We receive inquiries from foreign residents in Japan such as, “I would like to live together with my parents—can I bring them here?”
Occasionally, we also see cases where people assume that if they obtain permanent residency, or if they naturalize and become Japanese citizens, they will automatically be able to bring their parents from their home country.
In this message, I would like to discuss this topic.
Is there a residence status for bringing parents or siblings to Japan?
To state the conclusion up front: except for a few specific residence statuses, there is currently no residence status that allows you to bring your parents or siblings to Japan.
Under work-based residence statuses, a principal visa holder (e.g., a husband) can bring a spouse and children as dependents by applying for the “Dependent” residence status. However, you cannot bring parents or siblings under that “Dependent” category.
Even if you are granted “Permanent Resident” status—or if you go through naturalization and acquire Japanese nationality—there still is no residence status for the purpose of bringing parents or siblings. In other words, such a status simply does not exist, so those changes do not relax any conditions.
What kind of residence status would allow you to bring parents?
So, under what residence status is it possible to bring parents?
Highly Skilled Professional (Category 1 or 2)
If you hold a Highly Skilled Professional (Category 1 or 2) residence status, you may, under certain conditions, invite your parents from your home country. The main requirements are as follows
- At the time of application (when the parent enters Japan), the projected annual household income of the Highly Skilled Professional and their spouse must be ¥8,000,000 or higher.
(“Annual household income” refers to the combined annual remuneration received by the Highly Skilled Professional and the annual remuneration received by that person’s spouse. It does not include any income earned by other family members.)The parent’s purpose for entry must be one of the following:- To care for a child under the age of seven of the Highly Skilled Professional (or that person’s spouse).To provide necessary assistance—such as caregiving, household chores, or other support—to the spouse of the Highly Skilled Professional, or to a Highly Skilled Professional who is pregnant.
Designated Activities (Elderly Parent Support)
This residence status falls under “Designated Activities” but is not explicitly listed in the Immigration Control Act itself (i.e., it is not a status “notified” by the Ministry). In other words, it does not exist in the law’s enumeration of residence statuses. It is a special permit granted only when an elderly parent in the home country has no one else to look after them, cannot live alone due to serious illness or other circumstances, and no other options are available. Since the Minister of Justice must determine that approval is granted solely for “humanitarian reasons,” the screening process is extremely strict. Applicants must submit all objectively verifiable documentation, and even if multiple applications are filed, the result is often that permission is denied. In short, this status is considered only when there truly are no alternatives and the situation is one that anyone would recognize as unavoidable.
Our firm also handles Certificate of Eligibility applications and change-of-status applications for Highly Skilled Professionals (Category 1). If you would like assistance, please feel free to contact us.
