My tenure in Japan has reached 10 years and thus I decided to apply for permanent residence (eijyuken/永住権or 永住許可) this January. Aside from the statement of reason (riyusho/理由書) I compiled and completed all documents on my own. The following are the things I learned about the permanent residence application process here in Japan. Please note that I currently hold a “Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa; your procedures might be different if you hold a different visa or are in a different situation (married to a Japanese national, etc.).
As application prerequisites, you must be:
a) A good (law abiding) citizen
b) Financially independent
c) Have been living in Japan for at least 10 years, 5 of which you are working
d) You have been paying your taxes
e) In general, you are considered as non-threatening (no criminal record) and are an asset to Japan
The above 10 year rule can be shrunk down to 5 years for successful business-people, athletes or scholars (nobel prize winners, etc.). People married to Japanese nationals or have children with Japanese nationality, etc. get special treatment as well.
The Statement of Reason (riyusho)
A complete list of the documents that need to be submitted with the application can be found here (in Japanese). The most demanding document by far is the statement of reason or the riyusho in Japanese. I made a simple format for this document which can be downloaded (Word file) at the bottom of this page. I did not find much information regarding how to write a riyusho in English or Japanese online and therefore consulted with an attorney that specializes in Japanese visas. The following are questions asked by the attorney during the consultation and their reasoning.
Your work history (your work history should be attached to the riyusho. Immigration looks at where you have worked and how long.
ie: your chances of getting good application results are better if you have:
– a stable job for a large organization
– you have worked for this organization for a long time (the longer the better; the less job changes the better
– you are a permanent employee (seishain/正社員)
In the past 10 years that you have lived in Japan, were there any gaps where you went back to your home country? Apparently the 10 years resets if you leave for prolonged periods of time (3 months or longer?)
Have you been arrested for anything? This includes traffic offences! Depending on the number and severity of the offences, etc. this might influence your application results. In other words, one parking ticket might not be a big deal, but a speeding ticket where you went 50km over the limit, or several parking tickets will make you a “bad citizen” and will lower your chance of being approved. The immigration office only looks back five years so if you had a traffic violation four years ago, it might be a good idea to wait a year before applying. If you can’t remember when you had that last speeding ticket, you can apply to have your history sent to you. More info (in Japanese) can be found here.
How much do you make? And how much have you made in the past five or so years while living in Japan. The more the better since Japan will get more tax income from people that have a high income but as long as you have a stable income which is enough to live on, this should not be a big deal.
After having the riyusho written, I re-arranged and re-wrote parts of it to make sure it is accurate. My final document can be summarized into the following points:
Paragraph 1:
How I got here (an exchange program? Homestay? Teaching? Etc.) In my first paragraph I briefly explained how and why I came to Japan in the first place.
Paragraph 2:
A brief explanation of my work experience since coming to Japan. In my case I have switched jobs several times and therefore explained why I quit certain jobs, etc. and that my current job is stable and I plan to keep for years to come.
Paragraph 3:
My reason for needing a permanent residence permit. I like Japan and want to live here a long time is not a very good reason. The standard reason is to write that you plan on living and working here for a long time; you want to buy a house here; in order to qualify for a loan, you need a permanent residence permit.
Paragraph 4:
I was involved in a small traffic accident three years ago. In this paragraph I explained the details of the accident and how I plan to be extra careful when driving in the future.
Paragraph 5:
Thanks for considering my application, yoroshiku, etc.
Please note that the riyusho must be in Japanese or have a Japanese translation if written in another language. It must be dated, signed and addressed to the Minister of Justice (houmudaijin/法務大臣).
Other Documents:
– Documents that prove your address and identity, etc.
– Documents that prove you have been paying your taxes for the past three years
– copy of your bank statement(s). The attorney mentioned that you do not necessarily need huge savings in your account.
Guarantor related:
You will need to find someone to be your guarantor. The guarantor does not need to be anyone with a high income; according to the attorney the guarantee is nothing but a formality.
Extra documents:
I had my boss write me a recommendation letter saying how the company values/needs my skills and hopes to keep me for a long time. I also included a copy of my Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) passing certificate.
Other notes:
According to my attorney, the examination process could take longer than six months. When I handed my documents into the immigration office however, I was told that the wait should be around four months.
The attorney also told me that the examination process is lenient towards North Americans and Europeans as opposed to people from South East Asia for example (I’m not sure if there is truth to this).
Riyusho word document (you obviously have to write your own reasons for wanting permanent residence, but hopefully this file can give you some pointers as to where to start)
I will post an update on how my application went. Please leave a comment if you have any questions, etc.
Hi just wondering if you were successful
thanks
Smooth approval that took around 4 months. Feel free to ask any other questions.
Hello!
You mentioned in Paragraph 4:
“I was involved in a small traffic accident three years ago. In this paragraph I explained the details of the accident and how I plan to be extra careful when driving in the future.”
I’d like to know if you were made to pay a penalty or had a demerit point on your drivers after traffic accident?
Your response will be very much appreciated.
Thanks for the sharing. Could you please tell me the supporting documents needed?
The list of documents can be found here: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/05.html
Thanks for your reply. I am living in Japan for 8 years and have so called Highly Skilled Foreign Professional Visa. I have passed one and a half year with that status and early this month I’ve applied for the PR Visa. There is an option to apply for the PR Visa prior to staying in Japan for ten years if someone has made some contribution to Japan and has stayed in Japan for at least 5 years. I have made one of that contributions to Japan and that’s why applied at 9th year of staying in Japan. Now I am waiting to have their decision. Thank you so much for this post, it helps a lot.
Hello admin, I had a speeding violation few days ago, it was 32kph over. It was my first violation for more than 10 yrs of stay here in Japan, do you think I would still have a chance to get a PR visa? apllication is not submitted yet
Hi Simon.
I think it depends on how strong the rest of your application is. 32kph over will definitely give you minus points , especially considering it is a recent violation, but I doubt it will lower your chances to zero. If you still apply, I would mention this speeding incident in the riyusho. Try to make yourself look less 悪意 by stressing it was unintentional but be careful not make it sound like an excuse and state you are sorry and will try to be more careful in the future. Good luck!
Hello Admin,
Thank you for your advice, you relieved some of my worries. We’ve been waiting a long time for this, and this things happened. My children are now in junior and senior high, they need the PR too.
Thank you for this page, it was very helpful!
I am currently applying for Permanent Residence and just wanted to mention that this information is a bit out of date. You don’t need to write a Riyusho, it’s now just a couple of lines on the actual form (Reason for applying for permanent residence). No need for bank statements, etc. Your tax certificate will show your income.
Thanks for the update. I noticed the lines on the application for the riyusho, but the visa coordinator at my company gave me a list of documents I needed, and that was one of them. If you don’t mind my asking, when did you apply and were you able to obtain it without the riyusho? But I guess it can’t hurt to have it as well.
I applied on the 6th of May, 2018, and almost exactly 7 months later received my postcard letting me know that I could return to immigration to pick up my visa. Receiving it was quick and painless, and now I’m a permanent resident of Japan! Thanks for the information on this blog!
Thanks for the update!
I am planning on trying for a PR visa soon and im currently gathering info.
Is everything else accurate, the documents etc?
I guess what im trying to say is, what did you have to submit?
I’m applying in some weeks, and after doing some research I also concluded that. As far as I know, the “riyusho” is just necessary in case of applying for the citizenship, in the case of the PR, stating the purpose in the two lines provided would be more than enough.
Self-correction. The Japanese language website of the “Ministry of Justice” states clearly that is still required. For example, if applying through the Highly Skilled Professional Visa (more than 80-70 points, 1-3 years living in Japan):
http://www.moj.go.jp/nyuukokukanri/kouhou/nyuukokukanri07_00130.html
The 3rd point specifies that a “Reason statement” (理由書) is required. I guess this information is up to date since this way of getting the Permanent Residency after 1 or 3 years through the Highly Skilled Professional Visa is something quite new, available from just 1 or 2 years ago.
Is it true that you have to write the Riyusho by hand, not by computer (word) ?
Mine was fine in a printed word document.
I went to Immigration yesterday . The immigration officer said i can either write or can make computer print. He even said , Japanese is not required. I can write that in English. I was surprised but happy & relieved. Thanks.
Thanks for the very informative infos. I am also planning to get a PR visa. I have been here in Japan since 2001. From April 2001 to March 2006 I was on a college student visa then my visa changed to Working from April 2006 up to now. Meaning I have been living in Japan for 17 years and working for the past 12 years on the very same school. I pay my tax and pension. No violations. I’m a good boy! However, my current visa is valid only for 1 year. I read that the the applicant should have the maximum number of years allowed for the visa (3 years). Is that true? Do you think I have a chance of getting a PR? Thank you!
I’m only in the stage of research, but will be applying next week. I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that what visa you have now doesn’t matter, nor does it matter how much is left. I also think you have an excellent chance to be accepted. I have been here almost 5 years with less than 3 months left on my 5 year spousal visa (1st and only) and I was told that I had a very good chance of acceptance, and that once your application is accepted, you are free to stay legally for 6 months (even my current visa expires) and that can also be renewed (I think it is automatic) if the application is still in process beyond that 6 months.
nice article here…
my friend said the guarantor’s salary must be higher than the applicant.
Is it true?
thank you for the answer.
He says in the article that income of the guarantor doesn’t matter. I hear the same. It’s a formality. They only need to be a national.
Thanks for your reply. On the application when they ask about your personal history, is it about your professional history in Japan or in your whole life ?
I went to apply this month it’s more like work history I switch jobs every year since moving back here 5yrs ago, I make sure i pay taxes every year but the only thing i think or should i say hoping works for me is my va disability payment which Japan does not tax beause its disability but you can show as income. Plus i open my own company lessthan a year. Praying all is well
Hello everyone!!
I got my PR last Oct. 2017 but I have just applied for myself only except my family.
I changed the visa of my wife to Spouse of PR and Long Term Resident for my daughters last January 2018. They granted for 5years.
Now, I’m planning to apply for them to change it to PR but I don’t know what are the necessary documents because my wife is not working and she don’t have tax certificates for the past 3years.
Is there someone who can help me to this? Thanks in advance.