Permanent Residence status” is often confused with acquiring a Japanese citizenship (naturalization) but even if you obtain Permanent Residence status this does not mean you are a Japanese citizen. However, it still allows you to stay in Japan without a limited period of stay and there are no restrictions on what activities you can engage in Japan.
Here are the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence launched by Immigration bureau on May 31, 2019.
| (1) | The person is of good conduct.
The person observes Japanese laws and his/her daily living as a resident does not invite any social criticism. |
|---|---|
| (2) | The person has sufficient assets or ability to make an independent living.
The person does not financially depend on someone in the society in his daily life, and his/her assets or ability, etc. are assumed to continue to provide him/her with a stable base of livelihood into the future. |
| (3) | The person’s permanent residence is regarded to be in accord with the interests of Japan. |
Let’s break it down.
(1) The Person is of good conduct
Basically, you just need to observe Japanese law. If you are driving a car in Japan, you need to be mindful of traffic violations. If you have several minor traffic violations there is still a chance that you may obtain your Permanent Residence status. On the other hand, if you have serious traffic violations, there is a high possibility your permanent resident application will be denied.
For other crimes, like those who have been fined, imprisoned, or have had a suspended sentence, must wait a certain period (usually five to ten years) to apply for Permanent Residence status. Even if you were arrested but not prosecuted, still there is a high chance that your permanent resident application will be denied.
(2)The person has sufficient assets or ability to make an independent living
Even though there is no official criteria for the annual income that you need to meet in order to apply for status of permanent residence, ideally your annual salary should be higher than ￥3,000,000 if you are single and not supporting any family members. If you are supporting family members, your annual salary should have roughly an additional￥700,000 per dependent.
(3)The person’s permanent residence is regarded to be in accord with the interests of Japan
In general, if you are living in Japan and wish to obtain permanent residence status, you must live in Japan for a minimum of ten years. Although this period will be shortened if you are married to a Japanese person, someone who already has their permanent residence status, etc.
As an example, if you are a spouse of a Japanese national for more than 3 years consecutively and have stayed in Japan more than 1 year consecutively, you can apply for Permanent Residence status without being required to live in Japan for 10 years.
Also, there is another way to shorten this period by using the point calculation system. The point calculation system is often used for foreigners who wish to obtain residence status of High Skilled Professional, but this is available to all applicants if you score more than 70 points to apply for Permanent Residence status.
Since 1st July 2019 Japan Immigration Bureau has revised the necessary documents to apply for Permanent Residence status. You must submit documents to prove that you have paid into public pension and paid required fees for public medical insurance for the past 2 years. Meaning if you are not paying into these, your permanent resident application will be denied with a high possibility
If you do not know if you are eligible to apply for Permanent Resident Status, please contact me
