PERMANENT RESIDENT (PR)

IMPORTANT!
If you are currently living OUTSIDE Japan and are NOT holding any type of VISA STATUS now, you are NOT eligible for PERMANENT RESIDENT (PR) status.

In order to apply for PERMANENT RESIDENT visa status (永住者; hereinafter referred to as “PR“), you have been living and will continue to live in Japan consecutively for years under relevant visa status (you may go outside Japan with Re-entry Permit or Special Re-entry Permit for a short trip).

PR visa status makes you to live in Japan without concerning the date of expiry of visa status and types of Job, as well as your civil status.

Requirement for PR application is different depending on your current visa status and circumstances.
Basically, you must have been living in Japan for at least 10 years consecutively. Some visa status such as “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” etc. are exempted from this “10-YEARS of CONSECUTIVE RESIDENCE”.

IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH VISA PROCEDURES IN JAPAN, JUMP TO INTRODUCTORY PAGES BELOW FIRST:

ADVANTAGE of PERMANENT RESIDENT

1. No need to worry yourself about the visa renewal.
   You don’t need to apply for the visa renewal. You can stay in Japan indefinitely without visa renewal.
2. No limit of the activity.
   Permanent Resident can do a job whatever you want. You don’t need to worry about the visa status when you change your job. Even it is possible that you can do your business as self-employment or you can run your company. You can apply for mortgage/housing loan or business loan if you are a permanent resident.
3. No need to lose or change residence/visa status when you divorce to a Japanese spouse.
   Permanent Resident is not required to change residence/visa status when you divorce/marry to a Japanese spouse.
4. No change of your nationality.
   No need to renounce your nationality – you can live in Japan indefinitely with your current nationality.

Matters that don’t change after obtaining PR

• You will live as a foreign national in Japan.
• You must possess your RESIDENCE CARD along with you at any time and the card is required to be renewed every 7 years.
• You need to obtain RE-ENTRY PERMIT or SPECIAL RE-ENTRY PERMIT before your departure from Japan in case you travel outside Japan and reenter Japan again as a PERMANENT RESIDENT.
• No voting rights in Japan.
• You cannot be a public servant/worker in Japan.
• Possible to be deported in case of punishment or penalty.

DIFFERENCE from NATURALIZATION

PERMANENT RESIDENT is visa status which is allowed to stay in Japan for an indefinite period as well as to engage in any types of activities in Japan without limit. However, you must keep your RESIDENCE CARD with you as your ID as well as you must obtain Re-enter Permit (including Special Re-enter Permit) when you go outside Japan.

Naturalization is to be naturalized in Japan, meaning you become a Japanese holding Japanese passport.

Refer to the table below for the difference between Permanent Resident and Naturalization.

	PERMANENT RESIDENT	NATURALIZATION
Nationality and Passport	Foreign National You don’t change your nationality into Japan and don’t have rights and responsibility as a Japanese national.	Japanese You become a Japanese holding Japanese passport. You have rights and responsibility as a Japanese national. You must leave other nationality.
Period of Stay	Indefinite period However, you may be deported in case of committed a crime, etc.	Indefinite period
Residence Card	Issued You must carry your residence card at any time and you need to renew the card every 7 years.	Not issued
Re-enter Permit (including Special Re-enter Permit)	Required	Not required
Voting Rights in Japan	No	Yes
Activity in Japan	Not limited	Not limited
Japanese language proficiency for application	Not Required	Required to some extent
Residence Requirement for application	Required to live in Japan for 10 years or more consecutively * Special exception is applied to particular visa status	Required to live in Japan for 5 years or more consecutively.
Period of Screening after application	around 6-8 months	around 10 – 12 months

GUIDELINE and BASIC CRITERIA

Guideline and basic criteria for PERMANENT RESIDENT status is as follows;

1. The applicant must have a good behavior

You have to be a person who have been following the laws and regulation of Japan and have been living a life without being criticized socially as a resident in Japan.

2. The applicant must be recognized as having assets or skills enough to make a living independently

You must be deemed to be capable of making a stable living independently for the future without becoming public charge based on your assets and skills.

3. Applicant’s permanent residence living in Japan must be recognized as a benefit of Japan

You need to satisfy all the items below;

• 10-YEARS of CONSECUTIVE RESIDENCE: PR Applicant must have been living in Japan for at least 10 years consecutively without losing (or quitting) visa status. Within the period of stay in Japan, you need at least 5 years of period of stay in Japan under FOR-WORK type visa (except for the period of staying under “Designated Labor 1” and “Technical Intern Training”, Spouse/Child of Japanese National, Spouse/Child of Permanent Resident and Long-Term Resident).
  For example, you don’t satisfy this requirement in case you have been living in Japan for 10 years consecutively under the following situation; staying in Japan for 6 years under STUDENT and/or CULTURAL ACTIVITIES visa status and for 4 years under ENGINEER/HUMANITIES visa status. There are some exceptional treatment for specific situation >> EXCEPTION for the RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT.
• You must not be fined or be sentenced to imprisonment. Also, you have been adequately fulfilling public duties such as the payment of taxes, public pension contribution and public health insurance contribution, as well as notification in accordance with the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.
• You must obtain the LONGEST/MAXIMUM PERIOD of STAY (3-years or 5-years) granted under your current visa/residence status.
• There must not be a risk that you could be harmful from the public health point of view.

4. You need a GUARANTOR for PR application

You need a guarantor who is a Japanese national or a PERMANENT RESIDENT living in Japan. In PR case, your guarantor can be a friend, colleague, employer or relatives >> Refer to GUARANTOR

NOTE

• In case you are a spouse or child of Japanese national, PERMANENT RESIDENT or Special PERMANENT RESIDENT, you don’t need to be applicable to 1 and 2 above.
• In case you obtain Recognition of Refugee Status, you don’t need to be applicable to 2 above.

EXCEPTION for the RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT

Generally, 10-YEARS of CONSECUTIVE RESIDENCE in Japan is required to those who apply for PR. However, there are some exceptional cases depending on your current visa status or circumstances.

IMPORTANT!
You still need to obtain the LONGEST/MAXIMUM PERIOD of STAY (3-years or 5-years) granted under your current visa/residence status. Meaning, you are not applicable to PR if Period of Stay granted under your current visa status is NOT 3-years or 5-years.

Exception for the RESIDENT REQUIREMENT is applied to those who are applicable to the following items:

Current status and circumstance	Required period of residence in Japan
– Spouse of Japanese national – Spouse of PERMANENT RESIDENT – Spouse of Special PERMANENT RESIDENT Work-related visa holder married to a Japanese national, PERMANENT RESIDENT and Special PERMANENT RESIDENT can also be applicable.	You must satisfy both [a] and [b] below; [a] Duration of official/real marriage (the period of living outside Japan can be countable) must be 3 or more consecutive years. [b] you have been living in Japan as a spouse at least 1 year.
– Biological child of Japanese national – Biological child of PERMANENT RESIDENT – Biological child of Special PERMANENT RESIDENT	You have been living in Japan at least 1 year.
LONG-TERM RESIDENT visa status holder	You have been living in Japan at least 5 years consecutively.
Those who obtain Recognition of Refugee Status	You have been living in Japan at least 5 years consecutively.
Those who is acknowledged contribution for Japan in the field of diplomatic relations, society, economics and culture etc.	You have been living in Japan at least 5 years consecutively.
Those who obtain FOR-WORK type of visa status and can be considered as a highly skilled professional (HSP). NOTE: You don’t need HSP or J-Skip HSP if you satisfy the same requirements required for HSP or J-Skip HSP.	Refer to “RELAXATION of RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT for HSP” below.

RELAXATION of RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT for HSP

If you currently obtain HIGHLY SKILLED PROFESSIONAL (HSP) visa status or obtain other visa status but are able to obtain enough HSP score on the HSP point table, you may be applicable to receive the following relaxation;

For the details, jump to the following page:
>> Application for PERMANENT RESIDENT based on HSP point scheme

PROCESS

PR Application must be submitted to the Immigration Office which have jurisdiction over your residence area. The application cannot be made online. You need to stay in Japan at the time of submission of the PR application even if you hire an immigration lawyer.

Period of Screening

It will take around 6 – 8 months for the screening of PR application.

You can travel outside Japan during this period. However, the Immigration Office would request to provide additional documents during the screening period. They may stop the process of screening until they receive the additional documents, so you should take care of it as soon as possible. You will need to be in Japan when you pick up the new RESIDENCE CARD for PR status after approval of the application.

It is OK to change the workplace or to move your residence address, however, it may affect your PR application. It is better not to change your circumstances during the screening period. If you need to change your circumstances after application, you must inform the change to the Immigration Office as soon as possible.

In Case Your Current Visa Status will be Expired Soon

In case that your current visa status will be expired soon during the screening period of PR application, you will need to apply for EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY to keep your current visa status valid.

Therefore, you should take the date of expiry of current visa status into account when you consider PR application. You may submit application for EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY during processing the PR application or you can apply for both at the same time.

PERIOD of STAY and RENEWAL of PR RESIDENCE CARD

There are no expiration of period of stay for PERMANENT RESIDENT. You can stay in Japan indefinitely without applying for EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY (Visa Renewal).

However, Residence Card for Permanent Resident visa status (PR Residence Card) has its validity period. You need to renew the Residence Card in every 7 years.

PR Residence Card needs to be renewed in every 7 years

Duration of PR RESIDENCE CARD is 7 years: You must renew your PR Residence Card at the Immigration Office in Japan in every 7 years by the expiry date stated on the card >> Period of Validity of Residence Card

You are obliged to renew your PR Residence Card by the expiry date. If you don’t renew your PR Residence Card, you will be punished by imprisonment with work for a period not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding JPY 200K according to the Immigration Law (Article 71-2) .

Application for Renewal of PR Residence Card

To apply for the renewal, you need to go to the Immigration Office and submit the application. You will get your new card on the same day of application.

For the application, jump to the following page >> RENEWAL of PR RESIDENCE CARD

If you forget to renew the card

Jump to the following page >> RENEWAL of PR RESIDENCE CARD

BASIC REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Required documents for PR application is different depending on your current visa status and circumstances.

Here’s the list of basic and general documents required for the PR application. You will need additional documents based on your current circumstances.