (HSP) Point Calculation Table’ can apply for permanent residence within 3 years, while those who have scored 80 points or more for the past year can apply for permanent residence within 1 year.
- If your status of residence is ‘long-term resident’, you can apply for permanent residence in Japan 5 years later.
When applying for Japanese permanent residency, applicants must provide relevant documents to prove that they fall under the above exceptions.
Income Requirements
In the application for Japanese Permanent Residency, applicants must demonstrate a stable source of income to ensure that they can live independently in Japan. The following are the thresholds on income:
- Personal Income: The average annual income for the past 5 years must be 3 million yen or above.
- Family Income: If there are dependents, each of them must have an annual income of 700,000 to 800,000 yen.
- Part-time job income: Not included in the calculation.
Proof of income is mainly based on tax certificates issued by the municipal government of the applicant’s place of residence. Income requirements may vary slightly from region to region, and the focus of the examination is to determine whether the applicant’s monthly income is stable, rather than the total assets of the applicant or his/her family.
Taxes and Social Insurance
When applying for permanent residency in Japan, the Japanese government will strictly examine the applicant’s past tax and social insurance payments, and the requirements are as follows:
Taxes
- Applicants must provide proof of tax payments for the past 5 years.
- Both employed and self-employed persons must confirm that they have paid their taxes on time.
- The tax status of the applicant’s spouse will also be examined.
Social Insurance (Retirement Pension and Health Insurance)
- Applicants must provide proof of pension contributions for the last 2 years and a copy of their health insurance card.
- Self-employed persons should also pay attention to the status of their social insurance contributions.
Any delay in payment or non-payment will affect the application for permanent residence in Japan or may even result in rejection of the application. Therefore, applicants should start organising their tax and social insurance related documents as soon as possible.
Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals Visa
As a talent programme, it aims to attract talented people from all over the world to work in Japan and contribute to Japan’s economic development. The evaluation criteria for the Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals Visa is based on the HSP Point Calculation Table, which takes into account the applicant’s academic qualifications, work experience, salary, research results etc. Applicants who obtain 70 points or more will be eligible for permanent residence after 3 years of working in Japan; while those who have scored 80 points will be granted permanent residence in Japan after 1 year of working.
Japan Business Manager Visa (Entrepreneurial Immigration)
The Japan Business Manager Visa, also known as the Entrepreneurial Immigration Visa, is designed for foreigners who wish to set up companies in Japan or who are already managing existing companies in Japan. By applying for this visa, the applicant is able to legally operate his/her business in Japan and enjoys many residential rights in Japan.
