Permanent residence is one of the most difficult residence statuses for foreigners to obtain in Japan.
Nevertheless, many people still seek to obtain permanent resident status because of its many advantages.
Here are seven advantages of acquiring permanent resident status for foreigners.
No more expiration of the period of stay
As the word "permanent residence" implies, there is no fixed period of stay.
The general status of residence stipulates a period of stay from 3 months to 5 years, and at the expiration of this period, the foreigner must either change or renew his/her visa, or return to Japan.
The primary advantage of permanent residence is that it frees you from periodic renewal procedures and eliminates the risk of overstaying due to forgetting to follow the procedures.
No more restrictions on working in Japan
Many residence statuses (visas) have work restrictions.
There are various types of work restrictions, such as not being able to work at all, having limited working hours, or only being able to work in certain types of jobs, but the one thing they all have in common is that they cannot work in the same way as Japanese people.
In addition, violating these work restrictions is considered illegal employment, and in the worst-case scenario, there is a risk of deportation.
On the other hand, permanent resident status has no work restrictions and allows the holder to freely choose working hours, forms of employment, and types of work.
The second advantage is that you can work freely in the same way as Japanese nationals, which expands your range of occupational choices and makes it easier for you to find employment.
Social reliability in Japan can be gained.
The conditions for obtaining permanent residence are strict: you must have lived in Japan for at least 10 years, you must not have violated any laws or tax obligations during that time, and you must be in a stable financial situation.
Since the ability to obtain permanent residence means that you have met those strict conditions, you have more social credibility than other visa holders.
If you can easily gain social credibility, it will be easier for you to get a job, change jobs, get married, sign a real estate lease, sign a bank loan contract, etc., and your life in Japan will be more advantageous.
No need to change visas in the event of divorce.
Similar to permanent residence, there is a visa called "spouse of Japanese national" as a status of residence with no restrictions on employment.
This visa can be obtained as long as you are married to a Japanese national, and there are no conditions regarding academic background, employment history, or period of stay.
However, this spouse visa is dependent on the status of "spouse of Japanese national.
If you divorce or bereave your Japanese spouse, you will be forced to change to another visa or return to your own country.
On the other hand, permanent residence is a status of residence granted to the individual, so that even if divorced or bereaved from a Japanese spouse, the individual can continue to reside in Japan.
Possibility of obtaining special permission for residence
Unlike naturalization, permanent residence is a status of residence obtained while still holding the nationality of a foreign country.If you commit a crime or have some other trouble while living in Japan, there is still a risk of being subject to deportation.
However, there are cases in which special permission to continue to reside in Japan is granted, even in situations where the permanent resident status would be grounds for deportation.
Special permission to stay is granted based on individual circumstances, so you may not be able to continue living in Japan 100% of the time, but the risk of deportation is lower than other statuses of residence.
It is easy to start a business in Japan
If you want to start a business in Japan, the applicable work visa is the "Business Administration" visa.
However, there are various requirements to obtain a business administration visa, such as planning, establishment of a company, and preparation of funds, and the hurdles are quite high.
On the other hand, if you enter Japan with another status of residence first, and then meet the requirements for permanent residence, you can work in company management since there are no more restrictions on employment.
In addition, as explained earlier, permanent resident status is a socially credible qualification, making it easier to obtain loans from banks and other institutions.
For foreigners who wish to work in Japan in the future, it may be a shorter route to obtain a permanent residence visa than to obtain a business administration visa out of the blue.
Family members living with you will be able to receive special exceptions more easily.
When a foreigner with a general work visa invites his/her family over from overseas, the visa status of the family members will be "Family Resident Visa".
This Family Resident Visa has work restrictions, and if family members wish to work in Japan, they must obtain permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence.
Even if they obtain permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence, they are limited to 28 hours of work per week and cannot work full time.
On the other hand, family members of foreign nationals who have permanent resident status can obtain a "Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident" visa.
Children born in Japan to a permanent resident and his/her spouse are also eligible for this visa.
Since there are no work restrictions on the Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident visa, family members can work in Japan without any restrictions on the type of work they can do, or they can work part-time without any time restrictions.
