Try to get “Permanent Residence” visa
Advantages of “Permanent Residence" visa
I think, for foreigners living in Japan, obtaining a “Permanent Resident” visa is one goal.
If you become a “permanent resident,” you will be freed from the troublesome procedure of renewing your visa, and you will no longer be worried that you may not be able to extend your visa.
You can also do any work, so you don’t have to worry about a visa when you leave the company or change jobs.
In addition, you can borrow mortgages at low interest just like Japanese people, making it easier to buy real estate.
“Permanent Residence” has such various advantages, but it is not completely the same as Japanese national, and it does not mean that you don’t lose your “Permanent Residence” visa.
If you fall under the reason for deportation, you will be subject to the deportation procedure, and if you fall under the reason for withdrawal of your status of residence, you will be subject to the procedure for withdrawal of status of residence.
Requirements of “Permanent Residence" visa
To become a “permanent resident”, the following requirements must be met.
- Good conduct
- Have sufficient assets or skills to run an independent livelihood
- The person’s permanent residence is recognized as meeting the interests of Japan
It’s a little confusing. I would like to make it a little more specific.
- No crime record within 5 years
- Living in Japan for more than 10 years and must have a working or residence status for at least 5 years.
- Have a visa for more than 3 years
- Have a stable income, more than 300 man yen + 50 man yen for every family member
- Paid all taxes
- Paid all health insurance by the due date
- Paid all pension
No crime record within 5 years
Legal wording, you have not committed a crime within 5 years and have not been fined, imprisoned or imprisoned.
I often get a consultation saying “I’ve been caught by the police", but if you just get caught by the police and spent the night in the police, there is no problem.
If the trial is found guilty, resulting in fines, imprisonment, imprisonment or postponement, this case will applicable.
However, even minor crimes may not be considered “good conduct" if they are repeated.
For example, if you are repeatedly committing traffic violations or shoplifting repeatedly, you may not be considered “good conduct."
Also, even if a “Dependent” visa holder is working for more than 28 hours a week, it is likely not considered “good conduct”.
Living in Japan for more than 10 years and must have a working or residence status for at least 5 years
In principle, to apply for permanent residence, you must continue to live in Japan for more than 10 years, but there are exceptions. This will be described later. Basically, you must continue to live in Japan for more than 10 years.
“Continuing over 10 years” does not mean that you have lived in Japan for over 10 years in total.
If you have left Japan for a long time in 10 years, you will have to start again from the beginning.
For example, following cases.
- You left Japan for more than 3 months at a time
- You left Japan multiple times total 4 months during one year
- You left Japan without obtaining a re-entry permit and lost my visa
- Your visa was expired while leaving Japan
- For some reason, you got Departure order or Deportation, or your visa was revoked
Have a visa for more than 3 years
According to the law, “Current residence status must have the longest period of residence as stipulated in Schedule 2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act Enforcement Rules.” It is supposed to be more than 3 years.
Have a stable income
Generally, it is said that the annual income should be over 3 million yen. It used to be a little less before, but recently it seems difficult unless it is more than 3 million yen.
Income is determined by household income. If you are single, 3 million yen is good enough, but you need to add about 600,000 yen for each additional family. For example, in the case of two couples, the annual income of the household should be over 3.6 million yen. In this case, two couples may consider it to be over 3.6 million yen.
Occasionally, some people support their parents in their country. In that case, a family of four in Japan must be calculated as a family of six in total, because parents are also counted as families.
In addition, wife’s income can be added if they have been married for more than 3 years. This is also an important point.
Paid all taxes
In most cases, income tax is paid by the company with withholding tax, but in some small companies, the resident tax is paid by the person. In particular, many foreign presidents have such companies.
In this case, some people do not pay the resident tax, so if you forget, you need to pay it immediately.
Paid all health insurance by the due date
I feel this has become particularly severe these days. The immigration examiner had said, “We are told to be strict it."
I don’t think there’s a problem if you take social insurance (Shakai hoken) at the company, but if you take national health insurance (Kokumin kenko hoken), be careful not to forget to pay. It is not enough to pay everything, you need to pay by the due date.
As I also do, I recommend you that you keep your bank automatically debited.
It is illegal for a company to have employees take out National Health Insurance without social insurance.
It seems that employees who do not have social insurance so far will not be disadvantaged in the permanent residence examination, but I do not know in the future.
If the owner of a company that does not have social insurance applies for permanent residence, it will be rejected as illegal.