Permanent Resident Visa

Permanent residency applications must satisfy three core statutory pillars:

Good Conduct

You must observe Japanese laws and maintain a lifestyle that does not invite social criticism. Repeated minor traffic violations (parking tickets, speeding) can negatively affect this assessment. A criminal record resulting in a fine or imprisonment within the past 5 years is grounds for rejection.

Financial Self-Sufficiency

You must demonstrate sufficient income or assets to maintain a stable livelihood without relying on public assistance. While no official minimum is published, the de facto benchmark is approximately 3 million JPY annually, with an estimated additional 800,000 JPY per dependent. Income stability over the past 3–5 years is critical—if any year shows income below the threshold, rejection is likely. Recent cases have required minimum thresholds of 3.3 million yen for a single person, 4 million yen for a couple, and 4.5 million yen for a couple with a child.

Conformity with National Interests

This pillar encompasses years of continuous residence, public obligation compliance, and maximum period of stay requirements (see below).

Residence Duration by Current Visa Status

The required years of continuous residence vary significantly:

• Spouse of Japanese national or permanent resident: 1 year (with at least 3 years of genuine marriage)
• Child of Japanese national or permanent resident: 1 year of continuous residence
• Long-Term Resident (定住者): 5 years of continuous residence
• Highly Skilled Professional (80+ points): 1 year (maintaining 80+ points for the past year)
• Highly Skilled Professional (70–79 points): 3 years (maintaining 70+ points for the past 3 years)
• Standard work visa or other status: 10 years total, with at least 5 consecutive years under work or residence-based status
• Recognized refugee: 5 years of continuous residence

Maximum Period of Stay Requirement (Critical 2026–2027 Change)

As of February 24, 2026, the Immigration Services Agency revised guidelines to enforce stricter interpretation of this requirement—a major recent change affecting your eligibility timeline.

Current Rule (Until March 31, 2027): Applicants holding a 3-year visa are still acceptable as meeting the "longest period of stay" requirement. This is a transitional measure.

New Rule (From April 1, 2027): You must hold the maximum period of stay permitted under your current visa status—typically 5 years for most work visa categories. A 3-year visa will no longer be sufficient.

Transitional Grace Period: If you hold a 3-year visa as of March 31, 2027, you will continue to be treated as holding the "longest period of stay" for the first PR decision you receive within that visa's validity period. This provides a final window to apply under current rules before the deadline.

Public Obligations Compliance

You must have never been sentenced to a fine or imprisonment and must adequately fulfill public duties including:

• Payment of taxes (resident tax and income tax)
• Public pension contributions
• Public health insurance premiums

As of February 2026, examination has become significantly stricter. Even a single late payment may require explanation, and the current standard is strictly "one day late and you are disqualified." Cases with over 90% probability of rejection include:

• Failure to pay health insurance premiums by due date even once within the past 2 years
• Criminal conviction resulting in fine or imprisonment within the past 5 years
• Failure to pay resident tax by due date even once within the past 5 years
• Period of non-enrollment in health insurance or pension within the past 2 years

Days Spent in Japan

You must have spent significant time physically in Japan during the years leading up to application. More than 6 months per 12-month period is generally expected. If annual days abroad exceed approximately 100 days, additional documentation may be required to prove that your real life base is in Japan.

Negative Factors Leading to Rejection

You will typically be denied if you fall under any of the following:

• Changing jobs more than once per year or once every 2+ years
• Delayed payment of residence tax or health insurance even once in the past 4 years
• Non-payment of pension in the past 2 years
• Criminal record within the past 5 years