FAQ about Applying for Permanent Residency in Japan

Frequently Asked Questions about Applying for Permanent Residency in Japan

Question 1

I would like to apply for permanent residency with 80 HSP points, but I have no one at my current company or among its associates who can act as a guarantor. Does your office provide support regarding guarantors?

Answer 1

We can submit your permanent residency application to the Immigration Bureau on your behalf, but unfortunately we cannot act as your guarantor. We ask that you find someone outside your company (a friend is acceptable) to serve as your guarantor. We can explain the responsibilities of being a guarantor to that person. In many cases, guarantors feel more reassured when contacted directly.

Question 2

A friend mentioned your firm as someone who might be able to assist with obtaining permanent residency in Japan. I heard that purchasing or investing in a home in Tokyo would grant permanent residency.

Answer 2

Simply purchasing a home in Tokyo or Japan does not grant permanent residency. Furthermore, since Japan is not an immigration-friendly nation, there is no quick path to permanent residency.

First, you would need to start a business in Japan or secure employment to obtain a visa. After several years, if you meet the requirements, you may then be eligible to apply for permanent residency. Purchasing real estate alone is not considered a business activity. Therefore, you would need to purchase real estate and operate it as a business, such as a hotel business. In that case, you may become eligible to apply for a business manager visa.

Question 3

Regarding work visa and permanent residency applications, I have two questions.
I am currently holding a five-year work visa (for Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International services) and plan to apply for permanent residency.

If I am dismissed from my job in Japan, will this affect my permanent residency application, regardless of whether severance pay is provided? If I become unemployed in Japan and receive unemployment benefits from the Japanese government, will this affect my permanent residency application?

Answer 3

Even if you are dismissed after obtaining permanent residency, it will not affect your permanent residency status.

However, if you are dismissed before the permanent residency screening or after submitting your permanent residency application, failing to find new employment within roughly three months will likely have a significant impact on the screening. Receiving unemployment benefits itself does not affect the permanent residency screening. However, exemptions from health insurance and pension payments will affect the permanent residency screening.

In any case, you cannot apply for permanent residency while unemployed (such an application would be denied). If such a risk exists, you should apply after finding new employment and achieving stability.

Question 4

I have been an expatriate living in Tokyo since 2022. As an engineer, my contract is renewed annually (typically at the beginning of the year). I have 80 points under the points system, so I should be eligible in this regard.

However, I have concerns about my visa status: I currently hold a Technical/Professional Visa (Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International services). My initial visa had a validity period of three years. My current visa has a validity period of only one year because my company requested that only a one-year visa be applied for. I have read on some blogs that if the visa validity period is one year, or if it is shortened upon renewal, one cannot apply for Permanent Residency.

Could you please explain whether this situation would be problematic in my case?

Answer 4

If your current visa is a one-year visa, you cannot apply for permanent residency. However, if you hold a three-year visa with one year remaining before expiration, you retain eligibility to apply for permanent residency under the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points system, provided you meet all other requirements.

Please note that permanent residency applications in Tokyo may require a significant processing period. In many cases, the result will not be available before your current visa expires. Therefore, after submitting your permanent residency application, you will need to separately renew your current visa before its expiration date to maintain your legal status in Japan while awaiting the permanent residency decision.

If you wish, we can support you throughout the entire application process, including proposing the optimal timing and strategy for both the permanent residency application and visa renewal.

Please feel free to contact us for advice!

First, please call +81-3-6264-9388 or leave a message on our website with your inquiry. (Please contact us by phone or consultation page.)

TEL: 03-6264-9388

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Email: info@lawoffice-yokoyama.com