Hello, my name is Ito of IMS Legal Professional Corporation.
If you are applying to change to or renew the "Highly Skilled Professional(i) or (ii)" status of residence, or apply for a permanent resident (PR) visa, then you may need to use the Highly Skilled Professional points calculation chart.
You will meet the requirement if you obtain at least 70 points, but some people can even get over 100 points! Some applicants ask us if it is better for their application to show that they have obtained many points. Although higher points can be a plus, the Immigration Bureau does not necessarily consider a high number of points to be an advantage. In the end, they will examine whether or not you meet the requirements for the application. In particular, in the case of PR visa applications, the following legal requirements are examined.
(1) Be of good conduct.
The applicant must be law-abiding and lead a socially acceptable life as a resident in their everyday life.
(2) Possess sufficient assets or skills to earn an independent living.
The applicant must not be a public burden in their daily life, and they must be expected to have a stable life in the future in view of their assets or skills, etc.
(3) Permanent residence is deemed to be in the best interest of Japan.
(a) In principle, the applicant must have continuously resided in Japan for 10 years or more. However, during this period, the person must also have been continuously residing in Japan with a work qualification (excluding "Technical Intern” and "Specified Technical Skills I ") or residence status for at least 5 years.
*If you fall under a special exception, you can apply even if you have not been in Japan for 10 years or more.
(b) The applicant must not have been fined or imprisoned.
(c) The applicant has properly fulfilled their public obligations (tax payment, payment of premiums for public pension and public medical insurance, and notification and other obligations stipulated in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act).
(d) The applicant must be staying in Japan for the maximum period of stay stipulated in Appended Table 2 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act with regard to the status of residence that he/she currently holds.
*The longest period of stay is 5 years, but at present it is possible to apply with 3 years.
(e) There is no risk of harm to public health.
If any of the above does not apply, your PR application may not be approved. In addition, not joining the pension system will be considered as failing to meet the requirements.
If you are not sure if your documents will count as evidence of your points calculation, it is always better to submit more documentation than less. Then, if your application for Highly Skilled Professional(i) is approved, you will receive a "Notification of Calculation Results for Highly Skilled Professional(i)" when you receive your new resident card. However, the notification only specifies one of the following categories: "less than 70 points," "between 70 and 80 points," or "80 points or more". It will not say the actual number of points or which items counted toward your final calculation.
