Hello, this is Takeuchi from IMS Legal Professional Corporation. We regularly receive many inquiries regarding permanent residency applications. Since around last year, Immigration has issued a “Permanent Residency Self-Check Sheet.” Applicants are encouraged to confirm in advance whether they meet the requirements for permanent residency.
All questions must be answered with “Yes” or “No,” and if even one answer is “No,” the likelihood of denial becomes extremely high. In this post, I would like to explain some of the main questions and points of consideration.
Q1. Have you continuously resided in Japan for 10 years or more, and do you have a working visa (e.g., Engineer/Humanities/International Services) or a residence-qualified visa (e.g., Spouse of Japanese National) for at least 5 consecutive years?
What does “continuously” mean?
“Continuously” means that you have lived in Japan for 10 years without breaking residency. It is not “a total of 10 years including long gaps abroad.” The key point is maintaining physical residency in Japan over a continuous period. Additionally, during those 10 years, you must have had a working residence status for at least 5 consecutive years, demonstrating that you have been independently earning a living.
Does any working visa qualify?
No. For example, the Specified Skilled Worker (i) visa, which assumes eventual return to the home country after up to 5 years, and Special Activity (Domestic Worker under National Strategic Special Zones) do not fulfill the requirement.
Q2–5. Have you paid resident tax for the past 5 years, and health insurance and pension for the past 2 years, on time?
What does “paid on time” mean?
It means paying no later than the official due date. This is one of the most important factors in permanent residency review. Not only non-payment, but even a single late payment can be considered failure to fulfill public obligations. In practice, even one day late can result in a highly unfavorable result.
What should you do to prepare?
You must be able to prove your payment history.
- If you pay individually (ordinary collection), retain your receipts (e.g., convenience store receipts with date stamps).
- These receipts serve as third-party objective evidence.
Even if you did pay on time, if you cannot prove it, Immigration may not accept it. It is essential to retain all documentation.
Permanent residency applications involve multiple requirements beyond the above. At IMS Legal Professional Corporation, we provide comprehensive consultation including full eligibility review. Please feel free to contact us if you are considering applying.
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
