To apply for a Japan Permanent Resident visa, you must have "assets or skills to earn an independent living. However, since the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and the Guidelines for Permanent Resident Permit do not clearly indicate an annual income, many people wonder, "How much annual income does it take to get a Japan Permanent Resident visa?" Many people wonder, "How much is enough to get a permanent residence visa? This article will explain the annual income considered necessary to apply for permanent residence.
Is 3 million yen in annual income the standard for a Japan Permanent Resident visa?
There are a great many articles on the Internet explaining the application requirements and procedures for a Japan Permanent Resident visa. One of the most common explanations found in such articles is that "the standard annual income is 3 million yen.
So, is it really possible to meet the asset requirement for a Japan Permanent Resident visa with an annual income of "3 million yen"?
There is no clear standard of 3 million yen.
First of all, as a basic premise, there is no clear standard of "3 million yen" in the law. The "Guidelines for Permanent Residence Permit" published by the Immigration office states the following as a legal requirement
The applicant must have sufficient assets or skills to earn an independent living. The applicant must not be a burden on the public in his/her daily life and must be expected to have a stable life in the future in view of his/her assets or skills, etc.
The important question is not "How much annual income?" The important thing is not "how much is the annual income" but "not a burden on the public and expected to lead a stable life in the future. A public burden means, for example, public assistance, etc. Whether you can live a normal life without using such a safety net is a criterion for whether your application for permanent residence will be approved or not.
Of course, a stable life requires money. Unless you have enormous assets that will allow you to play and live for the rest of your life, at least for most people, you will have to work to earn money. In other words, you need a certain level of income (annual income).
A good guideline is the average annual income
What is a certain level of annual income?
One possible guide is the average annual income of Japanese people. Of course, annual income varies depending on the area of residence, and some of those surveyed have extremely high incomes, so it is not realistic to apply this average annual income as it is. Still, an annual income of 3 million yen for an individual (especially for men) is a somewhat unsettling amount.
Since it is said that the screening process for permanent residence applications will become more stringent after 2019, when the application documents are updated, it is advisable to have an annual income equal to or greater than that of the average Japanese, specifically around 4 million yen, or preferably in the low 4 million yen range.
Although an annual income of around 4 million yen is not necessarily required, there have been very few cases where Japan Permanent Resident visas have been granted with an annual income of at least less than 3 million yen.
Judgment is based on household income
There is one more important point that must not be forgotten. That is that annual income is determined on a "household" basis, not on an individual basis.
For example, the living situation is completely different between "a person living alone with an annual income of 4 million yen" and "a person living with a spouse and three children with an annual income of 4 million yen".
If you live alone, you may be able to live a stable life with an annual income of 3 million yen, but if you live "in an urban area," "with three children attending school," and "in a household of five," there is a great possibility that your life will be difficult even with an annual income of 5 million yen.
The answer to the question, "How much annual income is required to be approved for a Japan Permanent Resident visa?" The answer to this question depends on the applicant's family environment and the area in which he or she lives.
Period for determining annual income
As a general rule, the annual income requirement is for the "most recent five years. For example, even if you had an annual income of 3 million yen the year before you applied, if your annual income was less than 3 million yen in any of the last five years, there is almost no chance that you will be granted a Japan Permanent Resident visa.
If your annual income was low in the past, the key is to achieve a certain level of annual income for at least five consecutive years before applying for permanent residence.
How to verify annual income
Past annual income can be confirmed with an "income certificate" or "taxation certificate" issued by the municipal office. Incidentally, when there are two items, "amount of salary income" and "amount of employment income," the amount of employment income is the annual income amount.
Estimated Annual Income by Family Structure
The following is an explanation of the annual income guidelines based on the applicant's family structure.
Single person household
In the case of a single person living alone, the annual income requirement can be met with an annual income that is generally equal to or greater than the average annual income of Japanese nationals. The average annual income of Japanese people is around the first half of 4 million yen, but since the area where the applicant lives and other conditions are also taken into consideration, it is possible that an annual income of 3 million yen may be enough to be approved for a Japan Permanent Resident visa.
However, if you have just changed jobs and are applying for permanent residence, your application may not be approved (even if your annual income is 4 million yen) because it is not clear whether you will continue to earn a stable income.
Dependents in Japan
If you have a dependent spouse or children in Japan, the criteria for the annual income requirement will be higher depending on the number of family members. For example, if you and your spouse live together, the annual income requirement is approximately 700,000 yen, and if you have one child in addition to your spouse, the annual income requirement is approximately 1.4 million yen.
However, this "700,000 yen" is only an estimate based on past cases of approval or denial. Since the screening criteria vary depending on the applicant's living and family environment, adding 700,000 yen to the average annual income does not necessarily guarantee that the application will be approved. Please consider it only as a "guideline.
Dependents in the applicant's home country
If you have dependents abroad, they will be treated in the same way. For example, if you regularly send money for living expenses to your parents, children, spouse, blood relatives up to the sixth degree, or in-laws up to the third degree in your home country. If you have such dependents, you may be able to meet the income requirement by adding about 700,000 yen per person.
Incidentally, there are also requirements for applying for permanent residence, such as "good conduct" and "being in the best interest of Japan (not serving a sentence and fulfilling official obligations). If a foreigner abuses the exemption for dependents and takes a family member or relative as a dependent who does not actually remit living expenses, the foreigner's application for permanent residence will not be approved.
Married Couple with Income
In a household where both spouses are working, in principle, the decision is considered to be based on the total annual household income of the couple. However, since each person's annual income is also checked at the time of screening, if the applicant's income is extremely low, it may be judged as a negative factor.
Even if both spouses have income, the application for permanent residence will be handled differently depending on the status of the spouse (status of residence).
(1) When the spouse is on a Spouse Visa
A foreign national whose spouse is Japanese or a permanent resident may obtain the status of "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" or "Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident" (so-called "Spouse Visa").
According to the Guidelines for Permanent Resident Visa, the requirement of "having assets or skills sufficient to earn an independent living" does not apply to a person with a spouse visa. In fact, there have been cases where a foreign national with a Japanese spouse has been granted a Japan Permanent Resident visa even if he or she does not have an income of 3 million yen.
However, since a taxation certificate and a tax payment certificate for the past year must be submitted at the time of application, there may be some concern if the applicant has no income at all or if his/her income is extremely low. If possible, it would be safer to have earned a certain amount of income, if not close to the average annual income of Japanese nationals, in the year prior to the application.
(2) When the spouse is on a work visa
If both the applicant and his/her spouse are residing in Japan on a working visa, the annual income of the couple will basically be totalled as household income. The applicant is considered to be able to clear the requirement if he/she earns an annual income equivalent to or greater than the average annual income of Japanese nationals, depending on the number of dependents. A specific guideline for the amount is "in the range of 4 million yen (the average annual income of Japanese nationals) + the number of family members x 700,000 yen.
However, if the applicant's own annual income is too small, there is a risk that he/she may be judged to lack "assets sufficient to earn an independent living. Please note that if the spouse's income is extremely low, his/her employment situation may be considered unstable and not taken into account as household income (i.e., the income will not be combined).
(3) In the case of a spouse on a Family Resident Visa
Family Visa is a status of residence granted to a foreign spouse whose spouse is staying in Japan on a work visa or other visa. In principle, a spouse on a Family Visa is not allowed to work because it is not a work visa. However, if you obtain "Permission to Engage in Activity other than that Permitted under the Status of Residence," you can work up to 28 hours per week (part-time work, etc.) on an exceptional basis, but the income from such work is not considered "stable income" and may not be considered as part of the household income.
The actual decision will depend on the regional immigration office in charge of screening, but it is advisable to aim for an annual income of "4 million yen + a number of family members x 700,000 yen" for the applicant alone.
Conclusion
In order to be approved for a Japan Permanent Resident visa, the applicant must have an annual income that will allow him or her to lead a stable life in the future. Although the specific amount is not necessarily clear, it is probably in the low 4 million yen range, which is the average annual income of Japanese people, or at least 3 million yen, for at least 5 years. Those who intend to apply for permanent residence should first try to stabilize their income before proceeding with the application process.
