4 things to consider when applying for a PERMANENT RESIDENT status in Japan

If getting a visa every few years is painful, or you want to do work beyond the status (like ENGINEER) allocated, you have been around for 10 years (average) in Japan, need a home loan, getting a Permanent Resident status in Japan might be an option to consider.

Last year I completed 15 years in Japan, but was still on work visa. My initial discussions with my friends gave me an impression of a long process with endless documents to create, but I believe that the process is actually simpler than what I heard. One of my friend at my company inspired me to apply for a Permanent Resident status and he helped me with things to prepare for which I am sharing here. I got my PR in a cool two and a half months (varies from application to application though) and hope that the below content is helpful if you plan to apply too.

[1] DISCIPLINE TO PREPARE : Well you need to make a few documents but honestly I did not think that was much of a pain. If you discipline yourself to do one to two documents everyday, you can get this done in 1-2 weeks time all ready for your application. See the table below as a checklist (or download an Excel here)

Prepare each step by step, two per day and you should be good in 6-7 days. The only documents which take time are usually the Guarantor ones which depend on the schedule and availability of your guarantor.
Permanent Resident Documents Requirement

[2] EASY TO USE DOCUMENT SAMPLES : Documents which you will need to prepare I am enclosing some formats which might be helpful. Download from below links. Using these formats the process was a breeze.
[a] FAMILY DETAILS (link to download)
[b] ADDRESS DETAIL(link to download)
[c] GUARANTOR FORM(link to download) 
[d] APPLICATION FORM(link to download)

[3] CONSIDER A PERMANENT RESIDENT AS A GUARANTOR (Friend in need is a friend indeed) : Either a Japanese colleague or a non-Japanese who is a Permanent Resident can be a guarantor. The Guarantor will need to fill in a form and provide his Gen-sen-Chou-Shuu-Hyou (witholding tax slip) and resident certificate. This is something which is delicate since the guarantor needs to provide these rather sensitive documents, so in many ways its about discovering your “real” friend. Friend in need is a friend indeed!
My own experience, two Japanese friends who politely refused, and an Indian permanent resident friend who instantly agreed, no questions asked!

Sample of Guarantor Document
docstoprepareSample of Family details documentdocstoprepare[4] REASON LETTER : ALWAYS GET IT REVIEWED BY A JAPANESE NATIONAL
An applicant needs to write a reason letter which should give the background like you are settled here, have a steady job, will be staying here for long term and have been contributing to the Japanese society (any contributions at work, socially etc.). Ensure that you necessarily get it reviewed by a Japanese national. Your Japanese friends should be able to help you out in that even though they may have politely declined to be the guarantor, right?

PR status is a simple and straight forward process and hope you too are successful with your application and get your resident card with the status as below “永住者” or Permanent Resident. All the best.Permanent Resident

65 Comments

  1. John

    Reply

    If you’re married to a citizen for 3 years you only need to have been a resident for 5 before you can apply for PR, FYI.

  2. Frederic

    Reply

    That’s if you succeed, if you don’t you can’t generally apply a second time.
    This is a one way ticket be sure to still be able to get a working visa or any other to avoid you troubles.

  3. In Kyoto

    Reply

    Hello there,

    Nice page. However, could you please post a sample reason letter?

    That would be very helpful.

    Thanks!

  4. LR

    Reply

    Nice write up. However, could you please post a sample reason letter as requested before?

    That would be very helpful.

    Thanks again!

    • Reply

      LR,

      thanks for your support. I did not put the reason letter since it will become a copy-paste by many people and that will actually hurt than help. If you still want one for reference drop me a line at gaijin.blog@gmail.com, will send you a format of what I wrote. Once again, please use it as reference and write a story closer to your reason why you want the officials to consider your application.

      Look forward to your mail.

      Manish

  5. LR

    Reply

    Thanks Manish. A friend sorted me out. 🙂 will post my results …but how come 2 months? Wow…..

  6. Estelle

    Reply

    Thank you so much for sharing all those information. This is incredibly helpful!
    I’m currently working on preparing all the documents to apply myself. I’ve been living in Japan for over 12 years and worked in the same company during that time, so I’m hopeful.
    I’m struggling with the “reason letter”. I’m not quite sure how long, or how detailed it should be. Could you give me some more information about it? Thank you in advance!

  7. Mark Zschiegner

    Reply

    Hi there I was wondering if my father was born in Japan to an American father and a Japanese Mother. Would my guide to permenant residency be simpler or would it be like everyone else’s?

  8. Con

    Reply

    This article is a big help! May i ask about the reason letter, it should be in japanese? I am a spouse of a permanent resident and planning to apply for pr.. there is a space provided in the form about the reason of applying, should i write it in nihonggo? Or english will be ok? Hoping for your response..?

    • Reply

      Please do it in Japanese. Get some Japanese national to review it too. Thats my recommendation.
      Thanks!
      Manish

    • Reply

      Yes you can. No problem at all. I actually did two trips, one to London other to SanFran during that time I applied for the PR to come in.

  9. Maneesh

    Reply

    Hello
    Manish , Thank you this info.
    For reason of applying can you please send me the format of what you wrote .

  10. Jishad

    Reply

    Document number 9-(2) is the Guarantor Employment Letter.
    What if the Guarantor is running his own business? What ind of doc is needed in this case?

  11. Archie K.

    Reply

    Can you also shoot me a copy of your format (reason letter)? Mucho thanks in advance!

  12. pram

    Reply

    I’ve been living in Japan for over 9 years and worked in the same company during that time . There are 6 members in my family. I have 4 chidren and they only speaking japanes . elder one is going to japanes school in grade one. there for i want to get PR as soon as possible . I have to work hard and live free because of my big family. do you think can i get PR in 9 years . could you please post a sample reason letter?

  13. Lei

    Reply

    Hi thanks for this, it is truly useful. I hope you might be able to help clarify if I am planning to apply for PR. Can I do all at the same time together with my family (all are my dependents) or do I need to acquire PR for myself first then apply for theirs afterward? If at the same time possible do you have experience of what to submit for dependents? Cheers!

    • Reply

      I did apply separately. Honestly it would not matter if you did it all together. Actually saves time and document preparation. For dependents you can use the same documents, no change here. If you apply separately, you can become the guarantor since you already have a PR.

  14. RN

    Reply

    Hi!
    Thank you very much for this, it is super useful!
    I am planning to apply for PR in the near future, and wanted to know, if there are big updates, as this article is from 2015?
    And what if I do not have a bank passbook (chose the electronic one when opening the account), is there a way to use some other document?

    In addition, if you have any knowledge, I would be grateful if you could comment on the following: I am currently on working visa in Japan, but plan to apply for PR based on the marriage, as it has shorter time requirement. In such a case, do you know if there are any requirements, for how long you should have worked and paid taxes in Japan, for how long you should have worked in one company etc, or all they look at is whether you have a stable income?

  15. Alba

    Reply

    Hi, I’m applying for PR this Oct/2017 and I have to write my reason for applying at the application form that I already got. I was not told about to write a letter and after reading your post I’m not sure if I just misunderstood or that when you wrote this post 2 years ago things was different. Do you remember if you wrote also your reason at the application form? How you was told about to write the letter? Thanks in advance.

  16. ram

    Reply

    Dear Manish,

    I found this link at the right time. I am struggling to prepare the reason letter.
    Would you please send me a reference copy.

    Thank you so much Manish.

  17. Jay

    Reply

    Hi Manish,

    Thanks for this! The excel checklist is what I needed. Like everyone else I’m struggling with reason letter. and not sure how I contributed to Japan Society. Can you post here things I get in now or I can put on my reasons too? or could you also send me a sample of what you used. I will just reference it.

    Thanks!

  18. kp

    Reply

    Hi Manish, Useful information, thanks for sharing. As with other Commenters, I too am struggling with the reason letter (essay?). Perhaps posting an outline of the successful letter would be helpful for others, without risk of people doing a copy-n-paste of the actual document content. Just a thought.

  19. PM

    Reply

    Hi,

    Is it true that there is a required specific amount of savings money or money in the bank?

  20. RN

    Reply

    Hi Manish,

    I wonder if you know whether shinzokuichiranhyou is still required?
    I could not find it on the list of ducemnts in the home game of immigration.

  21. Dipen Lamichhane

    Reply

    Grt article. Thank you. Can u send me reason letter for reference ? Do i need to write the letter (hand written) Or can i use word to print ? My writing is not good & limited to hiragana/katakana. I am thinking of applying PR this year.
    Plz send me reference letter format.
    Thank you.

  22. Ly

    Reply

    Hi I just want to ask if they returned to you your passport & residence card after filling for permanent residence? Because I will be traveling outside Japan in two weeks and it takes time to get the result right and my family is applying next week so I’m confused and worried.

  23. SD

    Reply

    Hi Manish,
    Thank you for the blog. I appreciate that many people are helped from your blog. Thats a very good support and help from your side.
    I applied for PR on 19th Feb. I stayed in Japan for 3 years but with high skilled Professional visa. I had 85 points at the time of application and also same 85 points 1 year earlier.
    I am not good in Japanese. I filled up and applied with all documents but did not write a reason letter (in Japanese). I only mentioned about the reason in the application form in English. Today I received a call from them (in Japanese) and they were asking why I applied for PR? I told them I want to stay in Japan for a long term
    I have already a high skilled visa and it has several benefits. They asked do I know all the benefits of high skilled visa? I told no, not completely. Then I asked do I need to submit any documents? They told no, nothing at the moment.
    My question is does this hamper my application status? can they reject my application? is there anything I can do? Its only 7 weeks from the application date.

    Regards
    SD

  24. quicksilver

    Reply

    Hello Manish,

    Thank you for this very helpful article. Can I also receive a sample format of your “reason” letter? Thank you!

  25. Ashish

    Reply

    Hello Manish,

    Thanks article was very helpful, can i get sample reason letter format ?

    Ashish

  26. Venson Lomahan

    Reply

    Very useful information.. Can i also give me copy format of your reason letter?? Thanks..

  27. Jashim

    Reply

    Manish , Thank you this info.
    ‘For reason’ of applying can you please send me the format of what you wrote .Thank You.

  28. juan ferrer

    Reply

    hi manish

    what i should write in the question “reason what you apply for permanent residence ” i know its ovbious the anwser but maybe you can give some advise

    thanks

  29. Krishnam

    Reply

    Hi Manish,

    Thanks for the article.
    Can you please send me the “reason letter”?

    Thank you,
    Raju

  30. Catherine

    Reply

    Hi Manish, Thank you so much for the helpful article. I am in the process of applying for a PR and I am stuck on the part where they are asking for the reasons of applying.I would really appreciate it if you could help me with a sample of the format that you used when you were applying for one.Thank you in advance.

  31. Gretchen

    Reply

    hi manish,ive been living here for almost 10 years now and im working with the same company during that until now.im living with my husband which is now my dependent.im planning to apply for PR by next year. I want to live here and build our family thats why i really have to work hard and be a resident here if given a chance.Do you think they will grant me this PR?can i ask you to please send me a copy on how to make a “reason lette”too?
    Thank you,
    Gretchen

  32. V

    Reply

    Hi Manish,

    Thank you so much for posting about your experience here.

    It’s been over nine years now since I arrived in Japan and for a long time I’ve been hoping to get permanent residency in the future. But tonight I was reading about the guarantor requirements for the first time, and my heart sank. I already lost a “friend” of several years who agreed to be the emergency contact (not even guarantor) for my apartment, then gave me incorrect contact information when the time came and basically was saying “yes” while doing “no”. I can’t believe that ten years of hard work plus having all the right financial records isn’t enough for PR – that you also need to ask someone you care about to share for more information than anyone should reasonably be expected to give, and more information than pretty much anyone in this country will be prepared to share (unless perhaps they’re married to you, and even then it’s not certain)!

    So it is a great relief right now to hear about your success with a non-Japanese guarantor. Right now I think I may end up renewing my working visa again rather than try for PR (I’d thought I wouldn’t need to renew another work visa). Thinking about the PR process doesn’t make me want to try for it. But while some people online seem to insist that a Japanese national is *really* a requirement as a guarantor, your post is the one thing I’ve found showing that is not the case, and that’s a great comfort right now.

    So… thank you.

    V

  33. bhinoe

    Reply

    Good Day Manish
    For reason of applying can you please send me the format of what you wrote .

    Thank You,
    bhinoe

  34. Precy

    Reply

    Good day! Im a registered nurse here and im planning to appy a permanent residency can you please send me a format of reason for seeking permanent residency.

  35. Precy

    Reply

    Follow up question my employer is asking to whom they will address the employment certificate and what should be the contents of employment certificate. Thank you

  36. Usha

    Reply

    Thank you for taking time out & putting together great information which is helpful to many like me. We are doing it together as a family.
    My Japanese friend agreed to be our guarantor and provided a letter. Will the documentation from guarantor differ if he is a Japanese national?
    Plz share the reference reason letter.
    It will truly help us.

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