Are you thinking, “I have lived in Japan for quite a while, so it might be time to apply for Permanent Residency”? Please note that the screening process for a Permanent Residency visa is much stricter than other visas. Here are the crucial points you must prepare:

1️⃣ The “10-Year / 5-Year” Residency Rule In principle, you must have resided in Japan continuously for 10 years or more (including at least 5 years under a proper working visa). *Special exceptions apply to Highly Skilled Professionals or individuals married to Japanese nationals, where the period can be shortened to 1–3 years!

2️⃣ ZERO Tolerance for “Unpaid or Delayed” Taxes, Pension, and Health Insurance The Immigration Services Agency will rigorously verify whether you have paid your taxes, national pension, and health insurance 【ON TIME】. Even a single record of delayed payment significantly increases the risk of denial.

3️⃣ Stable Income (Annual Income Guideline) Generally, for a single individual, an annual income of “3 million yen or more” for the past 3 consecutive years is considered the standard benchmark. If you have dependents, a higher income will be required.

⚠️【CRITICAL – LATEST CHANGES!】 To apply for Permanent Residency, your current visa must be of the “longest possible duration.” Up until now, a “3-year” visa has been accepted as the longest period for application purposes. However, according to the revised guidelines, this special exception will ONLY REMAIN VALID UNTIL MARCH 31, 2027 (Reiwa 9)! After this deadline, you will, in principle, MANDATORILY need to hold a “5-year” visa to be eligible for Permanent Residency. This implies that if you currently hold a “3-year visa” and have been delaying your PR application, you must act immediately or you may miss your chance! If you are wondering, “Am I eligible to apply under the current rules before the law changes?”, please reach out to us for a free eligibility check and emergency consultation before it’s too late! 👉 Contact us easily anytime via Messenger!