The basic requirements
The Immigration Control Act sets three conditions: good conduct, the assets or skills to make an independent living, and that the person's permanent residence is in Japan's interest. The guideline explains how each is judged. The key period rules are:
- Continuous residence in Japan for 10 years or more in principle
- Within that, 5 years or more on a work status or a residence-based status
- At the time of applying, holding the longest period of stay available for your current status. For applications filed by 31 March 2027, a 3-year period is treated as the longest
- Being based in Japan: one trip abroad of six months or more, or a total of two years and six months abroad within the last ten years, without a reasonable reason, counts against you in principle
Working holiday and internship periods do not count as work-status time. Some Designated Activities, such as job hunting after graduation, do not count toward the 10 years at all.
Shortcuts to the 10-year rule
| Who | Requirement in the revised guideline |
|---|---|
| Spouse of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident | Real married life for 5 years or more, and continuous residence in Japan for 3 years or more |
| Biological child (and similar) of the above | Continuous residence in Japan for 3 years or more |
| Long-Term Resident | 5 years or more on that status |
| Recognised refugee or person under complementary protection | 5 years or more after recognition |
| Highly skilled, 70 points or more | 3 years or more keeping the required points (or 70 points as of 3 years before applying, held continuously) |
| Highly skilled, 80 points or more | 1 year or more keeping the required points (or 80 points as of 1 year before applying, held continuously) |
| Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip) | 1 year or more |
| People with recognised contributions to Japan (national honours, major international prizes and similar) | 5 years or more in Japan |
Spouses, children of Japanese nationals and permanent residents, and similar applicants do not have to meet the good-conduct and independent-livelihood conditions, but they still have to show that their permanent residence is in Japan's interest.
What the revision added
| Item | What the guideline now considers |
|---|---|
| Household income | Whether the household's annual income has continuously reached the level of the average income of Japanese households of the same size. Income of family members on non-work statuses (for example Dependent) is not added |
| Pension | The expected future pension, compared with what a person with the average Japanese household income would receive after 30 years of employees' pension. Savings can make up a shortfall |
| Taxes and social insurance | Whether taxes, health insurance and pension contributions were paid properly, including past late payments |
| Japanese ability | Japanese at B1 level or above under Japan's reference framework. Not required for highly skilled professionals and their families, people with 6 years or more of Japanese primary or secondary schooling, and some children of permanent residents born in Japan |
| Understanding of rules | Knowledge of Japan's systems and rules, checked mainly from the government's "Guidebook on Living and Working" |
| School-age children | That school-age children attend primary or junior high school |
| Public burden | That the household is not, and is not likely to become, a burden on public finances |
Which version applies to your application
| Application filed | Rules applied |
|---|---|
| Up to 31 March 2026 | The previous guideline |
| 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 | The previous guideline, except that the new income and public-burden rules apply (for applications filed before 1 October 2026, if they were still pending on that date) |
| From 1 April 2027 | The revised guideline in full |
If you are close to the 10-year line, check the ISA page for the exact version before you file. The page lists both versions.
The fee: ¥200,000 from 1 October 2026
For permanent residence applications received from 1 October 2026, the fee paid when permission is granted is ¥200,000 at the counter. Before, it was ¥10,000. Applications received by 30 September 2026 pay the old fee. Fees for changes and extensions of status also rose, to between ¥10,000 and ¥75,000 at the counter depending on the period granted; see the overview of work visa routes for the full table.
What permanent residence opens up
With permanent residence there is no restriction on work: you can change jobs, run a business, or work under a contract. It also opens doors that work statuses keep closed. One example is the pair hotel manager recruitment on this site: two people run one business hotel of a chain with more than 170 hotels, live in a free apartment inside it, and receive a first-year fee of ¥11.5 million or more for the pair (excluding tax). It is a management contract, and people with no work restriction, such as permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents, and long-term residents, can take part without a status change. Visa support: for applicants who meet the requirements of the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status, including people living outside Japan, the hiring company supports the visa application (the selection is online, with only the final interview in person). Both members of the pair are checked individually. Our recruitment service does not file visa applications, and only the immigration authorities decide, so no visa is guaranteed. The permanent residence decision belongs only to the immigration authorities. For the money side, see how much a pair can save in four years.