Whilst pondering my next few years movements the other day it dawned on me that my current visa expires in 2 yrs time, naturally I’m hoping and confident it will be extended but what if it isn’t?
Before i go much further, if you’re looking for the Immigration Bureau of Japan then here’s the official link, this is a very handy website if you live of plan on living in Japan. For all your Visa requirements then go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan or MOFA for short, it’s another must bookmark site.
With that question on my mind i started to look at my options. The easiest is another 3 yr Engineers Visa like I’m currently on now. If my current working arrangements go south then things get a little tougher.
I was previously of the impression that after 6 – 8 yrs getting permanent residency was pretty much a matter of filling out the forms, ticking some boxes and we’re done …. wrong.
I came across this website, a guideline to obtaining permanent residency in Japan with actual examples of past applicants and whether or not they were approved or denied.
For all the examples for acceptance and denial criteria check out the site here and here’s a link to the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residency which is as good as i’ve found.
The examples showing the people denied residency in Japan are interesting, what i found more interesting is what it TAKES to get granted permanent residency in Japan, that’s the one that people are interested in.
The specific criteria is still pretty vague, the high level message is not, you need to “have made or be significantly contributing towards Japan in xxxxxxxx”
Some examples include;
(Case #1)
The applicant is a scientific and technological researcher and has presented dozens of his papers to S&T (science and technology) journals. The immigration control authority finds it his contribution to improving Japan’s science and technology levels. (The applicant has stayed in Japan for 9 years and 5 months.)
(Case #9)
As a result of his research activities in Japan, the applicant has presented his papers to many scientific journals, has been invited to give lectures at international conferences, and has won international recognition in that field. He also works on joint research programs with Japanese corporations and research institutes. The immigration control authority finds it his contribution in academic and technology fields. (The applicant has stayed in Japan for 7 years and 9 months.)
(Case #36)
As an athlete, the applicant has been participating in competitions in Japan since about 20 years ago, and his continuous efforts of pursuing such activity in Japan have been recognized by an authoritative sport association to have made great contributions to the development of the sport. The immigration control authority finds it his contribution to the promotion of sports, etc. in Japan. (The applicant has stayed in Japan for 7 years and 6 months.)
Based on these examples, i don’t think I’ll ever be granted permanent residency in Japan, which is a concern if one day i want to truly call Japan my home … up until then it’s just the place i’m living.
Once again, here’s some useful links …examples for acceptance and denial criteria check out the site here and the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residency which is as good as i’ve found.
On a brighter note, I guess i could always get married and get myself a spousal visa 
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
The way I understand that site is that making a “special contribution” to Japan is one basis on which to base a PR application; another would be to have lived more than 10 years in Japan and be of general good standing (i.e. in a reasonable job, and presumably a fair degree of Japanese ability wouldn’t go amiss). I vaguely recall reading anecdotal evidence of “normal” people applying for PR with reasonable degress of success at somewhere between 5 and 10 years. Though if Ms. Hoshino does say the “yes” word, I think you might have a whole set of other problems to fret about.
I know of at least 2 normal people that go permanent residency. Both lived in Japan and work as English teachers. Both passed the level 2 test. Neither had any problems with the law while there were in Japan. I also think it depends on the day of the week and the mood of the officer going over your application, like usual in Japan.
I think an easier options is to just marry one of the J-Babes of the Week or another nice, quality “bird”. I know that’s what I did and now I can come and go as I like.
I think it’d be really hard to be granted permanent residency since I’m not really interested in any of those things, like teaching, researching etc. I might be able to do something to contribute to Japan’s cultural and art scene or some social contribution, but it sounds hard to pass with anything there. Starting my own business is also an option, but it has to be really something if it’s going to contribute much to the Japanese economy and industries.
However, after 5-10 years I’d definitely be thinking about marriage, so that’s probably what I’d aim for.
y not start up a business in japan?
Always an option. I’m starting to like the idea of not working all together though, not going the other way and working extra hard to start something new.
when ure doing something u enjoy it’s not called work anymore… L:)
Which i currently am ….. and if that ends, then therein lie the problem.
come join the film industry…now thats fun
AV?
well….ok…u twisted my arm
Two years is a long way away….you never know what could happen by then. I wouldn’t worry about it now!
It pays to know your situation …. and at least be knowledgeable of your options …. or maybe in this case, limitations.
Sorry this is unrelated to your post and cringe worthy, thought you may be mildly amused.
Kelly Osbourne Turning Japanese Ep 1 pt 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVSOaxPlmjQ
Basically the rules to get a permanent visa are – Don’t get in trouble with the cops and pay your taxes . That’s about it .
I got mine fairly easy . Just dropped the paper work and waited for 3 months .
Be aware . The immigration will deny you a visa for smallest reason , like a speed ticket !
Right! a speed ticket !!! If you got one , you will have to wait 5 bloody years to be able to apply for a permanent visa ! No joke .
Btw i don’t remember contribute to any area of japanese culture or society . So be a bar manager and a freelance photographer seemed to be enough to get my permanent visa on the eyes of immigration office .
Good luck ,stay clean of the cops and pay your taxes .
Photosushi, sorry mate, but you are dead wrong. Speeding tickets, parking tickets, points for an accident. None of that stopped my for getting my perm rez…ha!
Let’s face it there are ways too many things in life to do! Work just gets in the way of these things so the ideal situation would be not to work at all. Or to set up a business that requires little to no “work”. Not sure what kind of business you can set up but I know several Friends that set up their companies to basically work on autopilot, after the initial start up period of long days. I know I have been trying to get something going that doesn’t require me to be tied to a job or a desk. Haven’t narrowed it down yet but I am still working on it
Even with my spousal visa I am still on a three year visa. They told me that I have not lived long enough in Japan to get the permanent residency visa. I too am wondering what will happen with my visa in the future. Although, I do not think it will be as hard for me as it will be for you. If you really love living in Japan I say try hard to get a permanent residency visa.
As a fan of your site, I’d be sad to see you go! Actually now seems like a good time for you to start thinking about these matters. Having a good job helps getting the PR, especially if your current employer is willing to put down on paper how much they appreciate you. Start testing the waters now, see who is willing to type a letter for you with all the information (in Japanese of course) about how important you are for them and this country. And then, say one year later, you apply.
My feeling (after easily getting the PR) is that they have a quota to fill, and if you have the right papers, they will be more than happy to give you what you want. 6-8 years btw sounds a bit optimistic, it is more like 8-10 (total time, no matter if you left for a while and then came back again).
And good luck!
Thanks for the feedback Martin …. appreciate it and hope i can stay much much longer!
At the risk of scaring you like that guy on the floor with his arm stretched out to next week, the easiest route would be (to echo a couple of the above comments) to get married and ride the subsequent visa. Egads…
OK, better start “interviewing” a little harder for a suitable J-Babe then mate.
I came on a student visa with a host family and stayed on college and martial arts
and i’m engaged
but i’m still worried about my pr too
I’m trying for a performer’s visa before next summer, there are still spots open with what i play (piano)
but its hard to get a PR when there are so many places in Nipponsei i have yet to see
and i get nervous about going back to the states
especially since i have an accent now
Wonderful info.
16 years in japan.
3 marriages & 2 kids.
Let’s see how my application goes
let me debunk all myths about permanent residency. You do no have to be here 10 years, you do not have to be a celebrity. This crap about having speeding tickets and no gold license is crap. The stories from the immigration lawyers about good standing in the eyes of the law, irrelevant. I am, in my case, thoroughly convinced that as long as you are contributing to society by paying your taxes, earning a decent wage and ensuring that you are not tied up with some criminal organization it’s entirely possible for ANYONE single, married or whatever, to obtain this status. As a single male making more than your average English teacher I achieved this feat in 9 years and 10 months. In fact, I nearly fell over when I received the notification today that I got it as I was convinced, based on information obtained on the web, that it wasn’t going to happen. Give it your best shot….you just never, ever know.