Hello, this is Kuwahara of IMS. As you can see in the "Customer Testimonials" section of our website, we handle permanent residence applications on behalf of people from a variety of backgrounds.
In the years we’ve spent doing this work, we often receive the question, "Can I retain my permanent residence status even if I don't live in Japan after I get it?" I will answer this question later, but first I would like to talk about applying for permanent residence status in Japan.
Required Documents for Permanent Residency
As of July 2019, the application documents to be submitted for a permanent residence application in Japan have changed drastically. (For example, here are the documents required for a person with a working visa to apply for permanent residence status.)
Before this change, there were only a few required documents needed to be submitted, and many people were able to obtain permanent residence without the help of a professional. After the change in the documents to be submitted, we have seen a significant increase in the number of inquiries and requests to file applications on the behalf of clients.
Currently, the application documents focus on whether or not the payment of National Pension System premiums, health insurance premiums, tax payments, etc., which are compulsory for citizens, are being made properly.
In the first place, the looser restrictions were implemented as a way to increase the amount of tax and pension payments by increasing the number of permanent residents. However, since this did not work as intended, they again decided to implement this change to tighten restrictions.
Japan's permanent residence system was established for foreign nationals who were left behind or brought to Japan after World War II. However, now that international comings and goings have become more frequent, I believe it may be time to restructure the system with clearer indicators and goals.
2019 White Paper on Immigration
The 2019 White Paper on Immigration states, "In the deliberations of the House of Councilors Legal Affairs Committee on the Revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law enacted in December 2018, a supplementary resolution was passed that applications for permanent residence should be rigorously examined. (the following has been abridged)" Therefore, they claimed that they will continue to examine the ideal form of permanent residence, their typical way to put off making a concrete decision.
Under the current law, after obtaining permanent residence, you only need to apply for renewal of the validity period of your card every seven years, even if you do not live in Japan or pay taxes. You do not need to submit any tax information when you apply.
The application form for the extension of the validity period of your residence card has a section where you are required to fill in various information, but it is just a declaration and you will not be asked for any further information. You can obtain permanent residence status by proving that you are capable of maintaining an independent livelihood (annual income of more than 3 million yen for a single person) with good behavior within the number of years subject to examination. In short, once you are permitted, you are permitted forever.
Permanent Residency in Other Countries
Let's take a look at permanent residence in other countries. For example, the United States: in the U.S., people with high abilities, the very wealthy, those who are particularly lucky (lottery for permanent residence), refugees, etc. are eligible for permanent residence. It does not matter how long you have lived in the country. Only those who have been living in the U.S. since before January 1, 1972 can apply for permanent residence based on their length of residence. If you spend six consecutive months outside the U.S. after you become a permanent resident, your permanent resident status will be revoked, unless you have filed to do so in advance.
The UK is similar to Japan: you can apply for permanent residence after living in the UK for 10 years, you can apply for permanent residence if you have a British partner, etc. If you live outside of the UK for more than two years continuously after obtaining permanent residency, your permanent residency will be revoked.
Germany: You can apply for permanent residence on the condition that you are an exceptional person, have lived in the country for several years, are married to a German, or can speak German. I couldn't find any exact conditions after obtaining permanent residence in a quick search.
France: It seems that you can apply for permanent residence if you have lived in France for five years. As in the U.S., if you have lived outside the country for six consecutive months, you will be stripped of your permanent resident status.
China: If you meet the same requirements as in the U.S., you can apply for permanent residency, but I couldn't find any information about what happens after you obtain permanent residency.
"Can I keep my PR even if I don't live in Japan?"
Now, here is the answer to the question I brought up at the beginning. The answer is "Yes, you can maintain your permanent residence even if you do not live in Japan. Even if you are able to earn a living at your time of application, you may not be able to continue to do so at a later date. However, this is still okay. Indeed, Japan is kind.
According to the latest data released by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan in October 2021, the number of permanent residents in Japan as of the end of June 2021 is 817,805.
The permanent residence system has been in place since 1951. Although the system has been revised several times, those of us who work in this field think that it would be better to revise the system to make it a little more precise in terms of various aspects when it is reviewed again by the government.
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Permanent Resident Japan Requirements
If you have a work visa
- Be of good conduct
- No delinquent payments of resident tax, national health insurance, etc., no traffic violations or punishments such as imprisonment or fines, etc.
- Have sufficient assets or skills to make a living
- Have an annual income of at least 3 million yen, own a home, etc.
- Continuous stay in Japan of 10 years or more, 5 years or more of which were on a working visa status
- No more than a few months out of Japan in a 10-year period, etc.
- The current status of residence must have a period of stay of 3 or 5 years
- If you have a visa with a 1-year period of stay, you cannot apply for a permanent residence permit even if you meet the above conditions
If you have a Highly-Skilled Professional visa, or meet the qualifications of a Highly-Skilled Professional
- Be of good conduct
- No delinquent payments of resident tax, national health insurance, etc., no traffic violations or punishments such as imprisonment or fines, etc.
- Have sufficient assets or skills to make a living
- Have an annual income of at least 3 million yen, own a home, etc.
- Be in possession of 70 points or more, according to the highly-skilled professional point calculation table, AND have been in possession of 70 points or more 3 years prior
- Be in possession of 80 points or more, according to the highly-skilled professional point calculation table, AND have been in possession of 80 points or more for at least the last 1 year
If you have a Spouse of Japanese Resident visa, Spouse of Permanent Resident visa, or Dependent visa
- Be in a bona fide marriage for a continuous 3 years or more, and have lived in Japan for at least 1 continuous year
In the case of biological children, must have lived in Japan for at least 1 continuous year - The current status of residence must have a period of stay of 3 years or more
- If you have a visa with a 1-year period of stay, you cannot apply for a permanent residence permit even if you meet the above conditions
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For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
Please also visit our website dedicated to permanent residence applications.
