This page is provided in Japanese, English, Chinese and Russian in order to make it easy for foreign residents to understand the system and procedure in case you wish to acquire “Permanent Resident” or “Naturalization” status in Japan. Our office provides support so that foreign residents can reside legally in Japan, with administrative scriveners who are expert in the practices of immigration control acting as agents in carrying out complex and difficult application procedures for approval of status of residence, change of status of residence, extension of period of stay, permission to engage in activity other than that permitted by the status of residence previously granted, as well as applications for permission for permanent residence and permission for naturalization, etc. If you have any questions or problems, please feel free to call us by phone or visit our office.
The purpose/content of activities that foreign residents want to carry out in Japan evaluate the impacts on Japanese society, as well as need to properly manage foreign residents in Japan.As system in addition to the status of residence,there is the provision of permanent residence and naturalization permission. all these conducted a review in advance by the Minister of Justice and it will be issued when complying with the requirement.
It is not possible to go beyond the scope of activities that are unauthorized under one’s status of residence, nor is it possible without applicable permission to change one’s activities so as to manage an income-generating business or gain remuneration. Before engaging in unauthorized activities under one’s status of residence, procedure for change of one’s status of residence must be carried out. Likewise, before engaging in activities beyond one’s period of stay, it is necessary to carry out procedure for extension of the period of stay.
Furthermore, if your history of residence in Japan is long, your basis of living is in Japan and you wish to remain in Japan for the foreseeable future, there are “Permanent Resident” and “Naturalization” statuses of residence that do not limit the status holders’ activities or period of stay. Since these must be examined with even greater care than normal changes of status of residence, there are provisions in place that differ from those of ordinary resident status permission procedure.
This is also referred to as acquisition of a Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence, which is a document showing that the Minister of Justice has verified that your entry to Japan/purpose of stay falls under one of the statuses of residence set forth in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act prior to a visa application. Moreover, possession of a Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence can simplify the examination of visa issuance. Documents to be submitted vary depending on the status of residence to be acquired.
In case there has been a change to your purpose of stay, you will need to change your status of residence. For example, if a person staying in Japan with the “Student” status of residence finds employment, he/she will need to change said status to “Specialist in Humanities/International Services” or “Engineer”, etc. In case of staying in Japan continuously beyond your period of stay, you will need to apply for extension of your currently permitted period of stay and receive permission for said extension. Application for an extension of period of stay must be carried out before the cutoff date of your currently permitted stay, and applications can be made starting from 3 months prior to the date of expiration of your period of stay.
In order to engage in income-generating activity or gain remuneration from an activity other than that permitted under your status of residence, you must obtain in advance permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted under your current status of residence. This is not an option available under all statuses, but is limited to statuses such as “Student”, etc. If you acquire permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted under your current status of residence, you will in principle be able to engage in that activity for up to 28 hours per week. However, in principle it is not possible to apply this to activities of unskilled work or the amusement and entertainment business.
Permission for permanent residence refers to the status of residence required for a foreign national having one of the statuses of residence set forth in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act to gain the right permanent residence in Japan without changing one’s nationality. The main advantage of this permission for permanent residence is that there will be no limitations in terms of activities while resident and period of stay. As with applications for change of status of residence, you will need to submit your application for permission for permanent residence to the Immigration Office with jurisdiction
・The person has stayed in Japan consecutively for at least 10 years, and during his/her stay in Japan the person has had the authorized employment or the status of residence for at least 5 years consecutively.
・The person’s assets or ability, etc. are assumed to continue to provide him/her with a stable base of livelihood into the future in Japan.
・The person has never been sentenced to fines or imprisonment, etc. The person fulfills public duties such as tax payment, etc.
・If the person is a spouse of a Japanese national/permanent resident/special permanent resident, he/she has been in a marital relationship for at least 3 years consecutively and has stayed in Japan for at least one year consecutively.
・The person has stayed in Japan for at least 5 years consecutively with the status of long-term resident.
・If the person has been recognized as a refugee, he/she has stayed in Japan for at least 5 years consecutively after recognition.
This refers to the system whereby a person without nationality of a country is granted nationality of said country through authorization from the State in response to declaration of intention made by the person hoping to acquire the nationality. In Japan, the Minister of Justice has power to authorize naturalization. There are many documents that must be attached to applications for naturalization, and compiling and producing these documents takes a great amount of effort. You will need to submit your application to the Legal Affairs Bureaus with jurisdiction.
・[Address requirements] The person has continuously had a domicile in Japan for at least 5 years up to the time at which the application for naturalization is made.
・[Ability requirements] The person must be at least 20 years old and have also reached the legal age of an adult in their own country.
・[Livelihood requirements] The person must have income that is adequate for living in Japan. This requirement is judged according to family units whose livelihoods are combined as one, so for example even if the applicant does not have income, he/she will be able to meet this requirement if able to live with stability thanks to the assets or ability of one’s spouse or other family members.
・[Behavioral requirements] The question of whether or not the person’s behavior is good will be judged based on the commonly accepted standard of what it means to be a normal person, comprehensively taking into account absence/presence and modes of criminal record, situation regarding payment of taxes, absence/presence of record of social annoyance, etc.
・[Requirements for prevention of multiple nationality] Persons who wish to be naturalized will be required to be without nationality or in principle to give up the nationality they held up to that point by means of naturalization.
・[Requirements for compliance with constitution] Naturalization will not be granted to persons plotting to destroy the Japanese government by violent means, intending to make assertions against the Japanese government, or forming or joining such organizations.
【P.S.】Unlike general approval and permission, an application for permission for naturalization is not always guaranteed to be granted simply by meeting the stated requirements. Various cases can be expected depending on the situation of the applicant. To first determine whether or not you meet the requirements for naturalization, please contact us for confirmation and/or an interview.
to Ministry of Justice - Immigration Bureau - Local Branch Bureaus and Departments (8 bureaus, 7 district offices)
Sapporo Regional Immigration Bureau,Sendai Regional Immigration Bureau,Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau(Narita Airport District Immigration Office, Haneda Airport District Immigration Office, Yokohama District Immigration Office),Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau(Chubu Airport District Immigration Office),Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau(Kansai Airport District Immigration Office, Kobe District Immigration Office),Hiroshima Regional Immigration Bureau,Takamatsu Regional Immigration Bureau,Fukuoka Regional Immigration Bureau(Naha District Immigration Office)
Sapporo Third Joint Government Bldg., Odori-nishi 12 Chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido 060-0042
(5 branch office : Hakodate Port Branch Office, Asahikawa Branch Office, Kushiro Port Branch Office, Wakkanai Branch Office, Chitose Tomakomai Branch Offices)
1st and 2nd floor, Sapporo First Joint Government Bldg., 2-1-1 Kita 8 Jonishi, Kita-ku, Sapporo City
Application for status of residence / Permission for permanent residence → Sapporo Regional Immigration Bureau and all branch offices
Permission for naturalization → Sapporo Legal Affairs Bureau
| Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Engineer, Student | Dependent | Business/Manager | Long-Term Resident | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acquisition of status of residence | From 72,000 | From 63,000 | From 123,000 | From 110,000 | |
| Change to status of residence | From 72,000 | From 60,000 | From 87,000 | From 82,000 | From 62,000 |
| Extension of period of stay | From 37,000 | From 31,000 | From 50,000 | From 37,000 | From 43,000 |
| Permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted | 12,800 | 12,800 | 12,800 | 12,800 | 12,800 |
| Permission for permanent residence | From 91,000 | From 91,000 | From 91,000 | From 91,000 | From 91,000 |
| General | Company Manager/Corporation Officer | |
|---|---|---|
| Permission for naturalization | From 134,000 | From 178,000 |
A1. The fundamental difference between permission for permanent residence and permission for naturalization is as follows: After acquiring permission for permanent residence, you will remain a foreign national yet there will be no limitations in terms of activities while resident and period of stay, but you will be required to enter the Residence Card system and carry out procedure when re-entering the country, etc. On the other hand, permission for naturalization involves giving up your nationality of a foreign country and acquiring Japanese nationality - or in other words, the major difference is that you will become Japanese.
A2. Permission will be issued approximately 6-12 months after your application has been accepted. Incidentally, an application for permission for naturalization will take approximately 8-12 months.
A3. Aside from submitting an application for permission for permanent residence, you will also be required to carry out the procedure for extension of status of residence. Since it is possible to make an application for extension of status of residence together with your application for permission for permanent residence, it is preferable to do this at the same time as applying for extension.
A4. Having a personal guarantor is an unavoidable requirement. A personal guarantor is someone who will care for you as a guide to your life in Japan, providing an economical guarantee so that no inconvenience will arise and ensuring that you comply with laws and ordinances. Submission of the certificate of employment and certificate of income/assets will be requested, and although the personal guarantor has no legal responsibility, he/she is thought to bear a moral obligation.
A5. This question arises surprisingly often. The period of having the “Student” status of residence seems not to be included in the 5-year period demanded by this residence condition. The general guideline is to apply after 3 years have passed since changing status from “Student” to “Authorized Employment”. In other words, it seems that naturalization can be applied for after working in Japan for at least 3 years, having stayed in Japan for at least 5 years prior to commencing said work.
A6. You may take on a new name, or you may use your current alias. In general, most people choose to use their alias.
A7. The interview mainly consists of questions about the contents of your application. One of the requirements for naturalization is proficiency in the Japanese language, so your Japanese language ability will be checked. This Japanese language proficiency is said to be equivalent to that a 3rd grade Japanese elementary school student, so there will be no problems provided that you can speak basic Japanese. Our office will provide support in advance to help you prepare for frequently asked questions, etc.
