Hello. I am Inada from IMS Legal Professional Corporation. Many people who change their status of residence to "Highly Skilled Professional No. 1 (a, b, c)" seem to be considering applying for permanent residence as the next step. Those with a highly skilled professional status of residence can apply for permanent residence earlier than usual through preferential treatment using the "points system for highly skilled foreign professionals." In this article, we would like to deepen your understanding of the application for permanent residence using this points system.
Those with status of residence other than "Highly Skilled Professional" can also use the points system.
There are four patterns for applying for permanent residence permission using the points system.
| Points to note when applying for permanent residence | Current status of residence | Past Points | Period of stay | Required proof of points other than the proof of points at the time of permanent residence application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 points or more | "Highly-skilled professionals" *No. 1 (a, b, c) and No. 2 | A score of 80 or more when your current residence status was approved | Have stayed in Japan for more than one year with the current status of residence | A copy of the previous Highly Skilled Professional Points Calculation Result Notification |
| Other visa statuses than those listed above | A score of 80 or more one year prior to applying for permanent residence | Have stayed in Japan for more than one year | Calculation sheet and supporting documents from one year prior to the application for permanent residence permission | |
| 70 points or more and less than 80 points | "Highly-skilled professionals" *No. 1 (a, b, c) and No. 2 | 70 points or more when your current residence status is approved | Have stayed in Japan for more than three years with the current status of residence | A copy of the previous Highly Skilled Professional Points Calculation Result Notification |
| Other visa statuses than those listed above | 70 points or more three years prior to applying for permanent residence | Have stayed in Japan for more than three years | Calculation sheet and supporting documents from three years prior to the application for permanent residence permission |
In reality, many people first change their residence status to "Highly Skilled Professional" before considering applying for permanent residence. However, as mentioned above, even if you have a residence status other than "Highly Skilled Professional", if you met the points requirements one or three years prior, you can take advantage of the preferential treatment under the points system for highly skilled foreign professionals and apply for permanent residence early.
In addition, there is no need to worry as the period of stay currently granted to "Highly Skilled Professional No. 1 (a, b, c)" is a flat 5 years, while that of "Highly Skilled Professional No. 2" is unlimited. However, those with other residence statuses must also confirm that they have been granted a current residence status of 3 years or more, as this is a general requirement for applying for permanent residence permission.
Another advantage is that fewer documents need to be submitted.
When applying for permanent residence, it is necessary to collect and submit many documents, but if you use the points system, the requirements for period of stay are relaxed, so you may be able to submit fewer documents.
By the way, normally, if a person with work qualifications (a person who has continuously resided in Japan for more than 10 years and has continuously resided in Japan for more than 5 years with work qualifications or residence qualifications) applies for permanent residence, they are required to submit resident tax assessment certificates and tax payment certificates for the past 5 years, and pension and national health insurance premium records for the past 2 years. Therefore, people who can utilize 80 points or more will have a great advantage in this regard as well.
| Application requirements | Documents to be submitted with changing deadlines | Submission period |
|---|---|---|
| Those who have a score of 80 or more at the time of applying for permanent residence permission and have been granted the status of residence "Highly Skilled Professional" with a score of 80 or more, or those who have a score of 80 or more one year prior to applying for permanent residence permission. | Resident tax certificate/Tax payment certificate | Past year |
| Pension records | Last 1 year | |
| National health insurance premium record *If you have been enrolled in national health insurance during the past year | Last 1 year | |
| Those who have a score of 70 or more at the time of applying for permanent residence permission and have been granted the status of residence "Highly Skilled Professional" with a score of 70 or more, or those who have a score of 70 or more three years prior to applying for permanent residence permission. | Resident tax certificate/Tax payment certificate | Past 3 years |
| Pension records | Last 2 years | |
| National health insurance premium record *If you have been enrolled in national health insurance during the two years | Last 2 years |
Things to note when changing jobs
If you have changed jobs in the past one or two years, it is very important to make sure that you have not missed any payments of taxes, pensions, or health insurance premiums. Paying taxes and paying public pension and public health insurance premiums are public obligations, and if you have not properly fulfilled these obligations, you will be deemed to not meet the requirements for permanent residency.
Regarding the fulfillment of public obligations, the guidelines also state clearly that "Even if taxes have already been paid at the time of application, if they have not been fulfilled within the initial tax payment period, in principle they will be evaluated negatively."
In addition, since the review period for permanent residence applications often lasts for more than a year, you may change jobs during the application process. In that case, you will need to recalculate your points, and if you are a "Highly Skilled Professional No. 1," you will also need to apply for permission to change your status of residence. In addition, there are also documents that will need to be resubmitted when you change jobs. And if you have a period of unemployment due to changing jobs, it is essential that you take the proper procedures to ensure that there is no period of non-enrollment in health insurance or non-payment of pension contributions.
The "Acknowledgment Form/了解書" that you submit when applying for permanent residence permit clearly states that if there are any changes, such as changing jobs, during the application period, you must promptly contact the Immigration Bureau to which you are applying.
If you are currently considering applying for permanent residence and changing jobs, we recommend that you complete the job change procedure first, and then apply for permanent residence at a time that does not overlap with your job change, if possible.
How to reuse previously submitted explanatory materials
In addition, not only when changing jobs, but also when submitting a point calculation sheet when applying for permanent residence permission, if you have explanatory documents that are the same as those you submitted in the past, you can avoid the trouble of resubmitting the same documents by submitting a "Application for Transfer of Materials/資料転用願出書". The document conversion application form requires you to write the type of application, application date, application number, and document name when you submitted the original documents, so it is a good idea to keep a record of your application.
References:
Permanent Residence Application 4 | Immigration Services Agency
Guidelines for Permanent Residence Permission (Revised November 18, 2024) | Immigration Services Agency
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
